Archangel 8 Chess Academy Celebrates 25 Years of Chess Enrichment

The Archangel 8 Chess Academy, celebrating over twenty- five years of promoting chess enrichment, youth programs and chess events, played host to the 2024 Juneteenth Dr. Opal Lee Open Chess tournament. In 2021 President Biden signed a bill that made June 19th a national holiday, celebrating the end of slavery in the United States.

Over thirty students, women and men played in four sections, USCF rated Open, Womens section, Scholastics and Masten District section. Playing three to four games of chess at the Frank E. Merriweather Library on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

USCF rated Open section and women will conclude on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

Scholastics K-6 section results are as follows; Undefeated and First Place – Jacob Kagan, Transit Middle - 6th grader (Mexico City) was undefeated and Second Place - Vinayak Suresh, Transit Middle - 6th grader. Black Diamonds members placed third were Caiden Seals, Persistence Prep Academy - 2nd grader and Roderick Moppins - first grader - Buffalo Science Charter, Buffalo NY. Honorables were Nicholas Dove - 2nd grader and Issac Dove - 3rd grade.

Pictured are the Masten District section “Final Four” finishers. (L-R) are Roberto Arvelo, HBCU Morgan State University, Cheryl T. McDuffie, Corporate and Foundation Associate, Undefeated and first place, Jim Jones, US Chess Federation Tournament Director, Michael A. McDuffie, Second place Elijah Austin and 2007 “Urban Thinker” member, Miles James, Alfred University, Engineering graduate. Other community chess notables were Averille Dove, Rico Brisbon, James McAdory and Bobby Woods.

For more Chess information, please email to Knightsof64@yahoo.com.