They’re all kings and queens!
Students at the Rosalyn Yalow Charter School in the South Bronx — where 22% of pupils are homeless and nearly all are economically disadvantaged — just won a New York state chess championship and will compete in a national chess competition next month in Baltimore, Md.
“This success demonstrates what happens when you balance preparation and opportunity for children in The Bronx,’’ crowed Alec Diacou, executive director and founder of Yalow Charter School, to The Post on Thursday.
“Whenever the bar is set high for children, they meet it,’’ said the former economist and banker.
The little-known but mighty K-8 school is named after Nobel Prize-winning nuclear physicist Rosalyn Yalow, who once worked at the Bronx Veterans Administration and was hailed for her pioneering work involving diabetes.
At Yalow, students far outperform their local and state peers on standardized tests while being tutored in extracurriculars such as chess and fencing — proving poverty is not destiny.
The kids’ school day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weaves the coveted extra classes into regular instruction at its spot in a building also occupied by Cardinal Hayes High School on the Grand Concourse.
The school’s K-8 team won the “under 900,” or beginner, category at the 58th Annual New York State Scholastic Chess Championships held in Saratoga Springs in March.
The group included 6-year-old Roger Basurto, among the youngest players in the competition, and 11-year-old Ishaan Nikhil, who only started playing chess in the fall.
“When you see a good move, play it before you forget it,” Roger told The Post of his chess strategy.
Ishaan said playing chess teaches life’s lessons.
“Losing is not a mistake, but not learning from losing is a mistake,” he said.
Students at Yalow also placed second as a team in the K-to-5 “under 1,400,’’ or elite, category, fourth place in the K-to-5 “under 1,000” category and seventh in the K-to-5 “under 600,’’ or novice, category.
Twenty-six students from Yalow competed against more than 1,700 students from throughout the state.
Yalow’s chess team is coached by several top internationally recognized chess players, including Irina Krush, the first and only woman to earn the Grandmaster title for the United States.
Samuel Lin, who scored a 2025 New York State Scholastic Chess Championship and was on the second-place team in the “under 1,400” category this year, said, “Most of my best memories are related to chess.
“I truly enjoy the special training sessions with Grandmaster Irina Krush and National Master Ilia Kakushadze and competing with my friends.
“I always try to have fun and learn from my own mistakes — and my opponents’ mistakes — rather than just focusing on the results,’’ Samuel said.
“Also, try not to be nervous, because your nerves can influence how your brain performs.”
Diacou called the performance of the chess teams “amazing.
“This success isn’t just about chess. It’s about preparing students for life,’’ he said.
“At Rosalyn Yalow, our goal is to equip every student for the future. It’s why we created the best and most sophisticated chess program in America, rivaling any top private school locally,”
Diacou, who launched the publicly funded Yalow in 2015, said he decided to make chess and fencing mandatory at the school after his three sons competed in both activities while growing up in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. He could afford the after-school activities for his kids, he said.
He wanted the same opportunity for his charter-school students, 96% of whom are considered poor or economically disadvantaged, 22% are homeless, 17% have special needs, and 40% are English Language learners.
About half the students are black, mostly West African immigrants, and the other half are Latino.
Chess teaches students how to reason, strategize and deal with adversity, Diacou said.
He said fencing teaches the same traits, calling it “physical chess.”
“These kids are thriving here. We are a crown jewel in The Bronx,” Diacou said.
At Yalow, 73% of students passed the state’s standardized math exam, 34 percentage points higher than the 39% pass rate surrounding traditional public schools in Bronx District 7 and 16 percentage points higher than the 57% statewide average.
Meanwhile, its students’ 64% pass rate on the state’s English Language Arts exam was 25 percentage points higher than surrounding district schools and 11 points higher than the state average.
“Our job is to close achievement gap,” Diacou said.
Yalow, which enrolls 410 students from grade K-to-6, will add a seventh grade in the fall and an eighth grade in 2027.
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