The chess team at Cape Elizabeth High School has regained the state title it lost to Cheverus last year, becoming Maine’s Team Chess Champions during the recent state competition held in mid-March at the University of Maine at Orono.
Led by three-time individual state chess champion Matthew Fishbein, the Cape team, which also includes Wesley Parker, Carter Brock, Joey DeMarco and Roman Medina won its first three matches with Brock scoring an impressive victory in round 2.
Cape then took a half-point lead into the final match against Cheverus. After the first three of the five games, Cheverus led 2-1 and was on the verge of defeating Cape again this year.
However, DeMarco made a remarkable comeback to score an individual draw as time expired on his clock and Parker then soundly beat his last opponent, securing a team draw and preserving the overall Cape lead in the tournament.
Fishbein and Parker are the top-rated scholastic players in Maine respectively, and each won all four of their games. This was the final team tournament appearance for Fishbein, who is a senior.
He’s been the top-rated, all-ages chess player in Maine throughout his high school career and contributed to three Cape high chess team championships.
Cape’s Matt Fishbein, the overall top-rated chess player in Maine, has helped his team win another state title. He’s also seeking his fourth individual state title this weekend in Waterville.
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