Abington H.S. Chess Team Wins 3 National Titles
By Justin Udo
ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) -- A local high school chess team is the best in the nation.
The Abington High School chess team beat out 40 teams from around the country to win a national championship at this year's US Chess Federation's national tournament.
"We had 12 players on Abington's team, and we had quite a few players place (in winning positions)," noted Shawn Simmons, Abington High's chess coach.
Their standout player was junior Robbie Durham. He went 7-0 in the tournament.
Simmons says Durham came a long way from being an alternate on last year's team.
"(He) was the individual champion for the U-1200 section," says Simmons.
And Simmons says he's very happy with their big wins at nationals and just as excited at the growth in popularity of chess among kids throughout the Delaware Valley.
"We are doing such wonderful things to help kids get on the path to going to nationals, to going to states, and to achieving their dreams," he told KYW Newsradio, "and I believe chess can be a vehicle to help kids find their goals and to find their way to their goals."