Only a week ago, we were wishing Coach Kevin Fites and his Detroit chess teams from University Prep Science and Math Elementary and Middle School luck as they headed to Nashville, Tennessee, to compete in the U.S. Chess SuperNationalsVI tournament. Normally tournaments for elementary, junior high, and high school students are held at different times in separate locations, with the SuperNationals, all of the tournaments are held simultaneously under one roof.
While some students attend to learn the skill, meet new friends and have fun, Detroit chess players come to play and take home the “W.” And we’re glad to report they won big at the SuperNationals and have even more bragging rights to take back with them to D-town.
Moreover, sixth-grader Cameron Rector is the No. 1 player in the United States in the K-8 Under 750 section. Impressively, he went undefeated in seven games. Cameron is now nationally the top chess player in this category. They also came in second place in the K-8 Under 1000 section, missing the top spot by only half a point.
Detroit’s youth chess players continue to break down barriers and annihilate stereotypes that Black students have been labeled with. They are shining examples that our students are indeed intelligent and certainly capable of keeping up and even excelling over their counterparts.
Congratulations to Detroit’s chess players on a great season! Take a gander at a few more photos below:
