Wildkit Gambit: Evanston Chess Team Checks Out National Championship

EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston Township High School chess squad battled against the best high school teams in the country at the 2024 National High School Championships, which were held earlier this month in Baltimore.

More than 1,800 contestants took part in the tournament from April 5 to April 7. ETHS entered three teams across three divisions, which are organized based upon players' skill ratings.

In the top division, which allows for players of all ratings, a four-player team from Evanston Township High School finished in 27th position.

The Wildkits were ranked behind the selective-enrollment Chicago Public Schools Whitney Young High School and Walter Peyton College Prep but ahead of their North Shore neighbors from Highland Park and New Trier high schools.

In the division for players with Elo ratings under 1900, ETHS came in fourth place, behind a pair of New York City public schools and Adlai Stevenson High School of Lincolnshire.

Asa Lieberman, Alastair Keely-Walker, Sam Kemeny and William Zalmezak were the four top-scoring members of the team. Their matches were counted toward the team's final placement, while Daniel Dligach and Tate Darin also took part.

In the division for players with Elo ratings under 1600, Ethan Brush, Aiden Wang, Micah Mostovoy, and Lucia Scrimenti finished 10th.

And in the division for unrated players, Adam Sklar competed individually and earned a 7th place finish.

"Coach Tom Doan and I are very pleased that most players on the U1900 and U1600 teams are underclassmen who will be back and playing for ETHS next year in Illinois high school chess competitions," Head Coach Keith Holzmueller told Patch.

As for individual rankings in the top-rated, championship division, senior Jonah Chang was the top ETHS finisher, finishing in 242nd, with sophomore Adam Elgat coming in at 249th and senior Christopher Van Hoff competing to a 253rd place finish.

For individual competitors under 1900 ratings, freshman Asa Lieberman was the top Evanston finisher with a sixth place finish.

And Brush, a senior, emerged from the tournament as national co-champion of the under 1600 division.