Competing against some of the strongest chess players in the state, Old Trail School eighth grader Arjun '24 became one of the youngest state champions in the history of the Ohio Chess Congress (OCC) this month.
The open tournament featured 132 players of all ages, including seasoned opponents over 25 and some older than 70. Arjun, who doesn’t turn 14 until December, won 4.5 of 5 games in his run to the title. His name will be engraved on the Columbus Trophy, which has been presented to the top chess player in Ohio since 1945.
According to historian David Friedman, Arjun is one of only three players under the age of 15 to win the championship and one of only five non-masters ever to achieve this feat. The Ohio Chess Congress tournament first took place in 1887.
Although the majority of players were from Ohio, this year’s tournament also featured competitors from the surrounding states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and New York. The competition was hosted at the Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, Ohio, from August 31 to September 1.
Eighth Grader Makes History at State Chess Tournament
Other School News
OTS is proud to celebrate the remarkable achievement of Rehs ’30, who recently earned her third-degree black belt in taekwondo. This significant milestone reflects years of discipline, perseverance and dedication to her craft.
Fifth graders are currently wrapping up the wet clay portion of their ceramic face jugs, also known as ugly jugs. This long-standing OTS art project combines hands-on art-making with a deep dive into the history of this unique form of folk art.
Curiosity and creativity go hand in hand at OTS, and our first graders recently showcased both in a project that brought the animal kingdom to life. The project was designed to deepen students’ understanding of the natural world while fostering research, critical thinking and presentation skills.
Our Middle School Academic Challenge Team represented Old Trail School well at the highly competitive Copley Quiz Bowl in December.
Recently, our Grade 3 students had the unique opportunity to explore the wonders of geology with the help of real-life experts from the University of Akron Field Station.
Middle School Theatre students recently took the stage to showcase their growth as performers in a Theatre Skills Expo in front of students, faculty and families.
Old Trail School's Preschool 2 students are embracing the beauty of autumn on campus, exploring colorful leaves, acorns, and other natural treasures as they create their own "Leaf Man" artwork inspired by Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert.
Our second graders recently completed an extraordinary adventure through the innovative "OTS Airlines" project, a highlight of the Grade 2 Geography curriculum designed to bring the world to life in the classroom.
Alex ’25, an eighth-grade student at Old Trail School, has been demonstrating Old Trail's core value of Service through dedicated volunteer work at the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank.
Old Trail soccer team won the ISL tournament title on Monday night in a dramatic championship showdown.