While other New York City elementary school kids are taking the traditional route and going to camp this summer, PS116's chess team will be sweating it out at the Manhattan Chess Club, working on improving their opening moves.

This year alone, the school captures both New York City and state championships. PS116's traveling chess teams with 40 or more participants at the recent Supernationals II Chess Tournament in Kansas City - the largest chess tournament ever with over 7,000 kids - where they took home numerous trophies.

Their summer goal? To strengthen their playing skills in preparation for bigger, more important chess tournaments around the New York metropolitan area and beyond.

Leading them to victory is Bosnian-born Saudin Robovic, an international chess master and mentor to the kids who will participate in the summer chess program.

"Our traveling chess team is small, but increasingly powerful. I think we have a very bright future,"

"I believe we will be the next US champions."

PS 116 has a strong chess tradition thanks to Bonnie Waitzkin, who coordinates the chess program. Bonnie's husband Fred Waitzkin, wrote the book and screenplay Searching for Bobby Fischer about their son Josh, who is an international chess master.

Parents help fund the chess program, introduced to students as early as kindergarten.

"We feel strongly that chess helps our students learn strategic thinking early on,"

Because it is a public school, only a limited number of students are able to travel to tournaments outside of NY. Even still, this little power house team won the 2001 New York State Championships, beating out schools with more players and deeper pockets.

PS116 parents are working together to locate a corporate sponsor so that more kids can travel to Dallas for the Grade Nationals Tournament and Portland in 2002 for the Supernationals II.

International chess master Robovic is confident his young team will go on to conquer the chess world.

Robovic emigrated to the US from war-torn Bosnia in 1996 with a dream to develop a US championship chess team for a New York City public school.

"I believe that kids, like me, have a chance to do something great in their lives with chess,"

"My goal is to make that happen for PS 116."

An honors graduate of the University of Sarajevo, Saudin learned chess at the age of seven from his father, a college professor. Saudin honed his burgeoning talents as he began to travel to chess tournaments throughout Europe, supporting his family with his earnings from the competitions.

When war broke out, his parents encouraged him to flee the country, using chess as a bridge to freedom.

For four years, Saudin and his sister lived safely in Vienna - which became their temporary home base.

After the war ended, he returned to Yugoslavia, (now Bosnia) to find that his friends had been victims of the fighting and savagery.

Pushing his dream, he returned to Vienna and then made his way to New York City where, for the past five years, he has devoted his career to teaching chess to kids.

"Chess is a terrific way for kids to build self image and self esteem."

An international chess master. Saudin is a member of the Marshall Chess Club and Manhattan Chess Club, where he runs a weekly kids program.

"Chess opens and enriches your mind,"

"Becoming successful at chess allows you to discover your own personality. That's what I want for the kids I teach."

For more information on Saudin Robovic, visit his web site at www.nychesskids.com.

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