El Paso Middle School Wins National Chess Championship

Some El Paso youngsters kicked some serious butt in a national chess championship

The Henderson Middle School chess team members aren't strangers to winning.  In 2013 they got first place in the Texas Scholastic Chess Tournament. In 2014, they came in second, but made it to the nationals in Georgia, coming in 19th out of 46.

They won the Chess Championships in McAllen which earned them the title of "best middle school chess team in the state" and got got them into the National Junior High Championships which they won! Members of the team, all 12 years of age or younger, have accomplished a lot in a short time. They've only been playing together one year and the team itself is only two years old.

According to KVIA.com:

Leonardo Gonzalez earned first place and Brandon Caballero earned second place at state. Seven other Hornets placed among the top 21 players in Texas. They are: Lirio Gomez, Christopher Carmona, Pedro Escobar, Eduardo Retana, Jose Venegas, Steven Mejia and Manny Tejeda.