Queens of the Game: Hell’s Kitchen Students Capture National Chess Crown

Checkmate! Hell’s Kitchen Success Academy students made bold moves and the West Side proud this month as they nabbed a national chess championship. 

Six chess program participants from Success Academy Midtown West Middle School took to the boards at the KCF All-Girls National Chess Championship in Chicago, Illinois April 12-14, where students Druthi Rao and Kyla McRoy made it to the final round of the Under 14 category — and 7th grader Anjyu Fujita took home a crucial victory, securing the team a first-place tie with Hunter College Campus Schools for the trophy. 

For Anjyu, the grueling three-hour match was riveting, she told W42ST. “I was desperate to find anything to win,” she added. Though her opponent had gained ground throughout the match, “the pressure and my drive encouraged me to keep going — and make each move. Each second was exciting,” she said. “When I realized I got back the advantage, and the moment that I moved my queen for the final move, I felt joy for not only me but my team.” 

It was a long-earned victory for Anjyu, who has been learning chess since she was a second grader at Success Academy’s Washington Heights elementary campus. “I loved the idea of being able to compete in a mind game against kids like me,” she said of the decision to take up the game. “I really enjoy the competitiveness. In particular, I’ve been introduced to more advanced players and had the opportunity to compete against them — it’s been an incredible experience,” added Anjyu.  

Success Academy, which opened their location at 439 W49th Street (bw 9/10th Ave) in 2019, has fostered an enthusiastic chess following, said its communications lead Taylor Fleming, who added that 8,000 students across their New York network of schools play. “Chess has always been a pillar of Success Academies, because of the discipline and strategy it teaches our scholars,” said Taylor.

With 800 Success Academy scholars ranked by the US Chess Federation and more than a dozen of the Hell’s Kitchen SA players on the national top 100 list, Taylor added that it was “a joy to watch our chess team flourish — the energy our scholars bring to the co-curricular activities is contagious. Other scholars are definitely energized by the trophies our team brings home and the success of our team.”

Michael Rohde, Chess Grandmaster and Chess Lead Teacher of the local school said, “As an experienced player myself, it’s been a joy to see the scholars thrive in competition. As teachers and coaches, we are advocates for our kids. This is a central pillar of our schools.” 

Taylor added that the “rigor and challenges” of Success Academy’s chess program help its students “in and outside of the classroom” — something that Anjyu agreed has greatly enriched her education. “Not only has chess helped me with my school work, but it has also allowed me to gain more ability to advance in other co-curricular activities,” she said. “Chess is a tactical game which challenges me to calculate my opponents‘ actions and moves. Through chess, I’ve learned skills to think ahead and strategize, and have been able to bring this to my schoolwork and all subjects.”

It’s also helped her to connect with other players across schools and regions, she noted, adding that she planned to keep playing “for a very long time.” The chess program at Success Academy “is a very accepting community,” said Anjyu. “I’ve made a lot of friends along the way, and Chess has taught me lessons of perseverance and that friendships can help get you through any struggle.”