Ladue chess team wins Gateway League championship Nice moves

Ladue Horton Watkins High School’s Chess “A” Team won the Gateway League championship on March 8 with a 26.5 to 3.5 win over Belleville West. The win capped off an undefeated, 12-0 season and first place finish in the league’s West Conference.

Leading up to the championship round, LHWHS won the West Conference semifinals against MICDS by a score of 26 to 4 on Feb. 22, then followed with a win in the West Conference finals against Webster Groves by a score of 26.5 to 3.5 on March 1.

LHWHS’s A chess team members Luke Ye, Andy Teh, Andrew Stappenbeck, Rex Zhu and Celina Zhou all contributed points toward the league championship win.

The school’s “B” chess team also advanced to the playoffs after finishing its Gateway Chess High School League regular season with a 7-1 record and in second place in the East Conference. The team lost its playoff semifinals match against Belleville West by a score of 19 to 11 on Feb. 22. Aaron Lin and Lincoln Olthof contributed points for LHWHS in the match.

The LHWHS chess teams are led by coach Dr. Zach Garrison.