2. Brooklyn Castle
Site rank 11, IMDb rank 8; Overall Score = 19
Directed by Katie Dellamaggiore
With 70% of its students living below poverty line, Brooklyn’s Intermediate School 318 isn’t exactly how one would picture a chess champions’ breeding ground, but that is exactly what this school is. In the last decade, it has won more chess competitions than any other school in the country. It is the first middle school in history that won United States Chess Federation’s high school championship. In the way these kids cope with their daily life and school obligations, facing budget cuts that limit their tournament participation, they show us why in their school cool kids are part of the chess club.
