As the 12 members of the Cole chess team held the trophy engraved with “State Champions” above their heads, undeniable looks of pride were spread across their exuberant faces. 

After an intense final match against Central Falls middle school, Cole finally beat their competitors by a mere half of a point. To defend their status as state champion, the Cole team met regularly to practice after school and at team leader Vincent Decesaris’s house, as well as competed in various competitions around the state to increase their United States Chess Federation(USCF) rating.

Vincent Decesaris and other skilled eighth graders lead the team by example with their exceptional tactics and unrivaled love for the game. While the Cole chess team has repeatedly defended their role as state champions, Central Falls Middle School has repeatedly been runner-up, always proving to be a tough match.

Yet, as the team held up the trophy in Central Falls Middle School last month, their faces reflected only their pride and love for the game.

Varsity Chess Team

Chess Player                                                   Grade                   Board Positions

Vincent DeCesaris                                           8^th                         Board  1

Ryan Perret                                                     7^th                        Board  2

Sameer Khanbhai                                            7^th                         Board  3

Benjamin Markstone                                        8^th                         Board  4

Junior Varsity Chess Teams                          

Chess Player                                              Grade                           

Ian McDonald                                               8^th                                          

Julian Wu                                                     8^th                                          

Ryan Teng                                                    8^th                                          

Yash Dhuri                                                    8^th                                          

Benjamin Osborne                                        6^th                                          

Guilio Cataldo                                               8^th                                          

William O’Connel                                           6^th                                          

Isaac Carlson                                                6^th                                          

Junior Varsity Team 3

Alex Sidhu                                                    6^th                                          

Alex DeLong                                                  6^th                                          

Max Moss                                                      8^th