Youth News
December 2020 US Top 100 Lists for Girls
- Details
- Written by Eva Harrison Eva Harrison
- Published: 23 December 2020 23 December 2020
Over-the-board tournaments are still few and far between resulting in only minor ranking changes mostly due to players moving up to the next age group or dropping off the lists for failure to renew their USCF memberships.
An exception is Rebecca Phillips’ fine 3rd place in the U1400 section of the Midwest Holiday Class by which the 17-year old increased her USCF rating by 118 points and jumped from a rank of 39 to the 29th place among girls her age in the country.
I should have mentioned last month that the three St. Ethelreda friends, who are now at Marist High School, also found tournaments to sharpen their skills and continue to impress with their progress. Congratulations Shakira Luster, Trechelle Williams and Imani Hill!
The lists compiled by US Chess are based on ratings achieved and processed by the third Wednesday of the previous month, in this case November 18, 2020.
If you believe your daughter was inadvertently omitted from these lists, it may be due to US Chess rules regarding permission. If the player’s family cannot be contacted to confirm permission for using the name on one of these lists, the player is not listed. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance on connecting with US Chess.
US Rank Player (US Chess ID) November ’20 Cutoff
| Age 8 | ||
| 31 | Lee, Olivia (16643743) | 815 |
| 44 | Govindarajan, Mythreyi (16801573) | 725 |
| 99 | Berkey, Rebekah (16585623) | 476 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 29 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1077 |
| 39 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 997 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 7 | Prakash, Nandini (16085871) | 1717 |
| 71 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| 73 | Zheng, Joyce J (16239154) | 952 |
| 91 | Manimaran, Shivani (16614018) | 866 |
| 98 | Lkhavgajav, Bolor Sarah (16235187) | 843 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 36 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1375 |
| 79 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1054 |
| 79 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 17 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1630 |
| 27 | Zhao, Sophia Ziyan (16763001) | 1510 |
| 76 | Namuunbayar, Enkhjin (15863824) | 1217 |
| 84 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1177 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 19 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1649 |
| 30 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1516 |
| 34 | Salian, Nisha (15767306) | 1493 |
| 42 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1401 |
| 71 | Hong, Sophie (15947555) | 1189 |
| 78 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1157 |
| 80 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| 88 | Swan, Josephine Grace (15352778) | 1107 |
| 98 | Zheng, Kaylee (16232261) | 1056 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 4 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 2006 |
| 12 | Kumar, Sruthi Bharath (15879904) | 1739 |
| 21 | Luster, Shakira (15641127) | 1640 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 30 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1617 |
| 34 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1565 |
| 48 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1417 |
| 66 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1250 |
| 73 | Nadkarni, Anusha (14789160) | 1219 |
| 75 | Han, Wenjing (15882830) | 1186 |
| 81 | Hill, Imani (16214855) | 1155 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 6 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2091 |
| 14 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| 41 | Rodriguez, Layla (15360516) | 1381 |
| 79 | Schwegel, Bernadette Olivia (15128161) | 871 |
| 84 | Kuricheti, Umika (14579770) | 822 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 4 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2132 |
| 19 | Shklover, Diana (14672010) | 1527 |
| 23 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
| 29 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1388 |
| 38 | Brahin, Lizzy (15698350) | 1264 |
| Age 18 | ||
| 46 | Bates, Jade (15332430) | 1120 |
November 2020 US Top 100 Lists for Girls
- Details
- Written by Eva Harrison Eva Harrison
- Published: 24 November 2020 24 November 2020
| Age 8 | ||
| 32 | Lee, Olivia (16643743) | 815 |
| 47 | Govindarajan, Mythreyi (16801573) | 725 |
| 89 | Ranjan, Nysa (16761560) | 533 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 30 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1077 |
| 42 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 997 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 8 | Prakash, Nandini (16085871) | 1717 |
| 61 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| 80 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| 82 | Zheng, Joyce J (16239154) | 952 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 35 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1375 |
| 82 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1054 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 18 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1630 |
| 28 | Zhao, Sophia Ziyan (16763001) | 1510 |
| 75 | Namuunbayar, Enkhjin (15863824) | 1217 |
| 83 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1177 |
| 99 | Swan, Josephine Grace (15352778) | 1107 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 18 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1649 |
| 31 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1516 |
| 34 | Salian, Nisha (15767306) | 1493 |
| 41 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1401 |
| 72 | Hong, Sophie (15947555) | 1189 |
| 79 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1157 |
| 81 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 3 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 2006 |
| 13 | Kumar, Sruthi Bharath (15879904) | 1739 |
| 18 | Luster, Shakira (15641127) | 1669 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 33 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1617 |
| 38 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1565 |
| 51 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1417 |
| 70 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1250 |
| 77 | Nadkarni, Anusha (14789160) | 1219 |
| 78 | Han, Wenjing (15882830) | 1186 |
| 85 | Hill, Imani Catherine (16214855) | 1155 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 6 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2091 |
| 12 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| 39 | Rodriguez, Layla (15360516) | 1381 |
| 78 | Schwegel, Bernadette Olivia (15128161) | 871 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 6 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2132 |
| 21 | Shklover, Diana (14672010) | 1527 |
| 26 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
| 39 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1270 |
| 41 | Brahin, Lizzy (15698350) | 1264 |
| Age 18 | ||
| 7 | Li, Marissa (14468490) | 2074 |
| 43 | Bates, Jade (15332430) | 1120 |
| 45 | Nerella, Neelotpala (16755702) | 1054 |
October 2020 US Top 100 Lists for Girls
- Details
- Written by Eva Harrison Eva Harrison
- Published: 24 October 2020 24 October 2020
| Age 8 | ||
| 32 | Lee, Olivia (16643743) | 815 |
| 47 | Govindarajan, Mythreyi (16801573) | 725 |
| 88 | Ranjan, Nysa (16761560) | 533 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 35 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1077 |
| 48 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 997 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 8 | Prakash, Nandini (16085871) | 1717 |
| 63 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| 82 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| 84 | Zheng, Joyce J (16239154) | 952 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 34 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1375 |
| 53 | Namuunbayar, Enkhjin (15863824) | 1217 |
| 86 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1054 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 21 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1630 |
| 28 | Zhao, Sophia Ziyan (16763001) | 1510 |
| 82 | Hong, Sophie (15947555) | 1189 |
| 86 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1177 |
| 100 | Swan, Josephine Grace (15352778) | 1107 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 13 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1649 |
| 26 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1516 |
| 30 | Salian, Nisha (15767306) | 1493 |
| 38 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1401 |
| 76 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1157 |
| 78 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 3 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 2006 |
| 15 | Kumar, Sruthi Bharath (15879904) | 1739 |
| 28 | Luster, Shakira (15641127) | 1567 |
| 63 | Fan, Alice (14935236) | 1290 |
| 82 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1184 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 31 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1617 |
| 36 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1565 |
| 50 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1417 |
| 77 | Nadkarni, Anusha (14789160) | 1219 |
| 79 | Han, Wenjing (15882830) | 1186 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 6 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2091 |
| 14 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| 38 | Rodriguez, Layla (15360516) | 1381 |
| 72 | Schwegel, Bernadette Olivia (15128161) | 871 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 6 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2132 |
| 26 | Shklover, Diana (14672010) | 1527 |
| 30 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
| 42 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1270 |
| 44 | Brahin, Lizzy (15698350) | 1264 |
| 58 | Bates, Jade (15332430) | 1120 |
| Age 18 | ||
| 7 | Li, Marissa (14468490) | 2074 |
| 39 | Nerella, Neelotpala (16755702) | 1054 |
September 2020 US Top 100 Lists for Girls
- Details
- Written by Eva Harrison Eva Harrison
- Published: 25 September 2020 25 September 2020
| Age 8 | ||
| 33 | Lee, Olivia (16643743) | 815 |
| 48 | Govindarajan, Mythreyi (16801573) | 725 |
| 85 | Ranjan, Nysa (16761560) | 533 |
| 97 | Berkey, Rebekah (16585623) | 476 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 35 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1077 |
| 48 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 997 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 8 | Prakash, Nandini (16085871) | 1717 |
| 62 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| 87 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| 89 | Zheng, Joyce J (16239154) | 952 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 40 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1375 |
| 60 | Namuunbayar, Enkhjin (15863824) | 1217 |
| 92 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1054 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 21 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1630 |
| 28 | Zhao, Sophia Ziyan (16763001) | 1510 |
| 73 | Hong, Sophie (15947555) | 1189 |
| 77 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1177 |
| 91 | Swan, Josephine Grace (15352778) | 1107 |
| 96 | Saravanan, Shanthini (16213261) | 1093 |
| 99 | Hu, Emily (16385785) | 1083 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 14 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1649 |
| 26 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1516 |
| 38 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1401 |
| 75 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1157 |
| 77 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| 97 | Schneider, Rosali Ailani (15552287) | 1005 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 3 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 2006 |
| 13 | Kumar, Sruthi Bharath (15879904) | 1739 |
| 31 | Luster, Shakira (15641127) | 1524 |
| 80 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1184 |
| 99 | Hill, Imani Catherine (16214855) | 1079 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 29 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1617 |
| 35 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1565 |
| 47 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1417 |
| 71 | Han, Wenjing (15882830) | 1186 |
| 90 | Maiewski, Isabela (15151805) | 1009 |
| 96 | Varadharajan, Saigeetha (16773343) | 965 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 7 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2091 |
| 14 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 4 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2132 |
| 23 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
| 31 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1270 |
| 33 | Brahin, Lizzy (15698350) | 1264 |
Brave Illinois Knights Play Over-the-Board Chess in Meadowbrook Park
- Details
- Written by Megan Chen Megan Chen
- Published: 13 September 2020 13 September 2020
Written By: Rachel Schechter
Graphics: Megan Chen
Unflinching and undaunted, these future kings and queens were among the first—if not the first—Illinois chess warriors returning to over-the-board chess after enduring months of lock down and virtual learning.
Yes, appropriate hygienic measures were taken. Yes, parents approved. After 6 weeks we can safely say these youngsters have checkmated Coronavirus fears, demonstrating that OTB Chess can make a safe, secure comeback.
Was this modest action significant? The chess players, their parents and grandparents said yes. When schools nationwide closed their doors and opened online learning portals, it was the smart move, the right move at the time. An adequate substitute. However, it was a substitute. Many educators reported that by the end of term, students were lackluster, unfocussed, restless and/or depressed. They craved normal social and intellectual interaction.
As such, we invited a handful of current and former Montessori students to play chess in Meadowbrook Park in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. It’s a safe, clean, healthy environment. We took the necessary hygienic precautions. And it worked. Games were played. No one got sick.
Given our current uncertainty, we hope all schools safely reopen their doors and our talented chess communities innovate safe new venues for over-the-board play.
What did the Meadowbrook Park students say? “Where’s the pizza?” Even 90+ degree heat couldn’t deter their dedication to the royal game. More than pizza was more than fair for these fearless chess warriors. Thank you to: Garrett Cook, Max Dallas, Charlotte Potter-Cross, Lydia Potter-Cross, Lenny Zharnitsky. We’ll be starting up again this fall and hope to attract more players.
Rachel A Schechter
June 18, 2020