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Community Corner

Whiz Kids of the Week: CPCS Chess Team

This week's Whiz Kids are the high-achieving and ambitious students of a local Fort Greene School Chess Team.

Name: Community Partnership Charter School Chess Team

Ages: 7 to 12 years old

School: Community Partnership Charter School on Emerson Place between DeKalb and Lafayette avenues.

Accomplishments: So far in 2011, this group of little Bobby Fishers has garnered honors at several city chess tournaments. Fifth-grader Nicolai Celestain took home first place at a Fredrick Douglass Academy tournament and medaled in tournaments at PS 11 and PS 98.

"Chess is very important to me because it helps me focus in school so that I am able to get better grades," said Celestian, who also mentioned that he is very excited about the possibility of going to nationals.

Cestain's fellow fifth-grader Raul Aviles also took home a trophy at the tourney at PS 98, and fourth-grader Alton Calliste won first place in his division. Chawn Evans, now in fourth grade, even won rounds in a special online competition against students from France.

Key to Awesomeness:
Not content to rest on their laurels, the team, along with their chess master provided by the city non-profit Chess in the Schools, has set its sights on winning enough tournament points in the coming months to qualify for the National Elementary Chess Championship tournament in Dallas, Texas. CPCS started working with Chess in the Schools four years ago to improve students' self-esteem and critical thinking skills. A chess instructor spends one day a week at the school, teaching chess and leading an afterschool club. Besides the trophies, the club's growing popularity is proof of its success: 28 students participate!

"Chess has helped me improve playing and it's made me smarter," said Raul Aviles. "Because of chess, I won a trophy — and it's fun because you get to play against other people and you learn tactics to win."

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