Josh Flores replaces Patrick Cohen as secretary and Dan Wilson accepts general board position
There have been a couple of board changes. Patrick Cohen contacted me a couple of weeks ago to let me know he was going to resign in a couple of months due to his limited time to be available for meetings. I contacted Josh Flores to see if he would take over the secretary position, since he held it previously. He was willing to start in March and Patrick was willing to resign effective February 29. Patrick has informed me he will graciously assist the board with several behind-the-scenes efforts he does to help this great organization.
Daniel Wilson had previously reached out to me to see if he could be part of the board. Since Josh was currently on board as a general collar county member, we now had an open position. The board offered Dan that position.
We now have a full board minus a downstate general board position. If anyone is interested please email Josh at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
Thanks and please lets welcome Dan and Josh to their new positions and thank Patrick for his many years of service where I personally will miss his input and knowledge at meetings.
Steve
President Illinois Chess Association
Read MoreIllinois High School Association (IHSA) Chess State Championship 2024
Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
Chess State Championship 2024
Peoria, Illinois February 9-10, 2024
Firstly, I’d like to thank the organizers and the directors, along with all of the players for making this edition of the IHSA State Championship the best it could’ve been.
I myself played in the tournament, and I can confidently say that it was an amazing experience – more than simply being a tournament, but as a way to make friends and bond as a team.
After the first day, when we were 4/4, the anticipation for the possibilities of the following day was immense. And even though we didn’t end up performing as well as we hoped, the experience was all that mattered.
I’ve been to many tournaments throughout my life, but something about this one was special. The opportunity of being able to be with friends outside of the plain school environment, on top the combination of my own hobbies, made this an exceptionally special tournament.
Enough about that, onto the results of the tournament.
128 teams played in the tournament – after the first day, only 8 teams remained undefeated.
Round 5; Final 8 undefeated
Table 4: Aurora (IMSA) defeated Naperville (Neuqua) 56.5 vs 11.5
Table 3:Palatine (Fremd) defeated Naperville (Central) 39.5 vs 28.5
Table 2:Chicago (Payton)defeated Evanston (Twp.) 55 vs 13
Table 1:Lincolnshire (Stevenson) defeated Chicago (Whitney Young) 50 vs 18
Round 6; Final 4 undefeated
Table 2:Chicago (Payton) defeated Aurora (IMSA) 34.5 vs 33.5
Table 1:Lincolnshire (Stevenson) defeated Palatine (Fremd) 50.5 vs 17.5
Round 7, Final round; Final 2 undefeated
Table 1. After a long match, Stevenson and Payton finished the tournament with a draw in the final round. Stevenson eventually won on tiebreakers.
Here is the winning team:
Glenn Panner from Chess Weekend supplied individual award medals to all players with at least 5.5 points out of 7. Bronze was awarded with 5.5, Silver with 6, and gold with 6.5 or 7 points. Around 100 players received medals out of 1200.
The following participants were awarded medals.
Name |
Total Points |
Medal |
Arthur Xu (Jr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Dario Pjevic (So.) |
7 |
Gold |
Gustavo Garcia (Fr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Makhi Fox (Fr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Ochirbat Lkhagvajamts (Jr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Owen Geraghty (Sr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Shakira Luster (Sr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Vrishank Ramnath (Jr.) |
7 |
Gold |
Benjamin McKendall (So.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Chris Garcia (Sr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Connor Nance (So.) |
6.5 |
Gold` |
Daniel Avalos (Jr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Ekansh Mehrotra (Fr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Feolu Kolawole (Sr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Issac Padua (Jr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Paul Hanrahan (Jr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Saboor Khan (Fr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Sammy McCandless (Jr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Tate Morrison (Sr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Whitman Kosak (Jr.) |
6.5 |
Gold |
Adrian Montesino (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Andre Dzwiniel (Fr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Andrew Coss (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Andy Ordway (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Andy Yuen (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Arnav Karthikeyan (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Beren Ozer (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Caleb Valentino (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
David Yong (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
David Zappa (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Emmett Lin (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Ethan Tobias (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Gavin Snopko (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Hansen Du (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Jacob Ang (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Jacob Jensen (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Jo Swan (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Kayden Zhu (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Konrad Kremper (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Lazar Martic (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Maddox Todd (Fr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Marc Ntumba-Mukadi (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Michael Li (Fr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Neil Gani (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Ray Sun (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Ria Raj (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Sadkrith Malladi (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Shalen Chawla (Jr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Sohan Bendre (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Sreekar Gangavarapu (So.) |
6 |
Silver |
Tugstumer Yesuntumur (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Tyler Chen (Fr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Young Cha (Sr.) |
6 |
Silver |
Agastya Sapru (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Andrew Mazzio (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Anthony Tsyganov (Fr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Asher Reedy (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Ayush Shah (Fr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Bao Ta (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Brian Farkas (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Chase Brinkmann (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Christine Liu (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Cole Tupper (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Connor Osullivan (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Craven Andaya (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Daniel Arredondo (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Derek Wietelmann (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Dylan Zec (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Eduardo Mota (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Erik Garcia (Fr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Ethan Montemayor (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Ethan Singerman (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Faris Pena (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Harrison Weinberger (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Iman Ansari (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jack Drucker (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jacob Plotnick (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jake Wittman (Fr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jameson Tenopir (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jamila Matovu (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jerry Bauer (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
John Waldo (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jonathan Cheng (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Joshua Gravel (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Joshua Thorstenson (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Jovanni Juarez (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Junho Park (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Liam Whitecotton (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Madeline Green (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Matthew Erlec (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Max Lu (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Nolan Collins (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Pauline Yang (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Roman Kash (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Ryan Austin (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Sam Kemeny (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Sanad Abu Awad (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Seth Parent (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Soham Dongre (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Taofeeq Amuda (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Vinay Sridhar (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Wentao Lin (So.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Wilbert Chu (Sr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
Yasin Kansu (Jr.) |
5.5 |
Bronze |
2024 Kings and Queens (K-8) and High School CPS Championships
2024 Kings and Queens (K-8) and High School CPS Championships
Senn Park High School
January 20, 2024
The Kings and Queens tournament consisted of three sections – K-4, K-6, and K-8 – with almost 350 CPS players. The High School tournament consisted of two sections: Junior Varsity and Varsity, which consisted of a combined 175 CPS high schoolers.
In the K-4 section, Edison–Blue finished with a perfect 4-0 for an uncontested first place. Three teams tied for second place with 3 points: Keller – Red, Decatur, and Edison – white.
Three players from the K-4 section won all 4 games: Natalie Huang from Decatur, Amay Sarupia from Edison – Blue, and Nurislam Ababakirov from Edison – Blue as well. A further three players finished with 3.5/4 points: Angel Salgado from Carson, Camilo Farinella from Edison – White, and Daniel Zheng from Keller – Blue.
In the K-6 section, Skinner North beat Pritzker to complete a perfect 4-0 for first place. Second place had a tie of three teams at 3 points, the teams were Lincoln, Edison – RGC, and Pritzker.
The K-6 had a remarkable seven players that went undefeated in all 4 games. They were Shrihaan Bathula from Decatur, Shane Thomas Veale and Ethan Villadiego playing for Edison – RGC, Esen Munkhtur and Vincent Yang from Lincoln, and Avida Biswas and Jonathan Cui from Skinner North.
Similarly, K-8 was an uncontested victory with a perfect 4-0 by Whitney Young – Gold who beat Lane Tech – AC. Five additional teams tied for second with 3 points: Lane Tech – AC, Decatur, Taft – AC, Bateman, and Keller.
The K-8 also had seven players who went undefeated: Gabriel Jael and Kalen Anderson from Bateman, Kyle Mak from Keller, Christopher Vele from Nobel – Blue, and Mason Qiao and Gene Tcheng from Whitney Young – Gold.
The High School JV section had one uncontested winner with 4 points: Whitney Young – Orange who beat Whitney Young – Blue during the final round. Four teams also tied for second place with 3 points; Whitney Young - Blue, Walter Payton, Brooks - Blue, and Englewood – STEM Red.
Four players from the JV section finished with a perfect record of 4-0. June Vincent Lee Mino from Lincoln Park High – Blue, Alexander Alvarez from Whitney Young – Blue, Chetan Cherukuri and Vincent Pan from Whitney Young – Orange. Additionally, David Zachary Zurawski finished with 3.5 points.
Similarly, in the High School Varsity Section, Walter Payton won with a perfect 4-0 after defeating Lane Tech in the final round. Three teams tied for second with three points: Whitney Young, Lane Tech, and Brooks.
In the Varsity section, six players had a perfect four wins: Avi Kaplan and Whitman Kosak from Lane Tech, Marco Baldwin from Lincoln Park, Sohan Anup Bendre from Walter Payton, and Dimitrios Deligiannia and Nithin Ramasamy from Whitney Young.
Read More2024 Illinois K-8 State Chess Championship
The 2024 Illinois K-8 Championship will be both a team and individual event held by Chess Weekend, Inc. with the Illinois Chess Association on March 8-10, 2024 in Schaumburg, IL. The main event will consist of four sections based on grade level – K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 – with seven rounds starting Saturday morning. Besides the main event, there will be numerous fun side events such as bughouse, blitz, and puzzle-solving contests.
Over 200 trophies will be awarded on top of a commemorative medal or ribbon for all players. Additionally, a wonderful book and equipment vendor will be on site for all needs at the tournament. Though the tournament is an Illinois Championship, players from all states are welcome; but state championship titles go to Illinois players. Complete details of round times and entry fees can be found here.
Read MoreICA Editor and Staff Writer Message
ICA Editor and Staff Writer – receive any emails sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
My name is Jacob Plotnick and I am the new editor for ICA to write about their tournaments . As the editor and staff writer I will write articles for ICA tour events, state championships, and other larger tournaments. I will additionally take concerns of error into consideration and work to mend them ASAP. I can receive any such emails at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. My goal is to reply to any requests within 72 hours.
I am currently a sophomore in high school and have been playing chess for almost seven years. Outside of chess, my main areas of study are math and engineering. Most recently, the de Rham cohomology, with hopes to pursue aerospace engineering in the future.
If you notice any errors when reading one of my postings, please reach out at your soonest convenience.
Jacob
Read MoreTim Just Winter Open 2024
The Illinois Chess Association would like to congratulate Bill Buklis for successfully running the initial tournament of the 2024 year for the Illinois Chess Tour. The 40th annual Tim Just Winter Open was played from January 5th to January 7th and had six sections ranging from a U1300 to a Major section. There was a separate tournament on the 6th specifically for scholastic players with a further three sections. In total, the event had over 300 players.
Major
IM Sam Schmakel defeated Ankush Moolky in the final round to take outright first place. Tugstumur Yesuntumur drew Augusto Cesar Campos to tie for second place.
Click the image below to see the top games of round 5:
U2100
Bryce McClanahan was the outright winner with 4.5/5 points. Artemii Khanbutaey, Steven Napoli, Aidan Baker and Andrey Dmitriev tied for second with a score of 4/5 points.
U1900
Aaron Anderson beat Aayush Thakker and Memanth Samayamantri beat Jack Drucker in their last matches to tie for first with 4.5/5
U1700
Carl John Gibson beat Carmelo S Napoli to finish as the outright winner at 4.5/5. Carmelo ended with 4/5. Madison Lofts, Harrison Schilling and Nathaniel Bafia all joined Carmelo Carmelo in a four-way tie for second at 4/5.
U1500
There was a two-way tie for first between Kostandinos Skoufos and Alastar WIlliam Keely-Walker, both ended with 4.5/5.
U1300
Hector Guifarro won outright with a perfect 5/5. Hector beat Andy Barrientos who ended up in a five-way tie for second at 4/5.
Scholastic Under 1200
Owen Yang finished in first with an uncontested 5/5. Owen Beat Andy Yu who finished in a four-way tie for second at 4/5.
Scholastic Under 800
Silas Judge and Poojith Jada both won their final games to finish tied with 4.5/5.
Scholastic Under 500
There was another perfect 5/5 by Joshua Anderson. Joshua beat Joseph Zachary Taylow who finished in a four-way tie at 4/5.
The Illinois Chess Association would also like to recognize the following scholastic players for increasing their USCF rating by over 50 points:
Joahua Anderson (U500)
Calvin Rivas (U500)
Joseph Zachary Taylor (U500)
Pierce Kruse (U500)
Joel Jonathan Boodu (U500)
Silas Judge (U800)
Poojith Jada (U800)
Sairam Manimaran (U800)
Aidan Michael Cassidy (U800)
Jotin Samayamantri (U800)
Rogelio Jorge Diaz-Portales (U800)
Neeraj Movva (U800)
Aarav Varshney (U800)
Owen Yang (U1200)
Andy YU (U1200)
Saketh Viswanadha (U1200)
Dane Allen Cooper (U1200)
Kevin McAleenan (U1200)
Nilan Velu (U1200)
Anish Itagi (U1200)
Sahasvath Indla (U1200)
James Patrick Budd (U1200)
If you have any questions or comments, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Read MoreJacob Plotnick accepts Position as ICA Editor and Staff Reporter
Jacob has graciously accepted the position as our editor and a new position as a staff reporter. Jacob is currently a sophomore at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora. He is a former Illinois State Champion for the United States Chess Federation Jr. Grand Prix. In addition to being a Class "B" player, Jacob is also a certified local tournament director.
As our editor, Jacob fills a void that the ICA has had for a number of years. He will be reviewing, editing, and publishing articles sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Jacob will also have a staff position responsible for creating articles and working with organizers for our state championships, ICA tour events, and larger Illinois tournaments and events.
Please join us in welcoming Jacob to his new position.
Read More
ICA Tour to restart in 2024
In July, the ICA conducted a survey among chess players with the intention of getting feedback to help us improve and shape the future of the ICA. We listened and are bringing back the ICA Tour! Details to follow. Our first tour tournament will be the Tim Just Winter Open, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg from Friday, January 5 to Sunday, January 7, 2024.
Read More
ICA Elections - Nomination Period for 2023 Is Now Open!
The ICA is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the five general members of the Board of Directors. Directors will take office on January 1, 2024 and serve a two-year term.
Who Is Eligible to Be Nominated?
Under the ICA Bylaws, directors must be residents of Illinois and members of the ICA. At least two at-large directors must reside in Cook County or the Collar Counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will), and at least two must reside outside these counties.
Submitting Your Nomination
Any ICA member may submit a nomination. Self-nominations are also permitted and encouraged.
Nominations may be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Nominations must be seconded by 10 voting ICA members and the nominee must agree to serve. The deadline for submitting nominations is October 10, 2023.
Mex Chess Champ, Age 12, Seeks Help to Compete in World Contest
Levi Kalani Fogo Esquivel, who hails from Tulum in Quintana Roo, is Mexico’s National Chess Champion in the Under-12 category. He earned a gold and two silver medals at the CONADE Games. (CONADE: Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte.)
He also finished in first place in Las Vegas at the International Youth Championship as well as first in the Illinois Open Championship-Reserve Section. At the Illinois Open Blitz tournament, 3-minute games, he finished in second place in a group of twenty-six players. There he had two wins, and two losses, against two local Masters. Only George Li, an International Master, finished ahead of Kalani.
At the World Open tournaments in Philadelphia, he had outstanding performances which earned him some prizes.
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Board 2: Sadona—Amanov
GM Mesgen Amanov has been in excellent form this month, so playing for a win with Black against IM Julio Sadona was a reasonable risk. Amanov played well enough, but Sadona conducted a brilliant attack. There's certainly no shame in losing a game as interesting as this one!