The 2025 Central NY Scholastic Chess Championship took place on Saturday, November 15th at North Syracuse Junior High School. More than 140 students from grades K-12 across Central New York spent the day playing chess, problem solving, and enjoying friendly competition. Two students from the Creative Arts Academy, Ellis Durce and Robert Jones, joined the tournament alongside MasterMinds Chess Club. The pair both won multiple matches as they competed in their first ever tournament. Instructors, Walter Eiland and John Elliott share that the MasterMinds Chess Club aims to build thinking skills, creativity, and sportsmanship, while promoting a fun learning environment. Ellis expressed that “It was really exciting to play against other students and he looks forward to participating in more tournaments in the future.” Robert added, “The Chess Championship was an enjoyable first time experience!”
