Murfreesboro’s Central Magnet School fielded two teams in the National Junior High Chess Tournament, held in Atlanta the weekend of April 25-26, and one brought the title of National Chess Champions back home.

The K-9 Under 1250 team dominated its tournament with a quick jump to first place, and finished the weekend as national champions. This team consists of Morgan Elrod-Erickson, Russell Harper, Pranav Mudiam and Adam Johnson.

Central’s K-8 Under 750 team also performed very well. Composed entirely of middle schoolers, this team secured fourth place in the nation for their division. This team consists of Robert Kassees, Maurya Gouni, Anand Gowda, Joshua Stueckle, Tolu Onafowokan and Abhiram Manda.

Outstanding individual achievements include Jack Zhao, who tied for first place in the 1500-1599 ranking, and eighth-grader Morgan Elrod-Erickson, earning third place out of 212 contestants.

The Central Magnet Chess Team is coached by Igor Zhislin and faculty sponsor Nick Horton.