DETROIT (WXYZ) — Students from Detroit's Renaissance High School are driving back into town Monday evening beaming with pride as their chess team just became the 2023 national chess champions in the K-12 Under 800 division.
The students competed for four days in Washington against the best high school chess players in the country and came out on top.
"A long years' worth of hard work finally paid off," senior Opemipo Clement said.
Head chair of the Under 800 Section Jeremiah Young-Walker said, "It was very exhilarating to get to that seventh game."
Matches started at 9 a.m. and sometimes could end past 9 p.m. The matches could last a couple minutes or a couple hours.
"So, it was an all-day kind of thing for them where they’re kind of grinding it out, working hard, their brains are going all day long," Renaissance High School teacher Kevin Smith said.
But it's a grind they're used to.
The students say they've been pouring their hearts and minds into the game seven days a week, even from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
"At lunch time, they’ll be in my classroom playing. After school, they’ll be there," Smith said.
Opemipo shared: "I remember when I was a kid, I was really bored most of the time. I’d usually get in trouble, break some stuff, something. But chess really helped me calm down, helped me focus my mind to something that’s worth my time."
In 2022, the Renaissance chess team placed eighth at the national tournament and now in 2023, they placed first.
It's a heck of a climb for 14 brilliant students who are just getting started showing the world what they can achieve.
"I think it means shedding light on the children of Detroit in all honesty," said Opemipo talking about the win. "Showing that although we come from a relatively poor city that there’s still hope, there’s a still a future within the kids of Detroit."
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the team won in the K-12 Under 800 Division
