Approximately 200 Bronx students joined together on Friday, Feb. 16 to participate in the inaugural “The BX Invitational” chess tournament. The event — hosted by the New York Yankees, Project Pawn and Community School District 9 — was held at Yankee Stadium.
Brewington Hardaway, an International Master and K-12 National Champion, was present at the event.
Each participating student received a medal, a T-shirt and a catered lunch. Over 600 people were present in total, and all have been invited back to Yankee Stadium to catch a home game during the 2024 season.
“This presents a memory they won’t ever forget,” New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks said about the event.
The BX Invitational was created by Project Pawn and implemented with the help of District 9 Superintendent Harry Sherman. The new program aims to use chess to teach Bronx students values like focus, purpose and strategy as they proceed through their schooling and beyond.
“Teaches the skills to put our young people in a position to be leaders and take the reins down the road,” said Brian Smith, Yankees senior vice president of corporate/community relations. “Problem-solving, strategy — all those resources and skillsets are provided through the game of chess.”
Project Pawn was founded by former District 9 students and chess teammates, Abdul Sulaiman Jr. and Christopher Johnson.
“We realized how much (chess) did for us, how much it helped shape us, how much it helped us stay out of trouble and make the right decisions in life,” Sulaiman said. “Why not go back to the district we grew up in, start the program and get some kids critically thinking?”
Johnson hopes that this inaugural BX Invitational will not be the last and hopes to continue this tradition for years to come.
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