Benet’s Chess Team excelled at the 2026 IHSA State Chess Tournament, placing second in the 3A division and 17th overall. Benet went 5-2, only losing against Fremd and Evanston, both of which have at least twice as many students as Benet does (Evanston has almost three times as many). However, junior Jake Wittman, the captain of the team, says that there’s something that makes Benet’s squad special: “We have really good team chemistry.” Whenever Benet players finish their games, they always take the time to stay and support their teammates who are still playing. Jake says that, “Just knowing that the whole team is there for us can make a difference, no matter what catastrophe might be happening on my board”.
Benet’s Chess team showed Redwing spirit all throughout the tournament, starting with their sendoff decked out in dapper suits and shades (a Chess Team tradition). Four musically-talented players volunteered to open the tournament with the playing of the national anthem. The Chess team always supported each other and had a smile for the other team. Jake enjoyed catching up with chess players from other schools who he’s gotten to know throughout his chess career. However, he noted that after both sides shake hands, it’s all about the chess.
After the first few minutes of play, the whole room falls silent. The first couple moves are usually made quickly because top chess players have standard openings memorized. Games often come down to whoever errs first. Sometimes neither player slips up and the game ends in a draw, but other times the games are fought out to the last minute to see if the winning player can successfully strike home a checkmate, or if the player down on pieces can force a draw.
The best part is that anyone can be a part of the Benet Chess community and start playing in tournaments. Jake says that, “You don’t have to have ever played before. Our tournaments are open to anybody- no cuts. We have tons of new people every year.” He’s seen people join the team late in the season, play one tournament, get hooked, and come back the next year as an integral part of the team.
