WEIBEL GIRLS' CHESS TEAM DO IT AGAIN--NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Does it ever become old hat winning an All-Girls National Championship? I mean, after all, Weibel Elementary School Chess has won eight in the last eight years. Never! This year was the most exciting ever and I wasn’t there. I attended my cousin’s daughter’s wedding in SoCal. Genetic family came first over my Weibel family.

As is usual, the Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation held this year’s competition in Chicago from April 20 to 22. As usual, I am told, David Heiser, his family and his staff organized an outstanding tournament. The event keeps growing with 487 players and with some of the toughest team competition in their history.

Weibel had two teams this year with one in the Under 10 section and the other in the Under 12 division. Our Under 10 team came into the Championships ranked fourth nearly 500 rating points behind Dalton, a New York private school that has been a leader in chess even before I began the Weibel program in 1988. The girls fought hard all six rounds and ended up second to Dalton. A truly amazing finish. The Weibel Under 12 team came in ranked second and took home the first place trophy.

All nine girls who attended deserve my Kudos for their amazing finish. Special Kudos go to two special young women. Fifth grader Yesun Lee entered ranked 12th and finished only a half point behind the tied Champions. Prisha Jain, whose initial position was 20th, had one of her best tournaments ever tying a player rated 400 points higher and finishing tied for fourth place, a half point behind Yesun.

I thank my two coaches who joined the Weibel Girls Team in Chicago and led them to their victories, Badaamkand Norovasambuu and Jason Cruz. I thank all my parents who took their daughters and, especially, Minh Mai who graciously organized the Team and set up a special training session for the girls before the event.

I truly wish I could have been in Chicago to see all the joyful faces instead of just checking the results and making a few telephone calls. Oh, well. 

In photograph from left to right starting in front with the Under 10 Team: Shruti Nath (4th grade), Mihika Deshpande (4th grade), Mai-Ha Nghiem (3rd grade)

In back from left to right Under 12 Championship Team and coaches: Coach Badaamkhand Norovasambu, Rachael Tiong (6th grade), Kabita Nath(6th grade), Chau-Ha Nghiem(5th grade), Isha Varada(6th grade), Yesun Lee(5th grade), Prisha Jain(6th grade), Coach Jason Cruz