Endgame

Gr 6 Up—José Perez (Modern Family's Rico Rodriguez) is constantly overshadowed by the athletic successes of his older brother, Miguel. Raised by his single mother and by a grandmother who taught him to play chess, he also lives under the legacy of his grandfather, a chess champion in Mexico. José faces an array of other difficulties, including stressful familial relationships; a death in the family; his mother's ensuing depression; the deportation of a friend; biased teachers and administrators at his low-income middle school in Brownsville, TX; and general feelings of adolescent angst. These factors negatively impact his behavior at school, resulting in detention and the scrutiny of Mr. Alvarado (Efren Ramirez), who decides to help José and the other "problem" students by starting a chess team—at his own personal expense. Members of the group learn more than just the game, as this teacher/coach provides life lessons on perseverance, focus, and collaboration. When the team's winning record sends them to compete at the state level, the school community comes together to raise support for the 10-hour bus ride to Dallas. Throughout, José discovers his leadership abilities, and his persistence to continue playing chess has a positive effect on his family.