Students Shine at State Chess Championship

Students from the Rosalyn Yarrow Charter School in the South Bronx have made an impressive mark by winning the New York State Chess Championship. This school, where 22% of students face homelessness and almost all are economically disadvantaged, is set to advance to the National Chess Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland, next month.

Alec Diacou, the executive director and founder of the school, shared with The Post that this achievement illustrates how preparation and opportunity can truly benefit Bronx children.

The K-8 school draws its name from Rosalyn Yarrow, a Nobel Prize-winning nuclear physicist who previously worked with the Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs and gained recognition for her groundbreaking work on diabetes.

Students at Yarrow consistently outperform their peers on standardized tests and engage in extracurricular activities like chess and fencing, demonstrating that poverty doesn’t define their potential.

Extending the school day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. allows for additional classes to be incorporated alongside the standard curriculum in a building that also houses Cardinal Hayes High School on Grand Concourse.

The school’s chess team, competing in the novice division, claimed victory at the 58th New York State Scholastic Chess Championship held in Saratoga Springs this past March.

Among the team was six-year-old Roger Basurto, one of the youngest competitors, and eleven-year-old Ishaan Nikhil, who only began playing chess last fall.

Roger shared a key chess tip: “When you see a good move, play it before you forget.”

Ishaan remarked that chess imparts valuable life lessons, emphasizing that while losing is okay, not learning from defeat is not.

The Yarrow students also placed second in the elite category for grades K-5, fourth in the “under 1,000” category, and seventh in the novice category for K-5.

A total of 26 Yarrow students faced off against more than 1,700 competitors statewide.

The chess team is guided by several accomplished international chess players, including Irina Klash, the first woman to secure the U.S. Grandmaster title.

Samuel Lin, who previously scored in the 2025 New York State Scholastic Chess Championship and was part of this year’s second-place team, expressed that chess brings him great joy and memories. He enjoys the special training sessions with Grandmaster Klash and National Master Ilya Kakshadze, and values learning from both his own mistakes and those of his opponents.

Diacou described the team’s performance as “amazing,” highlighting that their success transcends chess; it’s about equipping students for a better future.

He noted that the goal of Rosalyn Yarrow is to prepare every student thoroughly, and in his view, the school’s chess program rivals those of top private institutions.

Launched with public funds in 2015, Diacou decided to integrate chess and fencing into the curriculum after observing his sons engage in these activities during their childhood in Manhattan.

He aims to provide similar opportunities for students who are predominantly from economically challenged backgrounds; 96% are classified as poor or disadvantaged, with 22% homeless. About half are Black, mainly West African immigrants, and the other half are Latino.

Diacou believes that chess teaches critical thinking, strategic planning, and resilience in the face of challenges.

He draws parallels to fencing, calling it “physical chess,” and noted that these children are thriving, proclaiming the school as “the crown jewel of the Bronx.”

Impressively, 73% of Yarrow students passed the state standardized math exam, significantly higher than the Bronx’s average of 39% and the statewide average of 57%.

Similarly, the pass rate for the state English language arts exam stood at 64%, outperforming surrounding districts and the state average.

“Our job is to close the performance gap,” Diacou stated, as Yarrow continues to grow, currently serving 410 students with plans to add seventh grade in the fall and eighth grade in 2027.