The Bayside Academy Chess Team successfully defended its State Championship titles, clinching victories in both the High School Under 1300 and Middle School Under 1100 divisions at the Baldwin County …
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The Bayside Academy Chess Team successfully defended its State Championship titles, clinching victories in both the High School Under 1300 and Middle School Under 1100 divisions at the Baldwin County tournament in Magnolia Springs on March 29.
Bayside's high school team, led by senior captain Jacob Stallworth, competed against several skilled players in a division with minimal team competition. The squad, made up of juniors Boyce Magli, Colt Hancock and Evan Stafford, along with freshmen Huan Chen, John Stephen Klimjack and Burke Ramagosa, finished the day with an impressive 15.5 team points, 77.5% of the possible 20 points. Klimjack was the standout, earning a perfect five wins and capturing the Individual State Champion award.
Joining Klimjack in the top scorers were Stafford, who went 4-1; Stallworth with a 3-1-1 record; and Magli, who posted a 3-2 score. Chen and Hancock both recorded two wins, two losses and one draw, while Ramagosa scored 2-3. With this performance, Bayside secured the U1300 title for the third consecutive year.
On the middle school side, Bayside's team faced off against several other complete teams, including UMS-Wright, Christ the King, Magnolia School and Foley Middle. After starting with two wins in Round 1, the team went on to score at least three points in each of the remaining rounds. Elias Blossom, who won all five of his games, earned Individual State Champion honors alongside Klimjack. Don Chen finished with four wins and one loss, while 6th grader Jeremy Ou, in his first season with the team, rallied from a Round 1 loss to win four straight games. Ben Freeman added one win and two draws.
The middle school team ended the day with 15 points out of a possible 20, earning 75% of the available points. UMS-Wright finished second with 12.5 points, and Christ the King took third. Chen and Ou also received individual awards for their performances.
Overall, Bayside's teams combined for 35 wins, 15 losses and five draws, a +20 in wins, scoring a total of 30.5 points out of a possible 40 for a 76.25% win rate. Coach Paul Nager expressed pride in his team's outstanding performance.
The tournament, held at Magnolia School, was well-organized by Laura Morin and the school staff, with local league director Tim Yahr overseeing the event. Notable attendees included Alabama Chess Hall of Famers Tom Denton and Valerie Hodgson, as well as Alabama Chess Federation President Michael Porcelli.
Looking ahead, Bayside Academy will now focus on preparing for the National Chess Championships in Orlando in May. Stallworth, Klimjack, Magli, Blossom, Ramagosa and Ou will compete, with former coach Eric Nager and key players David and Michael Klimjack expected to attend.
Bayside Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students in Grades PK3-12.