Evanston Chess Team Takes Second at Highland Park
Evanston Township High School finished runner-up at a Nov. 7 Highland Park chess tournament, behind Adlai E. Stevenson High School on tiebreaks.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in eSports
Evanston Township High School's chess team placed second at the Nov. 7 Highland Park tournament, winning all four of its matches. Adlai E. Stevenson High School also won all four matches and took first place on tiebreaks because of its larger winning margins.
Why it matters
The result extends Evanston's winning streak to 12 matches and comes against a field that included five of the top six finishers from February's Illinois High School Association state finals. For Evanston, the tournament is a measure of how its team compares with strong programs across the region.
Evanston won four matches and lost eight of 32 games at the tournament, scoring 35.5-32.5 against Walter Payton and 37.5-30.5 against Neuqua Valley. Under the board-weighted system, a Board 1 result is worth 12 points and a Board 8 result is worth five, and the two teams did not meet, so the tiebreak margin is the only head-to-head measure available.
The players
Evanston Township High School
A public high school in Evanston, Illinois, whose chess program competes in regional and state tournaments.
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
A public high school in Lincolnshire, Illinois, whose chess team took first place on tiebreaks at the Highland Park tournament.
The details
Twenty-four teams competed at the Nov. 7 Highland Park tournament, with Evanston Township and Adlai E. Stevenson among them. Evanston beat Highland Park, Walter Payton College Prep, Neuqua Valley and Glenbrook South, and was awarded the team plaque for second place.
Timeline
Oct. 23: Evanston won a conference match against Niles North, starting its current streak.
Nov. 7: The Highland Park chess tournament was held.
Friday, Nov. 13: Evanston is scheduled to play two conference matches.
Season Trajectory
The result places Evanston among the strongest scholastic chess programs in Illinois, as measured against five of the top six finishers from the February state finals. Evanston's 12-match winning streak, which began with an Oct. 23 conference win over Niles North, makes the team a contender heading into its two conference matches on Nov. 13.
Evanston's streak now stands at 12 matches, and its two conference matches on Nov. 13 will determine whether it keeps that run going. Readers following the team can track those results against the conference standings.
The takeaway
Strong results against deep fields show how a program's standing is built match by match, and tiebreaks can hinge on margins as much as wins. The Nov. 13 conference matches are the next measure of Evanston's form.
What happens next
Evanston Township High School is scheduled to play two conference matches on Friday, Nov. 13, which could extend its winning streak.
Further reading
For more on competitive scholastic play, see eSports coverage across Evanston.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Evanston RoundTable.
