54th New York State Scholastic Chess Championship Results

Pictured are Buffalo Police Officer, Juan Phillips, Senior Captain, Tristan Perkins, Michael A. McDuffie, Archangel 8 Chess Academy and USCF Chess Coach, along with Jonluke Pencille of Lockport High School, Lockport, NY.

The Archangel 8 Chess Academy, celebrating over 25 years of serving and providing the Lockport, Buffalo and WNY communities, Scholastic Youth Enrichment Chess programs is proud to announce, 2023 National Scholastic Chess team medal winners, Tristan Perkins and Jonluke Pencille continue to add to the legacy of the Lockport Golden Knights enrichment Scholastic Chess Team.

Over the weekend of March 9 -10, 2024, the twoman Chess team earned a “Top Ten” finish at the 54th Annual New York State Scholastic (K-12) Chess Championships, hosted by the New York Chess Association, held in Saratoga, New York. Competing during the two days, six games in the “Championship” section, against over (100), one hundred of New York State’s highest US Chess Federation rated players.

This is a fitting end to his scholastic state tournament play, Senior Captain Tristan, an accomplished and dedicated chess player puts in the hard work that it takes to be a successful tournament chess player. Patience and attention to details has also shown in his academics currently enrolled at Lockport High School. In 2023, a banner year for Tristan, currently he holds a 4.0 grade point average, since 2020 to the present Honor Roll, 2023 National Hispanic Scholar, 2023 Xerox Innovation and Information Technology Award winner, 2023 member of National (K-12) Scholastic Team trophy winners held in Washington, DC, 2023 finished 10th place at the Philadelphia, PA - “World Open” Chess Tournament, inducted in the 2023 National Honor Society, finished 2nd at the 2019 National (K-8) Scholastic Chess Championships and lastly in 2018, received his first of three “Special Recognition Awards”, two Proclamations” and a “Certificate of Excellence” from the Mayors of Lockport and the Common Council.

His future aspirations are to attend the University of Buffalo, to pursue a career in Medical Research.

Sophomore teammate Jonluke, also as accomplished, was elected Freshman Class President at Lockport High. For more information about Archangel 8 Chess Academy and its Enrichment Youth Chess programs, please Email to Knightsof64@yahoo.com.

Respectfully submitted by Michael A. McDuffie, USCF Chess Coach.

Photo Contributed by Archangel 8 Chess Academy, an affiliated of the U.S. Chess Federation since 1999 of Buffalo NY