What does it take to become US Champion? The students at P.S. 116 can tell us! Elizabeth Berg, Spencer Berkman, Jane Handorff, Paul Handorff, Nitai Leve, Marc Anthony Parrino, R.J. Parrino, and Alex Streopoulus make up the P.S. 116 chess team. They have recently been named the US Champions in the K-5 Section, with Marc Anthony Parrino becoming the co-champion. To become a great chess team it takes determination, discipline and practice. It also takes the ability to get back up when you are knocked down. As many of our students and parents know, it has taken years of hard work to become champions, but it has been fun. Now we are looking forward to the future of this amazing team, as well as the future of our team members.

One of our many extraordinary students is Marc Anthony. He is a 5th grader at P.S. 116 and has been playing chess since he was in kindergarten. Besides his love for football, baseball and anything athletic, he is also a US Chess Co-Champion. With his calm demeanor, brilliant moves, and mature playing he has come up to the front of the line and become a champion. Since his first game he has grown into a skillful force in the game and is a leader on his team. He now plays extremely challenging opponents and very difficult games. At the US champions he played children who were already considered to be masters. You would think that this would intimidate Marc, but there is not a chance of that. When players and coaches at the championship were mean and said that Marc’s success was only luck, he turned a deaf hear. He played without losing concentration, due to the meditation that is part of the NyChessKids curriculum. His goal was in sight and he was determined to see it through. When asked about Marc presentation P.S. 116’s coach, Saudin Robovic, stated that “He had an amazing performance!”

Behind every great, young chess player are dedicated parents and family members. Marc Anthony is no exception to this rule. He is supported by two terrific parents, Roger and Mary, and a talented little brother, R.J. Roger and Mary Parrino have given up weekends, vacations and holidays to provide opportunities for their children. Besides Marc, there is also R.J, who excels in chess, as well. He played with his big brother on the US Champion team and can stand next to some of the greats in the tournament. R.J. is also budding into a fabulous cello and is very athletically inclined. With the support of their parents the Parrino boys are destined to go far in chess and life.

Saudin has coached Marc and the team at P.S. 116 for years and knows how far they have come. The facility at P.S. 116 are also well aware what a feet it was for their chess team. Just a few years ago P.S. 116 was not a place that any parents or students wanted to attend. To sum up the atmosphere up; it was scary. Then in came the school’s saving grace and her name is Ms. Corilla. When she became principal, the school was in for a change. She developed a new system of business and brought in the guidance that the school desperately needed. Some of the greatest things she did for the school was create a gifted program and bring in our chess program. She has been a great supporter of our mission for the children of New York. She knows that children need to be challenged in school as well as outside the classroom. That is why she allows NyChessKids to come into the school and teach her students. Just this past year, the gifted program tested in the 96th percentile on the New York State standardized tests. In turn, this raised the school’s overall rating and allowed them to be eligible for government scholarships. So now the future for P.S. 116 is brighter, with the grade of teachers going up and the education of the students a priority.

The students at the NyChessKids are all amazing and we wish that we could highlight them all at one time. This is not possible, because there aren’t enough words in the English language that could due them all justice. All we can say is that with the help of our instructors, educators, and parents we are able create an atmosphere conducive to learning and fun. With this is mind, anyone can see why our students are some of the most extraordinary in this great city of New York.