Youth News
Mex Chess Champ, Age 12, Seeks Help to Compete in World Contest
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- Written by Hector R. Hernandez Hector R. Hernandez
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.
Summer Chess Camps at St. Ignatius and De La Salle
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- Written by Hector R. Hernandez Hector R. Hernandez
Summer Chess Camps were recently held at St. Ignatius College Prep and De La Salle Institute.
Nineteen students participated in the St. Ignatius program, including four incoming freshmen. A tournament was held at the end of the week to measure improvement made by the students. The top five players were: Dominic Millar, Gavin Sexton, Miguel Haro, Aarav Rajput and Logan Lin, first through fifth places respectively. Trophies were also earned by the top player in each grade, fifth through ninth. Medals were awarded to players not earning a trophy.
Announcement of Representatives for ICA to Special Tournaments
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- Written by Larry Cohen Larry Cohen
The weekend of May 19 to May 21, the usual qualifying tournaments were held to determine the Illinois representatives to the Denker, the Haring, the Barber, the Rockefeller, and the Irwin. Below is the full list of the representatives for each tournament.
Denker: Rohit Guha [4.5 of 5 score]
Haring: Anisha Oberai [4 of 5 score]
Barber: Anjaneya Rao [4 of 5 score]
Rockefeller: Sachit Rajkumar [4 of 5 score]
Irwin: Angel Angelov [3.5 of 4 score]
Polgar: Natalie Wisniowski and Shakira Luster [chosen based on rating]
Aditya Gupta - Illinois Student Receives Prestigious US Chess Scholar Award
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- Written by Eric Luster Eric Luster
Aditya Gupta, a high school junior at William Fremd High School, in Palatine, Illinois, was recently awarded the "2023 Scholar-Chess Award" on April 2, 2023, one of the most coveted awards for chess players in the United States. This award is given to the top 5 chess players in the nation to recognize the most outstanding students based on chess, academics, leadership, and sportsmanship by the US Chess Federation.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy because in the long history of the award he is only the second player from the state of Illinois to win, and the first in the last 6 years. It is quite an achievement for the state of Illinois to have a US Chess Scholar recipient. His accomplishment is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and passion for chess.
Glenwood Chess Club Has Reopened
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- Written by Herbert Ferguson Herbert Ferguson
As president of the Glenwood Chess Club, I welcome all chess enthusiasts back with open arms. We have had a challenging two years due to COVID, but we are on the rebound with a new format for our members.
The Winter Session is now open until March, and we have invited our members to join our weekly study & play sessions for only $3.00 per week. Though the format is tailored to middle and high school students who plan to compete at the state finals, every one of any age is encouraged to join the fun. Students will be able to follow their weekly progress as they work individually or in groups to earn points. Also, there will be opportunities to work and compete in teams. (Teams require only 3 members to be created.)
Chicago Chess Conference Kicks Off Season
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- Written by Hector R. Hernandez Hector R. Hernandez
DLS Camp Tournament Results
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- Written by Hector R. Hernandez Hector R. Hernandez
De La Salle Institute's Summer Chess Camp for 3rd - 5th grade pupils took place from June 27 to July 1. Ten children participated. On the last day of the camp, a tournament was held. The top four players earned trophies: J. Chan, Keller School, took first place. T. Szeto, Old St. Mary's, got second place; D. Szeto, third place, and J. Helmick received the fourth place trophy. Medals were presented to players who finished in fifth through tenth places.
Camp Instructor was Hector R.Hernandez. Mr. George Dzuricsko is the long-time chess coach at De La Salle.
De La Salle's Summer Chess Camp for 6th - 8th grade boys and girls will take place on July 18-22. Mr. Mikhail Korenman will be the instructor.