Coconut Creek High Chess Team Checkmates Competition, Wins Chess4Life Tournament at Taravella

by David Volz March 8, 2026

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Mabensky Jean Mary and Isaiah Louis Jacques.{David Volz}

The Coconut Creek High School chess team earned first place in the Chess4Life competition hosted at J.P. Taravella High School on March 7.

The Cougars brought a small but effective team that achieved success, winning in a field of nine teams. Mabensky Jean Mary was proud of the victory and hopes to improve as a chess player. “I am excited, and it was a great feeling to win,” he said.

Isaiah Louis-Jacques was pleased with the victory. “It takes dedication and consistent effort to become a good chess player. I love chess, and I want to keep playing,” he said.

Elliott Neff, the Executive Director of Chess4Life, said that chess is a good game for young people to learn because it teaches problem-solving skills.

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.