CLEVELAND — The John Marshall Chess Team placed in the top 10 teams at the U.S. Chess Federation’s National High School Championship in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

What You Need To Know

  • The John Marshall chess team placed in the top ten teams in a national competition.

  • The team is made up of a group of 10 students.

  • They are now preparing for the state championship, where they hope to bring home a trophy.

The team placed 10th under 1900 division and finished 16th place in under 800 division.

One member of the team is senior Oma Dahal, who finished 32nd out of 450 in her section. 

“We are friends, and we bully each other,” Dahal said. “That’s my favorite part. I love bullying my teammates. But no, we are very close.”

The group of 10 is making a name for themselves as the best chess team in Cleveland after some local tournaments. 

One player, sophomore Xyaire Hill, said he switched schools, partly because of John Marshall’s team. 

“Last year, I was on a team, and then this team beat me,” Hill said. “So I joined this team this year. And you know, I'm playing with them now.”

They’re experiencing a lot as a team, even playing against the Cleveland Guardians from time to time to help train. 

They brought their talent to the national chess scene, when they played against other top schools across the country.

Captain Akshar Patel said he had big goals for the team.

“I wanted to win first,” Patel said. “It’s like, 10th is good. I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m happy with it, but I would’ve liked for it to be a little higher.”

Meanwhile, Dahal said being a Cleveland Public School at the competition was a win in itself. 

“I've actually experienced it firsthand, from other people that actually go to private schools,” she said. “They think we're just ghetto, you know, they think we're ghetto. They think we're dumb, or we can't do as much. So, actually representing Cleveland School, CMSD, in Nationals with so many other teams, even if I had a loss, I know I was winning still because I was representing my school.”

Dahal said being a woman of color in chess has can also be an obstacle. As one of only two girls on the team, she said she’s proud to represent women in the game.

“I just feel proud, you know, because when you go to the chess tournaments it’s mostly all guys and seeing a girl like, it's such a proud feeling,” Dahal said.

Many of the players, including Dahal and Patel, are graduating this year, but they have faith that the team will carry on their legacy.

"I think they'll do good,” Patel said. “I think they'll carry on.”

The team is headed to the state championship on May 6 at the IX Center next.