The room fell quiet except for the soft tap of chess pieces and the occasional deep breath as students leaned in to study their boards and contemplate their next moves.  

Moments like these defined Harris County Department of Education’s tenth annual Chess Tournament on May 1, where more than 40 students from Academic and Behavior School (ABS) East and West, Fortis Academy and Highpoint School put months of preparation to the test. What unfolded wasn’t just a competition, but a showcase of patience, discipline and the kind of strategy that extends beyond the board.

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“We often talk about exercising the body, but here we are expressing the importance of exercising the mind,” said James Hudson, the chess coach who works with students at each campus throughout the year. “The strength of the body and the power of the mind are synonymous, and when they work together, these students become complete and ready to succeed.”   

What may look like a simple board game is, for many Special Schools students who face intellectual and behavioral challenges, a pathway to deeper learning. HCDE’s partnership with Hudson and Perfect TeamPlay, Inc., uses the game to teach math and motivate students in new ways. Chess also helps reinforce intervention strategies practiced across campuses, such as avoiding impulsive decisions, adapting to new circumstances, taking responsibility and persevering through challenges.   

Anixa Diaz, a Highpoint student from Channelview Independent School District (ISD), is learning just how impactful each lesson can be in students’ long-term success. Despite joining Coach Hudson’s chess lessons only two weeks ago, the senior was placed in the advanced competition due to her ability to read the board and strategize. Diaz went head-to-head in a game against Superintendent James Colbert Jr., where her attempts to sneak her pieces into position were unsuccessful.  

“I was trying to trick him, but he wasn’t going for it and ended up tricking me,” Diaz laughed. “I take my loss with pride because it was a learning opportunity. It was a good match, and I had a lot of fun playing against him and seeing all the students having fun too.”  

As the final matches came to a close, the room slowly filled with noise again as Highpoint School’s Josiah Eaden, an eighth grader from Aldine ISD, called out, “checkmate,” securing their back-to-back first-place win in the tournament. Cheers, laughter and the looks of pride cross the faces of students who had given it their all. Whether they walked away with a trophy or not, students left the tournament with something far more valuable: the confidence to make thoughtful decisions and approach challenges with patience and purpose.