The varsity chess team competed in the CCSD district league championship, finishing third overall after an intense five-round playoff against high schools around the district.

The league season ran from September to February, with only the best teams advancing to the postseason for a chance to compete for the championship title

“To prepare for the division games, our team would meet after school to practice,” Club Advisor Chloe Hickman said. “ [We would then] decide who would be playing on which boards.”

Despite winning third place later on in the championship, the players reported facing challenging early division matches.

“I was shocked at first, I didn’t think we had the ability to [win],” junior Horatio Bacta said. “But after reviewing our team members’ ability, we were pretty confident going in. [And] determined, and we thought we could get top five.”

Going into the knockout rounds, the team secured a 3-2 win against Clark HS and Foothill HS, advancing to the round robin tournament against the other top five teams in the district.

“First match, my feelings were pretty hyped. I got really excited, it was my first time being in the chess league, and I think it was just all good vibes,” Bacta said. “The finals [were] stressful; each win mattered more to us. And even though it was so stressful, we still had a bunch of fun and good times.”

Despite losing to West Tech 4-1 in the following week, the team won against Desert Pines in a tiebreaker to secure their first win in the playoffs.

“We performed very well. This is the farthest we’ve ever been, and we only got that far because we helped each other. [I’m] very proud of that,” Wilson Giang said. “What I did was just watch how our other board members play, and coach them on what moves they did wrong, why it was wrong, and what moves they played well.”

In the next week, the team fell short 2-3 against Coronado HS, but was able to close the championships strong by taking down Rancho HS 3-2, officially putting them in 3rd place.

“I felt very nervous and pressured, yes,” Giang said. “But as I kept on playing my opponent, I started getting more comfortable with playing, and I realized that this is exactly what I had practiced, and then I felt confident.”

The win gave a huge morale boost to everyone on the team.

“[This season] has motivated us to strive harder to get first place next year,” Bacta said. “Not only will we repeat history, but we will make our run better by practicing more and collaborating with our team members. Interacting with more chess players [will also] be a better approach to hopefully improve our performance next year.”

Hickman, alongside tutoring and helping club members with their chess skills, credits them for their own commitments.

“The students’ commitment to the team was a big contribution to their success,” Hickman said. “Chess league requires a lot of extra hours after school, and being willing to put in the time is crucial for success in the season.”