Minor Threats Chess Club: 2014

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Heros

National Master Joshua Colas and future national master Syair.

Joshua Colas played a simul against 16 kids yesterday as part of the Enon Connect Pawns Chess Festival. Johnny, Nifese, and Syair all got to take part in it. Afterwards Joshua played a blindfolded match. It was impressive and inspirational. Thank you Joshua!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Triple Crown of PA Speed Chess

Last weekend I took four kids to Lancaster for the Triple Crown of PA Speed Chess. They returned with twelve trophies. But more importantly they got to experience all of this.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

IM Maurice Ashley

One of the greats with some future greats

Eagles Tournament

Johnny and Pernell on the field at Lincoln Financial Field

Both of them were undefeated! 1st place and 2nd place and 1st place school with a team of two!

Next year I will be the chess coach for the Andrew Hamilton Chess Team! Andrew Hamilton in a K-8 public school in West Philadelphia. Johnny and Pernell will be in 8th grade there next year. They are two of the founding members of the Minor Threats Chess Club.

Elementary National Championships

At the Philadelphia International Airport before our flight

On the flight

Where the magic happens

Tahvon and Bin practicing

Day 1: Round 1!

The Minor Threats Chess Club returned from the Elementary Nationals Chess Championships in Dallas, TX safe and sound. And again, the kids did not return the same of the when they left. Most of them had never flown before. None of them had ever been to Dallas before. They learned a lot. Not only about chess about also about themselves and the world.

On the way home. All smiles.

I was so proud of the kids. Four of them had their best Nationals ever. Miles and Syair both scored 4.5/ 7 points. Morrisa my 3^rd grader, who’s only been playing chess for a few months, scored 2 points. Nifese tied for 16^th place out of 371 players with 5.5 points.

Thank you to everyone who helped me take the kids on another amazing adventure!

Check Out What Tahvon And Syair Have To Say

Check out what my kids Tahvon (5th grade) and Syair (4th grade) had to say to Cherri Gregg for CBS Phiily.

Junior High National Scholastic Chess Championships

The kids and I all returned safely from our 16 hour adventure home! They returned but they are not the same as when they left. They learned more about chess, the world, and themselves. They made me so proud. They were regularly playing 3 hour matches. 3 hours!

One of the most amazing stat I kept thinking about this weekend was this. There were only 34 kids from 11 different school from the whole state of PA at the tournament. I brought 10 kids from 5 different schools. We went to the tournament with our friends from the Paul Robson Chess Club. They brought 6 kids from Blankenburg Elementary. So between the two of us we brought almost half the kids from PA! Almost all of the kids from PA at the tournament were from the Philadelphia School, the most elite private school in the city, or Masterman, the most elite public school in the city.

Just getting the kids to the tournament and returning safely was a win. The kids worked so hard to get there and they worked so hard while they were there. These are the type of moments that change kids lives.

Thank you to all of our supporters! Up next, Elementary Nationals in Dallas.

PA State Scholasitc Chess Championships 2014

We didn't get too many pictures of the kids while we were at the State Championships this year in Carlisle, PA. We were too focused on playing and studying chess.

I took 14 kids. Most of them competed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They learned so much. They learned a lot about chess and they also learned important social skills and life lessons. Some of the new kids had never been outside of Philadelphia before.

We returned with 11 trophies! This was our best showing to date!

These pictures were taken when we got back to school. Thanks to all of the supporters who helped us get to States this year. Next year the PA State Scholastic Chess Championships will be in my home town of Lancaster, PA and the kids and I have already been studying and setting goals.

Minor Threats Shirts and Sweatshirts Availavle

Check out our online store! We have shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers available. All of the proceeds go towards taking the kids to major chess tournaments.