The Esports Gaming Federation (EGF) High School and Middle School National Chess Tournament concluded on January 11, 2026, with High Tech High School winning the national title. The online tournament began on September 29, 2025, featured a 32-team national field, and was conducted through a multi-month competitive structure.
- High Tech High School won the Esports Gaming Federation High School and Middle School National Chess Tournament, which ran from September 29, 2025, to January 11, 2026, and included schools from multiple states.
- The 16-year-old junior captain reached the 99.9th percentile on chess.com with a peak rating of 2,383 and played the championship-deciding game against Denison High School’s team, “DHS YJ-C.”
- The team, competing as the “High Tech Laser Cats,” earned its first national championship in the EGF tournament after participating in the competition since the program’s formation.
Playoff Qualification and Championship Path
High Tech competed under the team name “High Tech Laser Cats.” After advancing through the national field, the team qualified for the final playoffs on December 19, 2025, joining eight top-ranked schools in the championship rounds. The tournament included teams from multiple states, including Palm Beach Lake Community High School in Florida, WP Davidson High School in Alabama, and Jose Marti STEM Academy from Union City, New Jersey.
High Tech advanced to the championship match against Denison High School, Texas, whose team competed as “DHS YJ-C.”
Team Captain Ali Issa and Leadership Structure
The team was led by Ali Issa, a 16-year-old junior at High Tech High School who served as team captain. His leadership role developed through sustained involvement in training teammates and supporting team improvement.
Issa began playing chess through games with his father and began focusing on competitive chess during his freshman year of high school, which led to rapid skill development.
On chess.com, Issa reached the 99.9th percentile of all players and achieved a peak rating of 2,383. Competitive grandmasters on the platform typically maintain ratings around 2,800.
Championship Game Performance and Competitive Metrics
The title-deciding game featured high-level competitive play. Both teams recorded 96% accuracy, and the match was assessed at an average gameplay rating of 2,500, a level associated with grandmaster-strength performance.
The game developed through extended defensive positioning and piece exchanges, followed by a knight sacrifice to open the kingside and a bishop sacrifice to alter diagonal control. Multiple pawn exchanges followed as the game progressed into time pressure conditions, with the outcome ultimately determined by clock management
Program History, School Context, and Team Objectives
High Tech’s championship followed the loss of several top players to graduation the previous year. The team has participated in the EGF chess tournament since the program’s formation, and this victory represents the program’s first national championship in the EGF competition.
High Tech High School is a magnet public high school located at 1 High Tech Way in Secaucus, New Jersey, and operates as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology district, serving students in grades 9 through 12.
Following the championship, the team set goals focused on entering additional competitions, winning future tournaments, and improving individual competitive records.
