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
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Vincent DeCesaris 8th Board 1
Ryan Perret 7th Board 2
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Sameer Khanbhai 7th Board 3
Benjamin Markstone 8th Board 4
Junior Varsity Chess Teams
Chess Player Grade
Ian McDonald 8th
Julian Wu 8th
Ryan Teng 8th
Yash Dhuri 8th
Benjamin Osborne 6th
Guilio Cataldo 8th
William O’Connel 6th
Isaac Carlson 6th
Junior Varsity Team 3
Alex Sidhu 6th
Alex DeLong 6th
Max Moss 8th