Nevada homeschool girls’ chess team wins third consecutive state title

A tiny but mighty homeschool team has made history in the Nevada State Girls Scholastic Chess Team Championship by winning its third consecutive title this May.

“This historic championship is a celebration not only of another state title, but also of the teamwork, discipline, and perseverance behind it,” coach Eric Ostertag told the Fallon Post.

Just four players – Kora Ostertag, 12; Acadia Holve, 14; her sister, Alora Holve, 12; and Allisyn Flower, 12 – made up the winning team, according to the Sierra Sun.

“The girls competed against all Nevada schools in kindergarten through 12th grade, both public and private, before taking home the trophy,” the news outlet wrote. 

Team members also benefited from the expertise of coach Annastasia Wyzywany, who coached three of the girls for years and introduced Flower, the newest team member, to scholastic chess.

“It helped me learn actual tactics because before, I didn’t really use any tactics – at least that I know the name of,” Flower told journalists. “It also helped me get endgame tactics so that I could win more.”

‘You’re not just playing for yourself’

Although Kora, Acadia and Alora won individual awards in the Northern Nevada qualifier tournament, they described the championship title as a different experience.

“Chess is often a solitary sport, so when you can win with a team, it’s something that feels entirely different,” Acadia explained. “I really love the competitive nature of the sport, and it feels really good when you can finally get that win, when you put in the time and you’re able to come out feeling really good at the end.”

Alora agreed with her sister.

“It means you’re not just playing for yourself,” she noted about her team involvement. “If you let yourself down, you’re letting your whole team down. It gives you more motivation, which I actually really appreciate.”

Despite their multiple victories, these chess champions have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

“We’re still learning, and our opponents just keep getting better,” said Alora. “That’s almost as good as winning, knowing that you’ve improved, but so have your opponents, which means you can improve next time as well.”

As previously reported by The Lion, chess has provided other homeschoolers with a creative outlet on their educational journeys.

In one example, Donnie Humberto Iler overcame a speech delay and built an online chess teaching business at age 12, taking on students only slightly younger than himself.

“A lot of people think you have to be an expert to homeschool,” said his mother, Lariza. “But it’s all about finding resources and searching for alternative options.”