Cover Story
Front, left to right: Maya McGreen, Mariah McGreen, Kamil Back, left to right: Markus Pond, Matthew Kluska, Jack
Team of History
ELIZABETH’S PROGRAM EVERY THREE YEARS, THE KIDS ARE completely different. No matter: The result is typically the same. A middle school from Brooklyn’s Broadway Triangle brings national championships home from Nashville, Dallas, or Orlando. I.S. 318’s coach, WFM Elizabeth Spiegel, admits to not recalling just how many titles it has been. Since 2007, the beginning of the USCF online records, her program has
18 Chess Life — July 2012
The Junior High I.S. 318 are National High School Champions By MATAN PRILLELTENSKY
captured 10 (of a possible 15) grade school national titles. Its sixth graders have won the K-6 national championship three times. Dominance of junior high school nationals has been pronounced, with the K-8 and K-9 championships being taken thrice and twice, respectively. Every title the program was eligible for through 2011, it won at least once. Except for the great- est team prize in American scholastic chess: The K-12 national championship. In her 13 years running the program,
WFM Spiegel has developed a winning, replicable system. Kids enter the chess program in sixth grade, frequently with lit- tle to no competitive experience. Every incoming student in the school takes chess as a required class. Sixth grade periods are structured traditionally: An advanced group and a beginner group swap places partway through, one play- ing while the other receives instruction. This is the year 318 students decide what role, if any, chess will play in their mid-
uschess.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76