By Hurley Qi ’22

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The Strake Jesuit chess team won first place in the Houston area Catholic Schools Championship Chess Tournament hosted at Strake Jesuit on October 5, 2019.  

Even before the annual club fair, the Strake Jesuit Chess Club had already begun their weekly meetings to prepare for the upcoming tournaments. Including numerous freshmen chess players, the team was determined to win the tournament. 

Jacob Buergler’ 21, defeating every opponent he faced, scored first in the tournament. Ashton Willis’ 20, losing only to Jacob Buergler, received the second-place trophy. Nathaniel Fernandes ’20 took the fourth place trophy with 3.5 points out of 5. Lastly, Hurley Qi’ 22 was placed fifth in a six-way tie. 

With an accumulation of 15.5 points, the Strake Jesuit Chess Team surpassed St. Thomas High School and won first place in the team competition. 

“I was glad to see many new faces,” said Mr. Kyle Gibson, the moderator of the club. “I was impressed by Nathaniel, Jacob, and Ashton’s leadership and their desire for excellence in the team, and I expect the team to excel.”

After successfully defending their champion title, the SJ Chess Team is now preparing for the state championship in November.

If you have any questions or wish to join the chess club, please contact kgibson@mail.strakejesuit.org. Let’s go, Crusaders!