GM Kosteniuk Visits Miami Beach Senior

International Chess grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk walked into the Miami Beach high school chess class and all eyes focused on her. The former 2004 European Chess Champion is striking enough to have posed for Elle and Vogue magazines. “She looks even better in person,” whispers one student to another. The male dominated class soon learned this was not just another pretty face.

Chess is serious business for Kosteniuk who at fourteen years old became the 10th woman in history to earn the title of grandmaster. The twenty-three year old former 2005 Russian champion who lives in Key Biscayne during the winter and competes in Europe during the chess season says, “Dad taught me how to play just before I turned five years old. Chess is a part of our culture.” It is not unusual for her to play to large crowds and is a celebrity in her homeland.

The former Soviet Union dominated world championships until the late Bobby Fischer’s reign from 1972 to1975 and has continued since with Russian players like Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik. Chess is ingrained in the Russian school curriculum. It goes back a thousand years and was even played by Peter the Great.

Kosteniuk is the fifth highest rated woman in the world. She travels the globe to promote chess. Her foundation funds her visits and she has been featured in Time, Sports Illustrated, and Newsweek. Later this month she will visit Columbia University in New York City to play a simultaneous exhibition against the school’s powerful chess club and visit the famed Marshall Club where Bobby Fisher got his start.

Kosteniuk’s visit is part of the “Chess Master Tour” that brings titled players to schools offering chess as an elective. Chess titles include International Master, FIDE Master, and Grandmaster and are earned by players achieving the highest levels of success in international competitions based on ratings, strength of opponents, and length of tournaments. Local titled players participating in the “Chess Master Tour” are Grandmaster Julio Becerra, Grandmaster Renier Gonzalez, Grandmaster Gilardo Garcia, International Master Blas Lugo, International Master Alejandro Moreno, FIDE Master Marcel Martinez, and FIDE Master Charles Galofre.

The “Chess Master Tour” is organized by the M-DCPS Chess Education Program. There are twelve schools offering chess as an elective in the school system including middle and high schools. Overall there are over 240 chess programs including the Division of Advanced Academic’s AEP chess, Title I chess, elective classes, and clubs. There are an estimated 6,000 students playing chess in Miami-Dade. According to longtime scholastic chess organizer, Arden Dilley, “Chess is sleeping giant in this county”.

Kosteniuk, who recently won the women’s 20-24 age group division in the Miami Beach Ocean Drive 5K, analyzed a game she played against International Master Andreas Huss in Switzerland in 2003. All moves are algebraically notated and players evaluate different variations at different points in the game to find the best moves for both the white and black pieces. This practice allows students to recognize a move they may have missed during a game.

Studying games helps children build a structure or pattern of moves from diverse positions on the board. Students put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating new attacks or defenses. The parts include the opening, middle, and end game. The idea is to find the best move to carry out a plan or refute an attack by your opponent. Students learn to notate their games and develop analytical skills through this meticulous process. M-DCPS students participate in local, state, and national tournaments.


There are 12 middle and high schools offering chess as an elective including 6 more preparing to offer the class next year. Although there is no specific statewide course code for chess, schools use critical thinking and problem solving as the formal code. The state has signaled support for a course code and leaves it up to individual school districts statewide to petition the state for approval. The Chess Education Program has drafted a proposal and will submit a formal document for administration to approve in the spring.

Funding for chess programs vary throughout the district. All elementary schools are eligible to submit a proposal to the AEP chess program. Once approved, an allocation is provided to pay a teacher and for materials. Training is then provided for teachers who have access to support throughout the year. The Title I Administration authorizes principals to use their school-wide allocation to pay teachers, transportation as well as entry fees for tournaments. Title I funds are federal monies granted to schools with a demographic facing economic challenges and base allocations on the percentage of students receiving free and reduced price lunch at individual schools. Biscayne Elementary chess coach Oscar Rodriguez states, “The costs are relatively small but the benefits are huge. Children develop many academic and social skills.”

Miami Beach senior high math teacher Ben Silva has taught the chess class the past two years states, “This is awesome. It is not everyday you have this kind of opportunity to study chess with a grandmaster. She is a phenomenal player”. Silva, who played in his first tournament at the Miami Open in September as part of a M-DCPS professional development event says, “I had students who do not take the class ask permission to attend the lecture,” as he looks across an overflowing classroom.

During the lecture, Kosteniuk asks students for input and several call out moves, “Knight c6, Rook to d7, Bishop to b7….” and Kosteniuk skillfully corroborates or refutes moves with comments like, “Good idea but….look at the pawn protecting the b7 square…,” and the lesson continues until the correct “line” or variation is played out. Kosteniuk has a natural way of affirming the students’ thought process while demonstrating her intentions and thinking throughout the game.

As the bells sounds, the class erupts into simultaneous applause and Kosteniuk’s smile lights the room. Kosteniuk’s husband Diego Garces hands out complimentary copies of her book, “How I became a Grandmaster at 14” and students line up for autographs and pictures. Junior Max Cufari, the top player in the class, asks if he can play the 3-time Olympic medal winner. She smiles and nods as he sets up a board to play.

Julio Ties for First in US Open Qualifier

Julio poses with North Beach students Chady & Ariel who recently participated in a MICA scholastic tournament.

At the Frank Berry U.S. Championship Qualifier Open, five players tied for first with 5.5 points each: GM Julio Beccera, GM Alex Yermolinsky, GM Jesse Kraai, GM John Fedorowicz, and IM Dean Ippolito. Each of them won $1000. All have qualified for the Frank K. Berry U.S. Chess Championship May 13-21st. Becerra beat IM Vinay Bhat in the last round to earn the tie. IM Blas Lugo drew in the last round to win 4.5/7. See games below. Other Floridians participating were child prodigy FM Ray Robson and Jeffrey Haskell.

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk Visits Miami Beach High

Students Max Cufari, Ariela Zuniga, Alexandra, teacher Ben Silva

As part of the "Chess Masters Tour", GM Alexandra Kosteniuk visited Miami Beach Senior High's chess elective class taught by math teacher Ben Silva. The "Chess Masters Tour" involves titled players visiting 12 middle and high schools offering chess as an elective in the M-DCPS system. The "Chess Masters Tour" is organized by District Chess Coordinator Andy Ramos of the Chess Education Program. Chess experts expected to participate are GM Renier Gonzalez, GM Julio Becerra, GM Gilardo Garcia, IM Blas Lugo, IM Alejandro Moreno, FM Marcel Martinez and FM Charles Galofre. GM Gonzalez visited Howard D. McMillan Middle and IM Lugo visited Shenandoah Middle recently and presented lectures and analysis. M-DCPS has over two-hundred and thirty chess programs including AEP Chess, Title I, chess elective classes, and clubs.

Alexandra analyzed a game she played against IM Andreas Huss in Switzerland in 2003. The game featured the Queen's Indian Defence. White usually develops the King's Knight to support the d4 pawn to avoid the Nimzo-Indian. Kosteniuk (Black) played its sister defence the Queen's Indian in response, planning to fianchetto her Queen's Bishop to control and occupy e4. She also examined variations played by Victor Korchnoi vs. Vladmir Simagin in 1960 and Kiril Georgiev vs. Alexander Grischuk in Crete last year at the European Championships for white after 9.Bd3 http://www.kosteniuk.com/photoenews3/Huss-Kosteniuk.pdf . To emphasize how much GMs prepare for their opponents, she states incredibly that 20. ......Be4 was her only original move in the game below! The students engaged her with great questions and ideas which she skillfully corroborated or refuted. She advised them to learn basic positions, study great games, study challenging problems, and work hard on the end game. She gave away pamphlets and her books to the students.

Last year Alexandra played a simul and analyzed games with students at the Florida State Scholastic Chess tournament attended by 1200 players from throughout Florida. She gave away her signature computer to the top girl in each of the 12 sections as well as her book, "How I became a Grandmaster at 14". Thank you for your generosity and kindness. Her daughter Francesca Maria will turn 1 year old on April 22nd.

For a free chess video podcast hosted by Alexandra go to http://www.chesskillertips.com/index.php and improve your chess game.

[Event "Swiss Championship"][Site "Silvaplana (Switzerland)"][Date "2003.165.165"][Round "4"][White "Huss, A"][Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"][Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nf3 b6
4. Nc3 Bb4

5. Qc2 Bb7
6. a3 Bxc3+
7. Qxc3 d6
8. e3 O-O

9. Bd3 Nbd7
10. O-O Ne4
11. Qc2 f5
12. Nd2 Qh4
13. f3 Ng5

14. f4 Nh3+
15. gxh3 Rf6
16. Nf3 Rg6+
17. Kh1 Qxh3
18. Qe2 Nc5!!
19. Bxf5 exf5
20. Bd2 Be4

Black is better

White resigned because after...
21. dxc5 Rg3
22. Rf2 Rxf3
23. Rg2 Rg3
24. Rg1 dxc5

Black wins an exchange and gets a winning endgame 0-1

Miami's GM Julio Becerra Ties for First at Foxwoods

Playing in the "world's largest casino" didn't tempt GM Julio Becerra to play much poker this past weekend where he tied for 1st place in the 10th annual Foxwoods Open at the Foxwoods Resort Casino & Hotel in Mashantucket, CT. The purse was a projected $100,000 and guaranteed $70,000 in prize money. Julio tied with GM Yury Shulman who beat GM Ivanov in a blitz armegeddon along with US Champ GM Alex Shabalov and IM Robert Hess who earned his first GM norm.

Becerra played his student, Eric Rodriguez, in the first round. He said, "Obviously, I know him very well which gave me a big advantage. It is always difficult to play a friend." Did you expect to do so well?," I always expect to win. I was very confident." Becerra's ELO rose 8 points inching him closer to the 2600 mark. He heads for Oklahoma which will hold a qualifier for the US Open ( http://www.okchess.org/qualifier.htm ) which aims to select seven players for the U.S. Championship in May with a special seven-round Swiss, in Tulsa, March 28-30.

Julio says, " My goal is to win the US Open and represent the US in the Olympics." Biggest comp? "Shabalov, he plays to win."

Above is his game against GM Eugene Perelshteyn he played a Ruy Lopez variation in which he says "was well played" and after 19. Rc3... "I felt I had a clear advantage."

Carol City Middle Visits MICA

Teacher Wendy Wadley successfully applied for a $250 mini grant from the Education Fund . The Chess Education Program found her a matching grant. They have attended the World Chess Hall of Fame and on Monday visited IM Blas Lugo at Miami International Chess Academy on Calle Ocho.

Blaso's lesson focused on positions in the opening and typical mistakes. The Cuban International Master explained that moving the same piece more than once loses tempo and initiative. He also warned of moving the Queen too fast. He emphasized developing your pieces quickly. He suggested attacking the Queen if your opponent tries to be overly aggressive. He told the students to analyze positions carefully making sure to look for positional advantages. He demonstrated centralizing minor pieces like the Knight and Bishop to use in combinations. He asked students to explain their reasoning for making moves which helped develop their analytical skills.

Idaho Turns to Chess as Education Strategy

NY Times By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN
Published: March 20, 2008

Once a week, Deborah McCoy, a third-grade teacher in Donnelly, Idaho, unpacks chessboards and pieces and spends an hour teaching her 20 students how to play the game.
Mrs. McCoy said of the program: “They learn give and take in chess. There are courtesies that you follow.”
Mrs. McCoy does not do this because she is passionate about chess; she barely knew how to play before this school year. But she began teaching it as part of an unusual pilot program under way in more than 100 second- and third-grade classrooms across Idaho.

On Thursday, state officials will announce in Boise that the program will be extended in the fall to all second and third graders — making Idaho the first state to offer a statewide chess curriculum.

The state’s $1.5 billion education budget, passed two weeks ago, includes up to $60,000 to finance the instruction. Tom Luna, the state’s superintendent of education, said participation by teachers would be voluntary, but if reaction to the pilot program is any measure, interest will be great.

There are no studies showing that teaching chess has benefits for children, but there is anecdotal evidence, Mr. Luna said.

“One of the things that we hear is that too much of what we do is based on rote memorization,” Mr. Luna said. “The part I really like about this program is that kids are thinking ahead.”

Mrs. McCoy said she has been pleased with the results.

“So many kids spend their time plugged into video games, iPods, television and so they are more isolated,” she said. “They learn give and take in chess. There are courtesies that you follow. It has been really beneficial for them.”

Idaho has 40,000 second and third graders, and Mr. Luna estimated the instruction will cost about $200,000 to $250,000 a year, although it could run as much as $600,000 “if everybody jumped on it the first year,” he said. The money is expected to come from private financing and from reducing administrative expenses in the school system, though state officials said they had not yet identified where the savings would be made.

Idaho is using a curriculum called First Move, which was developed by America’s Foundation for Chess, a nonprofit, Seattle-based organization that promotes teaching chess in school. First Move is now taught to 25,000 students in 18 states, according to Wendi Fischer, the vice president of the foundation.
Rourke O’Brien, the foundation’s president, said the idea to introduce chess into Idaho’s school system arose out of a discussion between Erik Anderson, the foundation’s founder, and Roy Lewis Eiguren, a lawyer and lobbyist who lives in Idaho.

Mr. Anderson and Mr. Eiguren sit on the board of the Avista Corporation, an energy company based in neighboring Washington. After hearing about the benefits of teaching chess, Mr. Eiguren set up a dinner early last year and invited Mr. Luna, Karen McGee, an education-policy adviser to the governor, and three Republican state lawmakers — Representatives Eric Anderson (no relation to Erik Anderson) and Bob Nonini, and Senator John W. Goedde.

The dinner participants agreed to create the pilot program, and Mr. Nonini volunteered to provide $600 of his own money to pay for one of the classrooms in his district for a year, Mr. O’Brien said. The rest of the cost, about $60,000, was paid by the state.

First Move differs from some other chess-in-school programs in that it is taught by classroom teachers and is intended as a curriculum enhancement for second and third graders. It incorporates elements of math, history and vocabulary.

Teachers who wish to use it do not need to know chess. They are trained at seminars over a day or two before the school year starts, and are provided with an instructional DVD, a DVD player, chess sets, boards, online resources and a manual. Every other week, an experienced player is available to answer questions.

Mrs. McCoy said her town was so remote — Donnelly is about a two-hour drive from Boise — that the expert player, Mark Morales, was available only online, but she had found that was adequate. She said it was good for her students to be exposed to a sophisticated game like chess.

“Donnelly is approximately 250 people,” she said. “We are right smack dab in the mountains. Most of our kids live on ranches or in small towns.”

Some of the benefits of the program, Mrs. McCoy said, came in unexpected areas.

“I actually have one student who is originally from Russia and two Hispanic students who have limited English skills, and chess kind of leveled the playing field, and it kind of helped their self-esteem issues,” she said.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

IM Blas Lugo Visits Shenandoah

IM Blas Lugo visited Shenandoah Middle School on Thursday March 20 as part of the Chess Education Program's "Master Tour" of chess elective classes. Lugo who runs Miami International Chess Academy ( http://www.miamiches.com/ )has been a fixture on the Florida chess scene since 1994. His chess club has produced a who's who list of chess champions from Miami. Some of the best players in Florida play at his club. He recently added an after school program for neighboring schools. Children get help with homework and study/play chess. There is financial aid available for those who qualify. He will also offer a spring break camp as well as a summer camp. The club also hosts tournaments including Sundays and scholastic tournaments at Rockwood Middle.

IM Lugo's lesson featured attacking squares F2 & F7. He demonstrated various common positions in which the queen is sacrificed for checkmate or won material. He explained how difficult it is for scholastic players to conceive sacrificing the most powerful piece on the board. Development of the knights and bishop were critical in these combinations. The most important part of the lesson was demonstrating the attacks thus making the students realize the potential for an advantage and initiative by giving up the Queen. When they see the position again they will analyze more closely.

He also analyzed a game he won against current US Champion Alexander Shabalov in 1996 in Philadelphia in which similar positions were reinforced. One thing he said to me that stuck was that sometimes people have unrealistic expectations about chess lessons. There is no magic wand or class that turns you into an expert. These titled players have spent a significant amount of time to achieve their expertise. It is a constant effort for a long period of time.

Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving

Max and Hiroko Warshauer

Department of Mathematics Texas State University-San Marcos

Science, Math, Checkmate is the second book by educator and chess expert Dr. Alexey Root that deftly weaves chess into the educational fabric of school mathematics and science. As in her first book, Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators, this book is a rich resource of activities educators can use to engage, enrich, and enhance student learning.
Teaching problem solving is one of the most challenging tasks for mathematics and science teachers. Chess provides an intriguing context for students to explore a variety of intellectually demanding problems while encouraging students to explain and justify their solutions. The 32 activities found in this book are designed to encourage students to experiment with strategies, visualize relationships of pieces, and reason through their moves and consequences.
Written as a resource book for teachers that links to national standards, each activity includes Objectives, Materials, and Procedures, and is designed to take students 30 to 45 minutes to complete. In addition, the activities are notated with grade appropriateness that ranges from grades 3 to 8 and sequenced according to the extent of students’ chess knowledge that is required. A chess test is included to assess the chess knowledge of students. The author shares with us numerous activities that were inspired by her children, which suggests a very student-focused approach to activities.
It is through our children that we first met Dr. Root. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Root offered chess lessons to children in Austin, Texas. Three of our four children were able to take lessons with Alexey, as they fondly called her, who instilled in them a great love for the game. As a mathematician and a mathematics educator we were fortunate to have Alexey write an article on chess and mathematics in Math Reader magazine, which was published by Texas Mathworks at Texas State University- San Marcos. We have been impressed by how she has used chess as a platform for teaching students to think creatively about problems while making learning fun and engaging. Teachers will find these activities to be a wonderful resource that they can use in their classrooms to stimulate excitement and curiosity about problem solving. At the same time, students will develop a foundation in chess that can be a lifelong source of fun and enjoyment that can be shared between people of all ages.

2008 Miami-Dade College Chess Tournament

Mater Academy Charter

Miami Beach Senior Math/Chess Teacher Ben Silva observes M-DC Tournament

Chief TD Gil Luna analyzes game with Coral Park's Christine Martin



M-DC organizer Rene Garcia and Mater Academy coach Jorge Leon

M-DC organizer Christine Ferrer & Miami Senior Math/Chess Teacher Julio Aguilar


As soon as I get results...I will post them.

Karel Gonzalez won overall (Mater Academy)

Miami-Dade High School Chess Tournament

GM Renier Gonzalez Visits McMillan Middle

Call it the Grandmaster Tour. I have invited four local GMs to visit schools that offer chess as an elective and they have all agreed including GM Renier Gonzalez, GM Julio Becerra, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, and GM Gilardo Garcia. We started with McMillan Middle on Friday.

GM Renier Gonzalez chose to analyze a game (34 moves) from the National Open in Las Vegas in 2005. It was one of his best tournaments ever, he beat 2 GMs and drew another one, finishing tied for 5th place with 4.5 out of 6. He played black against GM Ildar Ibragimov (FIDE 2611) and used the modern defence (fianchetto bishop along the A-H diagonal): Averbakh variation (A42). His lecture focused on attacking the king in the center, being able to adjust to different styles, and the danger of not castling early. Renier also spoke of how GMs prepare for each others games by studying databases of their opponents games. Ibragimov underestimated the lower rated Gonzalez (FIDE 2483) and paid for it.

Renier said he was impressed with the knowledge of the McMillan students and spoke highly of their chess teacher Marcos Diez. The group looked very interested in improving their chess level which is good. He noticed a lack of openings knowledge which he said will come with experience. Mr. Diez fared very well at the Miami Open in September scoring 5/7 (1460P). What do you think of the GM Tour? "I think it is a great idea since chess tends to be an autodidactic activity. It is really hard to have a lot of "one on one" lessons which is the best way to improve your chess. One of the best ways to show your students how to make better use of their time is by bringing experienced players who had to train a long time in order to be able to play at a high level. They can also offer some guidance to those instructors that have a hard time teaching high-level classes, they may have the pedagogy but lack chess experience. Another interesting thing is to offer simuls or lectures with those experienced chess players in tournaments and seminars, not only for the students but also for the instructors. Hopefully, I have not only taught them some things but also inspired and motivated them." How should I or the chess elective teacher decide what to cover or teach during a GM or titled player's visit? "The the best thing is to find what the group is having more problems with, normally endgames and positional ideas, and work on them slowly since it takes a lot of time to improve the positional understanding of the students" he said.

[Event "National Open"][Site "Las Vegas USA"][Date "2005.06.10"][EventDate "2005.06.10"][Round "2"][Result "0-1"][White "Ildar Ibragimov"][Black "Renier Gonzalez"][ECO "A42"][WhiteElo "2611"][BlackElo "2483"][PlyCount "68"]

1. c4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Nxd4 Nc67. Be3 Nge7 8. Be2 O-O 9. Qd2 f5 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. c5 fxe412. cxd6 cxd6 13. Nxe4 Nf5 14. Bf4 Re8 15. Bf3 Rxe4+ 16. Bxe4Qe8 17. f3 d5 18. O-O-O dxe4 19. Rhe1 e3 20. Bxe3 Qf8 21. g4Nxe3 22. Qxe3 Rb8 23. Rd2 c5 24. h4 Bb7 25. f4 Bd4 26. Qe6+Qf7 27. Qd6 Rf8 28. Re7 Qc4+ 29. Kb1 Bd5 30. b3 Qf1+ 31. Kc2Qf3 32. Rxd4 cxd4 33. Kb2 Qc3+ 34. Kb1 Be4+ 0-1

TCA Chess in Education Workshop

TCA Chess in Education workshop was held March 8, 2008, 1-5 p.m. (Houston), co-organized by UTD's Dr. Alexey Root and Luis Salinas. The University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), Texas Tech University (TTU), and The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) are the higher education leaders for chess in education in Texas. With this workshop, Texas builds its reputation as the leading state for chess in education. UTB, TTU, and UTD are joint workshop sponsors, along with the Texas Chess Association (TCA).


Scholastic chess is booming in Brownsville, Texas, and the surrounding communities. Of the 50 schools in the Brownsville Independent School District, at least 35 have active chess programs. Six different Brownsville ISD schools have won national chess championships, led by Dr. Americo Paredes Elementary’s seven national titles. Two elementary school students have tied for individual national championships, and many others have finished in the top five. The chess success of our local schools got the attention of Dr. Juliet Garcia, President of The University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, who formed a chess program at UTB/TSC so that area students would have the opportunity to earn scholarships and compete in chess at the university level. The Brownsville Independent School District has gotten onboard, and now allocates about $400,000 per year to their chess program. Chess has become a source of pride to BISD, UTB/TSC, and our community, and is now part of our identity. How did all of this come about? How can these results be duplicated elsewhere? Are there other successful models in other areas? How does the future look? These questions and more face M-DCPS.

South Miami Heights Making Moves

The South Miami Heights chess club meets a few times a week from 7:15 am to 8:15 am and on Wednesday afternoons. I was there yesterday morning and teacher Shari Sussman had the coffee brewing. She has high hopes for her students as they get ready for their Region V & VI tournament scheduled for May 10, at Booker T. Washington Senior.

The students asked me questions about en passant, how many pawns to promote, and the difference between the "touch move" rule and adjusting a piece. Based on their questions, I reviewed checkmate with a King and a Rook as well as checkmate with two Rooks. I explained that the problem with overpromoting is that you run the risk of being stalemated. I also gave examples of tactics and focused on Knight forks. At this level, tactics are so important e.g., forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, batteries, combinations etc.

WIM Dr. Alexey Root: 10 Questions

Alexey W. Root has a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. She was the 1989 U.S. Women's Chess Champion. A Senior Lecturer for the University of Texas at Dallas, she teaches online, college-credit, chess curriculum courses. Earlier in her career, she taught social studies and English in public secondary schools. Over the past 20 years (in elementary and secondary schools, after-school programs, recreation centers, camps, and private lessons), she has taught chess to over 1000 people. She is also the author of Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving and Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators. Her books can be found on www.amazon.com

1. How old were you when you learned how to play chess? Five years old.
2. At what age can children be taught chess? Children as young as four can learn, but an ideal age would be around eight or nine. By that age, many children can win or lose with some graciousness.
3. What do you like most about playing chess? During a game, I like to apply a pattern that I know (such as tactic) to improve my position.
4. Who is your favorite chess player? Any player on the UT-Dallas chess team!
5. What do you do when you are not playing chess? I work at the computer, either writing my books or grading students' work from my online courses, while I pet my rabbit, Abba (see attached photo). Abba is from a shelter; see http://www.rabbit.org/ for how to have a rabbit as a house pet.
6. Why is chess good for children to learn? Chess may encourage pattern recognition, problem solving, and sportsmanship. Playing chess allows children to interact with people of different ages and cultures.
7. How can chess facilitators become better chess teachers? Take my online chess courses, see http://telecampus.utsystem.edu/catalog/programs/programinfo/chess.aspx
38 students are enrolled this semester, from beginners who are classroom teachers to grandmaster chess players. See this editorial http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-root_09edi.ART0.State.Edition1.37225be.html8 .

8. What makes a good chess teacher? As with any subject, knowledge of content combined with knowledge of teaching methods and child development.
9. Why should chess be taught in schools? Chess in schools must address educational goals. My two books give lesson plans and activities that use chess as a tool to meet academic and humanistic objectives. One analogy is basketball teaching in P.E. During P.E. class, one might teach some basketball skills, such as shooting or dribbling, that have wide applicability. But if students want to compete at entire basketball games, they play in leagues after school. Similarly, chess in the classroom might feature some aspects of chess. Tournament chess play, in my opinion, should be an extracurricular option.
10. What stands out about your 1989 US Women’s Championship? What stands out is that I had a good attitude going into the tournament. I had just attended a Fourth of July celebration with my fiancé and his family, and was happy about living in the U.S. and about my future as a wife. I married about two weeks after I won the U.S. Women's.

CBS 4 Features Chess Students

Inner-City Students Get All Their Pawns In Place
Reporting
Jawan Strader MIAMI (CBS4) ―

Students at Edison Park Elementary in Miami have a good chess team, one that could go to the national competitions in Pennsylvania if they had the money. Their art teacher and chess coach are working with the community to see that all the pieces come together.

There isn't a day that 11-year-old Jacqueline Cordova doesn't walk into class telling Charles Webber, Edison Park Elementary's chess coach, a story of some crime that happened in her neighborhood.

"I'd rather be here in school and playing chess, because there's a lot of violence in my neighborhood," she said. "I tell my coach the stories all the time."

Cordova is a member of the Edison Park elementary Rooks chess team who won first place out of 24 teams with 21 points in the kindergarten through fifth- grade category in the 2007 Florida Scholastic Chess Championship.

"I practice all the time. We have a good coach. He encourages us to keep going even if we lose," Cordova said. "The game helps me in math."

The school had four students finish in the top twenty at a March competition held at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel. More than 1,500 children from all over Florida participated. In the tournament, students faced opponents with comparable ratings.

Chess is a novelty in the school. It was implemented by Joe Rubio, 43, two years ago. He came to Edison Park two years ago from Paul W. Bell Middle School. The school is located at 500 NW 67th St., an area prone to violence. It is termed a "zone" school, which is considered a low-performing school.

"I was in shock when I heard of the victory. We faced schools that have had the chess program for more than 15 years," Rubio said. "This shows that low-performing schools can be productive. I knew they would do well."

Rubio, who picked up the game 15 years ago as a hobby, said he taught it to "at-risk students" at his former school.

"I introduced the game. All of a sudden, I saw these kids who were hyper calm down," Rubio said. "They started to better in school and their way of thinking changed. My son is also playing it and I see progress in him, too."

To put the program together, Rubio overcame some hurdles. He didn't have any equipment nor a coach. He called Andy Ramos, District Chess Coordinator Division of Life Skills and Special Projects of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, who he had never spoken to. Ramos and his department supplied the team with some equipment. Also, the Title One program gave the team an introductory package that all new programs receive.

Soon after, he approached Webber, an art teacher at the school, and asked if he would be their coach.

At first, Webber had doubts. He told Rubio he didn't know how to play and that some of these kids couldn't even read at grade level.

However, Webber doesn't like to back down from challenges. "The challenge drove me to learn chess. I love challenges. It motivates me," Webber said. "I bought computer chess games and started to practice on my own and with the kids."

He picked 12 students with good academics and made them practice constantly. The team has since increased to 18.

In the first few tournaments, the Rooks were defeated badly. So Webber then took it upon himself to read journals and study the game further. He also solicited advice from other chess coaches in the county. "I wanted these guys to win. I felt bad when they lost, so I took it upon myself to teach them," he said.

(see video below)

https://mail.dadeschools.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://cbs4.com/video/?id=51223@wfor.dayport.com

Two future champions: Karel and Emmanuel

CHESS TEAM AT MATER ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL COACHED BY JORGE LEON

bcazalis@MiamiHerald.com
March 2, 2008

They are the top four chess team in the state and top 20 in the nation -- and they have their eyes on the big prize.
"In no time they will be number one in the country," said the team's coach, Jorge Leon, who, three times a week, teaches 12 students how to plan the game, memorize plays, be patient, be intuitive and think.
Chess requires concentration and forces students to think logically about the possibilities of a play -- which is why, according to Leon, it increases the attention span of players, which, in turn, helps them focus and better their grades in all subjects, especially in math.
"After a year in the team, students start increasing their grades, and, if they had discipline problems, those disappear," said Leon, who has more than 30 years of experience as a chess master, teacher and researcher. He has written four books on teaching and playing chess. "The idea is not to make champions but to better their school performance," he said in a recent interview at the Hialeah Gardens school.
The idea may not be to make champions; this team is full of them. The Mater Academy chess team has given superior performances since Leon became coach in 2004. When he arrived, 18 students were in the after-school chess club, and the number has risen to more than 100. The team, which ranked 40th in the state, is now fourth.
The team's achievements have been a surprise for the school, said Principal Judith Marty, who promised to continue to encourage younger students to become members.
"I am very impressed. It is a good group of students, and they are all very serious about it," Marty said. "Chess is great because it creates critical thinking skills, so the more students who join the team the better for the school."
Since the start of the school year, the Mater Academy team has played in 10 Grand Prix tournaments organized by the Miami Chess Academy and has won first place eight times, along with one second place and one fourth. Next up is a national tournament in April in Georgia. The Mater Academy team will compete in the K-12 category against older students, but they are not worried. They already have about 20 trophies, along with more than 30 individual trophies as an indication of their skill.
"We have so many trophies we have to keep some in boxes," said one of the star players, Karel Gonzalez, 17, who learned to play chess from his father when he was 5 and he rarely loses a game.
Leon said Karel and teammate Emmanuel Iglesias, 14, have a good shot at becoming national champions. Both joined the team a year ago, and each has won seven first-place trophies in the Miami Grand Prix.
Emmanuel, who immigrated from Cuba a year ago, also knew how to play chess before joining the school club and had won championships in Cuba, including placing 14th in a national match-up.
"Chess helps me while I am taking a test," said Emmanuel. "I start thinking the way I would think when I am playing, like looking at possibilities or making a plan or just simply concentrating to remember what I studied. And it works great."
Team captain David Gonzalez, 16, a junior with a 4.0 grade point average, said he really learned to play chess when he joined the club.
"I thought I knew how to play, but it was not until I joined the team and took the classes that I figured how hard chess is. Our teacher has taught me a lot; he is a very wise man," said David, a club member since 2005.
"Chess opens up your mind to all kind of things," David said. "It helps you think outside the box and see the different possibilities to everything. You also learn to focus and concentrate -- plus, it teaches you to make a plan and then adapt your plan to the other player, which is great because when you start thinking like that in life you become more organized and perform better. I think it should be an elective in school; it would really help a lot of students."

Flashback: May 17, 2007

CHESS CHAMPIONS

RODOLFO R. ROMAN Special To The Miami Herald

Webber J. Charles, an art teacher at Edison Park Elementary School, seemed an unlikely choice to coach the chess team when it was started two years ago. For starters, he didn't know how to play chess, as he explained to assistant principal Joe Rubio when he was first approached about the position.
But Rubio persisted, so Charles finally said yes and decided it was time to learn how to play chess.
"I love challenges," Charles said. "They motivate me. I bought computer chess games and started to practice on my own and with the kids."
Today Charles is a chess player and champion coach. In Cinderella-like fashion, the Rooks pulled off a stunning victory in state championships, held in March, placing first among teams in the K-5 category. Four players on team finished in the Top 20 at the championships, held at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel. In all, more than 1,500 students participated in the championships.
"I was in shock," Rubio says, describing his reaction to the news that the team had won the championship. "We faced schools that have had the chess program for more than 15 years. I knew they would do well."
It was vindication for Rubio, who decided to start a chess team after arriving at Edison Park two years ago. His previous job had been at Paul W. Bell Middle School in the Fontainebleau area, and his experiences there made him believe in the powers of chess.
"I introduced the game" at the middle school, he said, and "all of a sudden, I saw these kids who were hyper calm down.
"They started to do better in school, and their way of thinking changed."
At Edison Park Elementary, 500 NW 67th St., practice takes place several afternoons and some mornings in Charles' classroom. Students play among themselves and sometimes against Rubio and Charles. As they play, they jot down notes to learn from their mistakes.
Among the team's 18 members is 11-year-old Monique Patterson, who started playing at age 4.
"My grandpa taught me, and I learned a lot of different strategies," she said. "I play with him every weekend."
Monique, a fifth-grader, credits the game with making her smart.
"I sometimes [help] do my brothers' sixth-grade homework," she notes.
Jacqueline Cordova, also 11, echoes the sentiment. "The game helps me in math," she says.
Chess helps her in other ways, she notes.
"Id rather be here in school playing chess because theres a lot of violence in my neighborhood," she said.
Charles makes sure his players are ready to play. It's a lesson he says he learned early on, after the team had been beaten badly in its first few tournaments.
"I felt bad when they lost, so I took it upon myself to teach them," he said.
Charles says he asked other chess coaches for advice, read journals and studied harder himself.
His practices are nonstop and feature not only games but also computer training, lectures and brain teasers to keep their minds flexible.
"I tell these guys that we play hard," Charles said.
The championship has not gone unnoticed. The Florida Leadership Council, a privately owned tutoring company in Miami, recently provided the team with T-shirts, new playing boards, clocks and carrying cases for chess boards.
"Our company decided to invest in these kids' enthusiasm," said company CEO Manny Riera. "We wanted to be a part of the team and community."
Charles is proud of his players' accomplishments.
"This is really a success story," he said. "Nobody gave these kids a chance, but now they are respected wherever they go."
Jacqueline says that respect starts at home.
"My parents are proud of me," she said. "I plan to play it all my life if I can.
"At first it was tough because I did illegal moves, but I got used to it. This game makes me think and challenges me, which I like."
For information about the Edison Park Rooks, call Charles at 786-269-4337.

Orchard Villa Gets It Going

I recognized Steve Kirby from the chess teachers meeting in September. He is new to teaching chess and asked me to come by. I had a demo board and teaching guides donated to his school. He has a good group that is really into playing chess. He admittedly is still learning too. He said he learned a lot from the presentation. Orchard Villa is very close to Edison Park. I noticed cameras scanning the school from inside the office. I have not seen that at an elementary school. The principal escorted me to the classroom. Mr. Kirby is the sponsor of the 500 Role Models group. Several students had ties and button down shirts. As I was leaving a couple a student escorted me out. I gave him a chess set I had in my trunk. Soon after several others came running....needless to say my trunk is now empty.

Miami-Dade Chess Teachers Association

Webber Charles (Edison Park), Fabricio Rivas (Milam K-8), Yalili Aguinaga (Eveglades K-8), Isabel Espinoza (Citrus Grove Middle).

These are the folks that will lead the newly formed M-DCTA. The awesome logo is original and was created by Webber. According to Webber," It is a symbol in which our organization can stand behind. We are committed to quality, excellence, and high standards in all our endeavors." The group is in the process of adopting bylaws, incorporating, setting membership fees, creating a letterhead, business cards and all the other details involved in organizing this body.

I have said all along that in order for the chess program to reach new heights, the teachers have to organize and voice their sentiments. There is power in numbers and there will be no support for chess (administratively) unless it comes from the masses. I mean support that merits the need and current participation. There are over 5,000 students learning and playing chess. It will also help in terms of communication and the association can help guide the direction of chess in the county. The art teacher's association recently met with the superintendent which gives them credibility and visibility. I hope all will support this group and participate.

Neighbors 4 Neighbors Visits Edison Park

On May 17, 2007 the Miami Herald's Neighbors section did a feature on Edison Park and its recent success (I will reprint the article Friday). The reporter Rodolfo Roman contacted his colleagues at Neighbors 4 Neighbors CBS 4. The film crew was at the school Friday shooting and interviewing the students. The exact date of the segment was not immediately announced but will air in the very near future. Art/Chess teacher Webber Charles is on a mission. His ideal is to create opportunities for his students to reach their potential. I can't articulate the positive impact his efforts have had on the students as well as the school.

Additionally, Edison Park placed 2nd in the K-8 section of MICA's Grand Prix this past Saturday behind Rockway. Of note as well, Olympia Heights' K-5 team also did well playing up a section. Edison Park spent a week at MICA this summer sharpening their skills.

It is paying off...not to mention all the tournaments they are attending.

Flashback: May 5, 2000

MIAMI STUDENT IS TOPS IN CHESS

Rodelay Medina, varsity kicker on the Miami Jackson High School football team, has become the country's top scholastic chess player.
It's the second year in a row the school has produced the national champion in the United States Chess Federation tournament. This year, 1,395 players from 185 schools competed in North Carolina April 28-30. Jackson's six-man team finished fourth. In 1999, senior Marcel Martinez captured the title.
Medina, 18, learned chess at age 6 from an older friend in Cuba. He came to South Florida in 1995 after his mother, manicurist Lazara Gonzalez, won an immigration lottery. They live in Little Havana.
Medina said he knew three English words when he arrived: pencil, teacher and table.
He enrolled at Miami High School, where his sister, Yamara, 16, still attends classes. Medina switched to Jackson, where chess team coach Mario Martinez has built a respected academic and competitive chess program.
In chess, said Medina, ``you can plan your future; it depends on you. Just like life.''
He also said that chess has dramatically improved his math skills.
Mario Martinez called Medina ``a real dedicated player and true student of the game. He loves competing and doesn't like to lose, but he also likes to teach and share what he's learned and work with the guys'' on the team.
During the tournament, Medina played 28 hours of chess in three days. The final game, which took 3 hours, 50 minutes, left him exhausted.
But he said he knew from the beginning that he would win; his opponent ``made a few mistakes in his opening.''
Medina gives private chess lessons, and recently started teaching the game to youths ages 7 to 17 for the Miami Parks and Recreation Department.
His supervisor, Barbara Wade, calls him the best thing that ever happened to the department. She coordinates the Youth at Risk program for the Miami Love Project.
``We promote leadership with neighborhood role models,'' said Wade, who praised Medina's patience and respectful manner.
Through the summer, Medina will teach chess at nine parks in the city system: 35 kids per park, Wade said.
``He believes he can teach anyone, and that's a great strength to me,'' she said.
Medina is hoping for a college scholarship for the fall. ``I'm waiting for a school where I can play both: football and chess,'' he

Stormont Kings Keeping Pace

Chris Stormont...Bringing It

BY ELAINE DE VALLE

Steve Violeta, 11, and Vic Song, 7, stare each other down. They contemplate their next move. Goal: To annihilate the other.
The two Pinecrest Elementary students aren't about to duke it out, however.
Instead, Steve, a fifth-grader, goes for the jugular -- on a chess board.
He checkmates Vic, a first-grader, during the school's chess club's third annual chess tournament earlier this month.
About 50 kids at the school, 10250 SW 57th Ave., meet each Thursday for an hour with instructor Chris Stormont to learn the game of kings.
Most people take Saturdays off or spend the day taking care of chores -- mowing the lawn, doing the laundry, washing the car.
Not Stormont.
He has spent every Saturday since 1991 teaching young people how to play chess at the Miami-Dade Kendall library branch.
Stormont, founder of the Stormont Kings Chess Club, has also taught at Temple Beth Am, Village Green Christian School and various Miami-Dade County parks.
He now has classes for chess clubs at Pinecrest and Sunset elementary schools and Kenwood K-8 Center.
In 17 years, he has helped thousands of children learn the difference between a pawn and a rook and how to move a bishop or a knight. He's taught them the touch rule -- you touch a piece, you play it.
But, many parents say, he has really taught the kids so much more:
To think ahead and pay attention.
To follow rules and win, or lose, with decorum.
And, amazingly in many cases, to sit still and quietly for up to hours at a time.
''Chris is a disciplinarian. He's a blessing,'' said Sue Courshon, whose grandson Ben Spiegelman, 7, has been playing for a year.
``They learn cooperation and they learn to use their brains.''
Daniel Mirones has noticed the difference in his son Peter, 7, a first-grader at the Pinecrest club.
''It certainly has improved his focus,'' Mirones said.
``It's helped him develop mental discipline.''
For Kyle Neufeld, 8, chess is the perfect activity because he is more of an introvert and not comfortable in team sports, said his mother, Kelli Neufeld.
''He's always afraid to fail the team. This is more one-on-one,'' said Neufeld, a teacher at Pinecrest who lets Stormont use her classroom for the club.
Stormont is proud of his kids.
He keeps three big blue scrapbooks of photos from the tournaments, with standings and scores.
''I want to remember all the kids and it's good to show them who won,'' he said.
He started playing as kid.
''My father taught me to play at the age of 9 and I have been playing ever since,'' Stormont said.
``My first opportunity to join a chess club was at South Miami Middle. The coach there told me that I had the potential of becoming a strong chess player and he invited me to play in a tournament between South Miami Middle and West Miami Middle.
``I tied for first place, which made me feel very proud.''
He started a chess club in high school and helped run a local chess club before he began his own 17 years ago.
Since then, Stormont, who also gives private lessons, has had thousands of students.
The hardest part is ''getting them to learn how and when to force a win,'' Stormont said.
''My biggest accomplishment is starting the chess club and having it thrive for so long. It has allowed me to positively influence many children through chess. It is very gratifying to see the children progress and gain confidence in the process,'' he added.
``I am especially proud of being able to help many children with disabilities through the game.''
Cathy Carrera said chess has taught her 10-year-old son Zachary, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, to keep trying.
''It stimulates a certain part of the brain. Our neurologist told us about it,'' Carrera said. ``One year, he played twice a week because it was doing him a lot of good.
''It helps his self-esteem. He's very good at it. It is something he can do well and help other kids with,'' Carrera said.
Others, like second-grader Justin Broce, have learned about winning.
Justin, who says his favorite move is ''castling,'' when more than one piece can be moved during a turn, won the tournament earlier this month at Pinecrest.
How did he do it?
''I'm not telling my secret,'' Justin said.

The Foreclosure Doctors LLC 305.300.2055

Gil Luna, Javier Gonzalez, Jeffrey Haskel, and Bruci Lopez


The US Amatuer Team South championship was played over the past weekend and the Foreclosure Doctors squeaked by in the last round to come home with the varnished log. Captain Gil Luna says," Bruci did his job, Javier and I were solid and Jeffrey Haskel was awesome." The Miami contingent was down 1/2 a point gong into the last round and needed a win against the Flaming Flamingos. The Falmingos were lead by Corey Acor and Eric Rodriguez. Haskel beat Rodriguez in an awesome attack according to Luna. "He castled and played g4. He used two Knights and aimed his bishop across the diagonal and overwhelmed Eric", said the Captain.

Individual Winners

Board 1: Bruci Lopez (5-0)
Board 2: Eric Rodriguez
Board 3: Jeffrey De Jesus
Board 4: Michael Corello

Team Results

1
The Foreclosure Doctors

W20 W6 D12 W9 W2
2
Flaming Flamingos

W13 W7 W3 W4 L1

3
LUDWIG

W21 W15 L2 W12 W7

4
Foreclosing Your Castle

W14 W10 W8 L2 D6
5
ROBSON

W16 L8 D14 W20 W12

For more information check site below

http://www.centralflchess.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=60&cntnt01returnid=15

MICA Holds IM Invitational

By FM Marcel Martinez (reprinted from USFC website w/ permission from the author)

MICA held an IM Invitational (January 2-8) right after the Pan-American Championship, also in Miami. The good news is that the Miami IM Invitational is here to stay! Sponsor and chess player Eric Hecht and organizer IM Blas Lugo are promising to make it happen in the future, at least 3 times a year. This is great for Miami chess, cause it means more GM and IM norm chances for the area.

The January IM invitational counted three IMs: IM Jacek Stopa, IM Blas Lugo and IM Evelio Otero. Jacek Stopa is from Poland, and goes to school at UTD. He had such a great time at the tournament we almost had to induct him into the Miami chess family. IM Blas Lugo had his hands full as player and organizer. IM Evelio Otero from Cuba is a very strong player who has been inactive for a while but is hoping to come back to the mix soon. The seven other players in the event were: FM’s Bruci Lopez and Marcel Martinez as well as locals: Marc Esserman, Eric Rodriguez, Rodelay Medina, Eric Hecht, Gaston Andretta (from Argentina but resides in Miami Beach).

The event was very hard fought and ended up in a three-way tie between IM Blas Lugo (who came out the winner on tiebreak), Harvard graduate Marc Esserman and me, Marcel Martinez. Without a doubt Esserman was the Cinderella story of the event, tying for first from the middle of the chart and achieving his first IM norm. He also did it in an amazing way by winning 6 games, losing two and drawing one. In Blas Lugo and my case, the result was less surprising as we were among the top seeded of the event.

I was a bit disappointed, but not with my result. I thought I had achieved my third and final IM norm. My FIDE rating is 2418 and many people think my IM title is long overdue! Unfortunately, I only played four titled players so I couldn't get the norm despite having a high enough performance rating. Esserman, who earned a norm, had the same score, but because I am an FM, his field included five titled players.

Jacek Stopa scored six points to finish right behind the top finishers. FM Bruci Lopez who just graduated from chess powerhouse UMBC just relocated to Miami , his hometown. Bruci did not have his best performance to date, though he finished with 5 out of 9. Bruci will be one of the Miami Sharks newest acquisitions for the 2008 U.S. Chess League. Evelio Otero scored 4 points but now is determined to change this performance for the next events. Argentinian National Master Gaston Andretta scored 3.5. Eric Rodriguez and former US High School Champion Rodelay Medina each earned 3 points. Rodelay had the flu at the tournament but even so, he won his game against Stopa, which was decided to be the Best Game of the event. Eric Hecht, the sponsor and player achieved 1 point out of 9, which will bring him into the FIDE list.

Having these events right in our neighborhood is great. Even better news is that they will keep happening so keep your eyes open for more news and norms from Miami.

In September 2008, The Miami Beach Convention Center will be the host of the II Miami Chess Open. The 2008 edition will be in South Beach to ensure the players fun while playing for $100,000 in prizes so mark your calendars for September 10 to 14 of 2008.

2008 South Regional Results

The 2008 South Regional tournament exceeded expectations ( 560 students) as we continue to learn and strive to improve this premier tournament. The tournament will always be held on the last weekend in January. Authentic assessments (tournaments) are the true measuring stick for students. The competition was fierce especially in the K-3 section where Olympia Heights, University School and Amelia Earhart all scored 16 points. Not to be out done, the K-5 section also had three way tie for first place with 16 points including Flagami, Olympia Heights and Biscayne. Complete results can be seen at http://www.floridachess.org/ or http://www.bocachess.com/

The TDs above included some the best young players in the United State including former University of Maryland BC FM Bruci Lopez (2476), FAU student Eric Rodriguez (2245), FAU student Brian Goldstein (2091), MDC student Alex Villafuerte (1956), GM Renier Gonzalez (2568), MDC student Gil Luna (2073), FIU student William Kennedy (1717), and Santa Clara teacher Judy Flores. (not pictured..MDC Student Javier Torres (2232) and Greater Miami Chess Association president Ivan Ochoa (2005) .

Lopez (UMBC), Rodriguez (FAU), Goldstein (FAU), Villafuerte (MDC), Gonzalez (MDC), and Torres (MDC) recently participated in the Pan American championship involving the best colleges teams in the country. MDC and UMBC both advance to the final four.

K-1

1. Freedom Shores
2. Norwood
3. Amelia Earhart
4. Everglades K-8
5. Pinecrest Ft. Lauderdale
6. Olympia Heights
7. Biscayne
8. Eugenia B. Thomas
9. Reinassance
10. Twin Lakes

K-3

1. Olympia Heights
2. University School
3. Amelia Earhart
4. Flagami
5. Freedom Shores
6. Snapper Creek
7. Eugenia B. Thomas
8. Charles Hadley
9. Norwood
10. Everglades K-8

K-5

1. Flagami
2. Olympia Heights
3. Bicayne
4. Norwood
5. Mae Walters
6. North Dade Center for Modern Languages
7. Eugenia B. Thomas
8. Oliver Hoover
9. North Beach
10. Rockway Elementary

K-8

1. Rockway
2. University School
3. Jose Marti
4. Hialeah
5. Curry
6. Highland Oaks
7. Jane S Roberts
8. Doral
9. Miami Sprngs
10. Ammons

K-12

1. Archbishp McCarthy
2. Miami Beach
3. Southwest Senior
4. Suncoast
5. Coral Park
6. Archbishop Curley
7. Ferguson
8. Ronald Reagan
9.Palm Beach Lakes
10. Spanish River