Alton Middle School Chess Team Enjoys Second Place Tournament Win

ALTON - With an impressive record and a second-place tournament win this past weekend, the Alton Middle School chess team is anything but checkered.

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, five middle school students competed in the Alton Deanery Chess League tournament and brought home second place. Ilyas Kantar, a teacher at Alton Middle School who advises the team, expressed his pride and excitement to see the students succeed.

“I’m very happy to give this opportunity to the kids and I’m very proud of them,” Kantar said. “Each and every one of them is trying hard, and they are enjoying it at the same time. It’s the ultimate strategy game. Hopefully we are preparing them for a life where they will be making good choices.”

Kantar, who began playing chess in middle school himself, took a job at Alton Middle School in 2021 and founded the chess team soon after. He discovered that most local public schools don’t offer chess clubs, but the private schools were “very welcoming” and allowed Alton to join their league.

The Alton Middle School team came in first in 2024, second in 2025, and defended their second place win in 2026 during the Alton Deanery Chess League tournament. Students Anderson Brooks, Austin Cress, Erin Crawford, Miles Schroeder and Roman Beiermann participated in this year’s competition.

Kantar noted that all of his students are “really committed” to the club and the game. As they practice, they become better players and more critical thinkers. He noted that there seems to be a correlation between chess and academic proficiency.

“I do not have a kid who is good at chess but is failing his or her classes,” he said. “That is not the case. All my chess players are really doing well academically. There's a great correlation. And if families can support their kids at home, that is a very good start.”

In fact, the students are so involved that a few of Kantar’s former players reached out to him about the possibility of starting a club at the high school. Superintendent Elaine Kane was “very supportive” and helped Kantar get the club going. Now, he hopes to start clubs at some of the elementary schools as well.

Meanwhile, Alton Middle School’s chess team has taken off in the past few months. In April, Kantar plans to take students to the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis. He recently welcomed a young chess prodigy to the middle school’s chess team meeting to talk about her strategy. Looking ahead, Alton Middle School will partner with Highland and Belleville schools to form another league next year.

Kantar can’t wait to see his students continue to succeed. Not only are they learning the game of chess, but they have also internalized several life lessons about strategy and sportsmanship. Kantar noted that some of his students are “very sad” when they lose; he reminds them that there is always something to learn in every chess game.

“What matters is you need to learn something,” he said. “As long as you learn something from that loss, you're strong. Next time, you'll be stronger.”

This Featured Article is sponsored by Alton Community Unit School District #11 To get your business or organization featured on www.Riverbender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.

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