Avi Kaplan is a junior at Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago. On the chess front, he is a U.S. Chess Federation-titled National Master, the current National Champion for 11th graders, a Top 50 blitz chess player under age 21 in America, and the highest rated player in Chicago Public Schools. Avi first became affiliated with Chabad of East Lakeview when Rabbi Dovid and Devorah Leah Kotlarsky took the helm and enjoys the warm and welcoming community they have created. Avi volunteers with the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign for chess tutoring and companionship. He also uses chess as a force for good by providing support for a chess program for adults who are incarcerated to encourage strategic thinking and positive decision making.