Eleventh grader, Ladi Adeisa, participated in the spring SCISA 2026 Chess Meet and clinched third place for his individual performance after a four-way tie for first in the fall competition. Ladi has pursued first place in this tournament relentlessly, each year chipping away at his ranking. Rudy Santana interviewed Ladi about how he got into chess, how he has improved, and his expectations for the tournament.
RS: How long have you been playing chess?
LA: I learned how to play chess when I was around seven years’ old, but I didn’t actually get passionate about chess till I was in ninth grade.
RS: How did you start playing?
LA: I was required to join one Upper School Club, so I decided to join the chess club to see how it was.
RS: What makes you enjoy playing so much?
LA: I enjoy playing chess a lot, as I love using my brain to think critically about certain situations. I love playing strategic games, and chess fits into the category of a game that I can be rewarded for reasoning through certain scenarios.
RS: What makes you as good of a player as you are?
LA: When I started playing chess, I wasn’t very good. My very first SCISA tournament ended pretty poorly, with me only scoring three wins out of eight games. However, I practiced more, studied more chess, and played more games (especially online). After all that practice and effort poured in, I was just on an upward trajectory. In my tenth grade year, I placed fourth place and seventh place at the two SCISA chess tournaments. However, this did not meet my standards, as I am a very competitive person. In the time between events, I pushed myself harder than ever, practicing even more online, playing and winning some tournaments online.
RS: How does it feel to be the first chess player to score first place in Cross History?
LA: When the fall chess competition for my junior year arrived, I was ready to test myself against the competition. I defeated some opponents who had beaten me in the past, and I felt very accomplished to win the chess competition.
RS: Do you feel overlooked or under appreciated for your achievements?
LA: I don’t really feel under-appreciated for my achievement, as chess is not really a well known and talked about club. However, the people who did know about my achievement congratulated me, which really warmed my heart.
RS: What are your expectations for the upcoming competition?
LA: The goal for the spring competition was to defend my title (even though it was a four-way tie for first). I am not really proud of the level of effort I have put into chess this time around, [but] I am still confident in my ability and believe I can take home gold for Cross again!
(Ladi placed third out of 189 participants and the Cross’ Upper School team placed third out of 24 schools).
