The 2012 USVI National Scholastic Chess Championship was held at Manor School on Feb. 18 when 26 students from 10 territory schools (Manor, Antilles, Central, CDS, Good Hope, St. Mary’s, A-Z, Claude O. Marko, Ricardo Richards and Laurel Springs School) competed in an all day tournament. The tournament started at 8:30 a.m. and the students played until 4:30 p.m. The three younger sections (U14, U10 and U8) played eight 40 minute games and the upper division (U18) played five 90 minute games. The age of the students was between 8 and 17.
Six students from six different schools competed in the upper division.
One student, Hazel Acosta, is a 2011 Central America and Caribbean gold medal winner. Another in the older division, William Van Rensselaer, is a 2011 Central America and Caribbean silver medal winner. Hazel has earned the right to represent the Virgin Islands at the 2012 Pan American Chess Festival in Lima, Peru, in July. William has earned a position on the 2012 VI World Olympiad Chess Team and will compete in Istanbul, Turkey in August.
First place winners of this tournament will make up the 2012 USVI National Scholastic Chess Team and be the official student chess representatives of the Virgin Islands in various competitions around the world.
The winners of the USVI 2012 Scholastic championship are:
Under 18
1st place William Van Rensselaer
2nd place Jean Devera
3rd place Regine Acosta
Under 14
1st place Marissa Edwin
2nd Place Diamond Mark
3rd Place Savannah Gadd
Under 10
1st Place Taj Bates
2nd Place Enyjah Miller
3rd Place Kyle Edwin
Shabazz Bastian will represent the under 8 sections