137674101
If he continues to keep coming through with his promises, Christopher Bernard soon might have relatives and friends persuading him to enter politics. Having vowed to his teammates at The Academy at Palumbo, 1100 Catharine St., that he would emerge as a scholarship victor at Nov. 2’s Seventh Philadelphia Metropolitan Grade/High School Chess Championship, the 17-year-old claimed three victories and a draw to earn a seat at the Drexel University-situated Lebow College of Business Summer Economics Institute and lead his Bella Vista squad to third place at Montgomery County’s The Meadowbrook School.
“I was kind of nervous even though I thought I would win, so I’m happy I was able to do it,” the junior and resident of the 1600 block of Moore Street said Friday among his chess chums. “I want to get better, so I like having these guys to support me.”
The Point Breeze dweller counts senior and fellow 17-year-old co-captain Angelo Dellomargio among his biggest believers. Last year, the Fairmount inhabitant captured the same endowment, which honors the top sophomore or junior performer, and fully expected his peer to join him as a prized piece mover.
“The game is mentally intimate,” Dellomargio said of its attraction to him; Bernard; juniors Jacky Chan, Ferdinand Luhur and Sambath Sang; and sophomore Andrew Dang. “It’s individualistic yet unifying and allows us to play with such creativity.”
Buying into that school of thought courtesy of Dellomargio and a coaching staff that includes team founder, New Jersey denizen and Center City-based attorney Frank Fritz and Palumbo Spanish instructor Ed Myers, the latter of the 1100 block of Annin Street, Bernard approached his five matches with his customarily aggressive style and learned after the competition of his financial fortune.
“I was surprised but really relieved,” the pupil, who learned the game from his grandfather and has forged a fascination for engineering checkmates since his family’s 2006 arrival from Indonesia, said. “I take chess seriously but overall, it’s supposed to be fun.”
Though nearly seven months remain in his junior year, Bernard is already anticipating heading to University City for the weeklong institute, which will find him completing projects that could yield an economics career. It will not, however, involve studying any boards in attempts to frustrate foes. Set to engross himself in Palumbo’s Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League slate, though, the teenager, whose scholarship totals $1,200, will have plenty of occasions to cause furrowed brows and accept congratulatory handshakes.
“We all have to try to stay inspired,” Bernard, who would love to achieve grandmaster status, said. “There’s a lot to play for.”
The Palumbo players gained their chance to compete among other chess enthusiasts through their success in the aforementioned league. The collection of public and charter schools has allowed the current crop of board behemoths and their predecessors to foster camaraderie and enhance comprehension of subjects such as math and science. Palumbo registrants have sought distinction since ’07 and have become consistent maneuverers who have earned the respect of their contemporaries and overseers.
“This is an environment very conducive to learning,” Passyunk Square’s Myers said. “There’s great ethnic diversity and strong leadership, and these kids want to contribute to the sense of pride that we look to establish here.”
Doing so has meant registering numerous winning campaigns via their alignment with the After School Activities Partnerships. Three seasons ago, they went unblemished in 10 league contests, ascending to the city’s No. 2 ranking and advancing to the finals, where they fell to Julia R. Masterman High School. Another undefeated regular season run two years ago landed them in fourth among secondary units, with six stars competing in the Carlisle-situated Pennsylvania Chess Championships. Last year yielded another trek to the Cumberland County competition, with Bernard finishing 10th among seventh to 12th graders with a United States Chess Federation rating under 1300 and Dang, who generated three points at The Meadowbrook School, landing in second place in the unrated category for similarly aged and rated participants.
“It’s been educational and helpful for me to be on the team,” the latter, a 15-year-old resident of the 500 block of Shunk Street, said. “Everyone’s a cheerleader.”
“These guys teach each other,” Myers added. “That’s inspirational to see.”
That affinity for fraternity helped the youths earlier this year when they assisted in raising roughly $10,000 to cover a trip to Nashville for the fifth SuperNationals competition. Traveling with the Philadelphia Chess Society team, they added more memories and experience and, most importantly, more appreciation for their sport.
“We feel fortunate to have great coaches, and we’re always looking to improve,” Dellomargio said, adding they are closely following the World Chess Championship battle between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and top-ranked Magnus Carlsen for pointers.
Bursting with talent, the teenagers hope to accumulate the funds to show off their skills, with Fritz noting they are looking to raise $1,000, which ASAP would use to finance their trips. With so much success behind them, Bernard yearns to amass more opportunities.
“We hope to go to a few places,” he said. “I think after Meadowbrook, we have momentum.”
To contribute to Palumbo’s fund-raising efforts, visit https:www//sites.google.com/site/palumbochess/.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
137674121
137674111
