Posted on Sat, Mar. 21, 2009
Editorial: Chess Champions
Fels team beat the odds
Philadelphia Inquirer – Philadelphia, PA, USA
Now that the Fels High School chess team has won the state championship, it’s on to the national competition.
We wish them good luck.
After winning the Philadelphia championship in February, the five teenagers from the Oxford Circle school entered the Pennsylvania Under 1300 Scholastic K-12 Chess Championship seeded dead last.
No one seemed to have high expectations for the team from Fels, a school known more for trouble than achievement. Even their coach, Nick Ehling, jokingly called them “the Bad News Bears.”
Before this year, the team had never made the chess playoffs. But something changed this year for the Knights of Fels. They were led by four strong seniors and a new assistant coach, math teacher Nodar Jagodnishili, a chess whiz.
The team started practices during the first week of school. Some carry their boards around with them, play online, and in their spare time.
Their hard work and determination paid off. The Knights captured only the second championship of any kind for Fels, bringing home a giant gold trophy. (The Fels girls’ volleyball team won the 1997 Public League championship.) The school has fielded a chess team since 2004.
Here is the full article.
Good luck team!
I am extremly proud of the Knights of Fels. Two of the five senior players have been with the program since thier freshman and sophomore years. They were only novice players back then, and here they are now on their way to Nashville!The other players are newer in the program, but they have been deligently practicing with our assistint coach, Mr. J. I always knew we had strong players here at Fels, and there is still untapped potential. That’s why I’ve pushed to keep them in the league and to compete at the higher levels of states and now nationals. With your help we are trying to get the word out there that Fels has a good chess program and good kids. The district, “Fels Family” and your readers have been very supportive, and this is what will seperate Fels team from the competition out in Nashville!
Proud and grateful coach,
Nick Ehling