2026 Illinois K-8 State Chess Championship
2026 Illinois K-8 State Chess Championship
The Illinois Chess Association is happy to congratulate Glenn Panner and Maret Thorpe from Chess Weekend for an impressive organization of our 2026 Illinois K-8 Chess Championship from March 6-8, 2026 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The tournament had four sections:
- Lower Primary K-1: 7 rounds of G25d5
- Upper Primary 2-3: 7 rounds of G40d5
- Elementary 4-5: 7 rounds of G55d5
- Junior High 6-8: 7 rounds of G55d5
As well as bughouse, blitz, and puzzle solving side events – taking place during the nights of the tournament.
Pictured below are the trophies given out during the tournament: 1st - 25th individually in each section, 1 - 10th place teams in each section, class awards based on rating in each section, class awards based on grade in each section, and, of course, awards for each of the side events.
Kindergarten and First grade
Going into the last round, Shivakumara Vellapandi led with a perfect 6 points against Muhammadsaloh Ahmadaliev with 5.5 points. Muhammadsaloh defeated Shivakumara to win the K-1 outright with 6.5 points. Six players, Abir Sumbhate, Alexander Choi, Arjun Kolluri, Advaya Chingalwar, Vidhaatri Rao, and Shinsuke Yamaguchi, started the last round with 5 points.
Here are the players that finished with at least five points:
Grades 2-3
Entering the final round, both Emily Tang and Ethan Li were tied with a perfect 6 points. Emily defeated Ethan to win outright with a perfect 7/7. Here are the players that ended up with at least 5.5 points:
Grades 4-5
Dylan John Vogel entered the last round with a perfect 6 points and there was a three-way tie with a 5.5 points for second between Durai Murugan Kavanvel, Tanish Zen and Vegnesh Krish. This created two exciting games where Durai Murugan defeated Vignesh and Dylan drew Sen to create a two way tie with 6.5 points for first place. Dylan was awarded first place due to tie-breaks.
Here are the players that finished with at least 5.5 points:
Grades 6-8
Three players entered the final round with a perfect 6 points: Aidan Baker, Sachit Srinivas Rajkumar and Kaden Kassim. Meanwhile, one lone player had 5.5 points: Anirudh Sai Jeeju. In the final round, Aiden defeated Kaden and Sachit defeated Anirudh causing a two way tie with a perfect 7 points. Aiden was awarded first place due to tie-breaks.
Here are the players that ended up with at least 5.5 points:
Linked here is a complete cross-table for the event, which will show tie-breaks and all side events, courtesy of Chess Weekend, and linked here is the US rating report. Following these links, you can view the full results across any sections instead of the abbreviated standings above.
Once again, we are happy to congratulate everybody who participated and gave it their best in this tournament and to congratulate Glenn Panner and Maret Thorpe along with Chess Weekend for running the tournament so smoothly on behalf of the Illinois Chess Association. We also want to thank the 58 Illinois Chess Association members out of nearly 700 players that came out and supported our K-8 State Championship.
We also want to thank Amy Greene, Henry Getz and Catherine “Kats” Poffenbarger of the Illinois Chess Association board for coming out and supporting this great state event. Please come out and support next year’s K-8 downstate. The event information will be published on the ICA website.
2025 Illinois All Grade Championship
2025 Illinois All Grade Championship
The Illinois Chess Association is happy to congratulate Emily Dawson from Greater Peoria Chess Association for brilliantly organizing our 2025 Illinois All Grade Championship at the historic Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria, Illinois on November 15, 2025.
The tournament had thirteen sections: 2nd through 8th grade, while kindergarten was combined with 1st grade, each getting their own awards. Each grade for High School represented 9th through 12th grade. In total, almost 300 kids participated.
Kindergarten through third grade had a g/30;d5 for 5 rounds
Fourth grade and fifth grade had a g/45;d5 for 4 rounds
Sixth grade through high school had a g/60;d5 for 4 rounds
Listed below are the results for the different sections:
12th grade, Senior in High School
Washington Community High School senior Brandon Adams secured the top 3.5/4 score in the 12th Grade section with a fourth-round victory over schoolmate Landon Scott. Classmates Samuel Zekany and Nicholas Winchell, secured a runner-up tie with 3.0’s, Samuel drawing Brandon in round three, Nicholas losing to the champion in round two. Brandon increased his rating 78 points to 533 in the event.
The 12th grade had 7 players.
Below are the results for all 7 players.
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11th grade, Junior in High School
In the 11th Grade section, Arnav Gupta of Palatine Fremd High School and Savan Giri of Peoria-area Dunlap High School shared the top 3.5 score, drawing head-to-head in the third round. Arnav’s rating dropped to 1559, down slightly, while Savan boosted his rating 53 points to 1140.
The 11th grade had 11 players.
Below are the results for all 11 players.
10th grade, Sophomore in High School
10th Grade competition also saw a shared championship with 3.5/4, as Dunlap’s Andres Maldonado and classmate Nathan Pulley both enjoyed three wins and a draw, but did not face-off head-to-head. Andres added a point to his previous 1492 rating while Nathan enhanced his rating 129 points to 996.
The 10th grade had 10 players.
Below are the results for all 10 players.
9th grade, Freshman in High School
Dunlap’s Varun Gurramkonda defeated Normal Community’s Srikar Jayam in the final round of the 9th Grade section to finish with a perfect 4.0/4. Varun’s rating climbed to 1886, up 17 points. Srikar, the highest rated entry of any player in the tournament saw his rating decline 14 points from 1931, as the freshman finished in a four-way tie for second.
The 9th grade had 18 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 2 points out of 4.
8th grade
St Philomena (Peoria) classmates Ben Ibeck and Evan Van Ryn were co-Eighth Grade champions, notching perfect 4.0 scores. Lucas Mideros of Champaign’s Next Generation was third with 3.5/4 .
The 8th grade had 40 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 3 points out of 4.
7th grade
Top-rated Sean Pepper scored the lone 4.0 for 7th Graders, bringing the championship trophy back to Peoria’s Reservoir Gifted School. A three-way tie for runner-up included Srivibhav Rayasam of Dunlap Middle, Lohith Reddy Gongati of Normal Chiddix and Kaushi Dheeravath of Bloomington’s Evans Junior High.
The 7th grade had 43 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 3 points out of 4.
6th grade
Dunlap’s Nabhya Shah brought the highest rating into 6th Grade competition and finished 4.0/4, ahead of a four-way pack at 3.5
The 6th grade had 38 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 2.5 points out of 4.
5th grade
Fifth-grader Rowan Neye of Oak Terrace Elementary in Highwood posted the lone 5.0/5 tally, ahead of a four-pack of downstaters at 4.0.
The 5th grade had 35 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 3 points out of 4.
4th grade
Naperville’s Eesha Kumar of Peterson Elementary was the 4th Grade champion thanks to a fifth-round draw against challenger Tanish Sen of Normal’s Grove Elementary. With the draw, Eesha finished 4.5/5 while Tanish finished in a two-way tie for runner-up with Naperville Patterson’s Brendan Raferty.
The 4th grade had 19 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 2.5 points out of 4.
3rd grade
Third grade competition saw Peterson’s Samarth Gupta of Naperville post the lone 5.0/5 score, ahead of co-runners-up Larin Zeff Rajeev and Yurman Yesuntumur, both with 4.0’s. Larin attends Peoria’s Wilder-Waite and Turman is a student of Earl Pritchett of Buffalo Grove.
The 3rd grade had 20 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 2.5 points out of 4.
2nd grade
Normal’s Vis Santhoshrajan was the solo 5.0/5 scorer in 2nd Grade chess, ahead of runners-up Deekshith Bravin and Shamuel Daniel Raj, both of Dunlap’s Hickory Grove, who compiled 4.0’s. Vis of Normal’s Grove Elementary beat Deekshith in the third round and Shamuel in the fourth round. It was Deekshith’s first rated event.
The 2nd grade had 19 players.
Below are the results for all players that scored at least 2.5 points out of 4.
Combined Kindergarten and 1st grade
Kindergarteners and First Graders were combined for competition purposes, but separate awards were distributed. Nonetheless, kindergarteners were competitive in the 15-player section. Abir Sumbhate of Normal’s Thomas Metcalf was First Grade Champion with a 4.5 tally, drawing Peoria Academy Kindergartner Vijayav Reddivari in the final round. Vijayav was crowned the state Kindergartner Champion, while Meera Patel of Washington’s Lincoln Grade School was the runner-up with a 3.5 score.
The Combined Kindergarten and 1st grade had 15 players.
Below are the results for all players in the kindergarten and 1st grade combined section.
Linked here is a complete rating report cross-table for the event. Following these links, you can view the full results across any sections instead of the abbreviated standings above.
Once again, we want to congratulate everybody who participated and gave it their best in the tournament and to congratulate Emily Dawson from Greater Peoria Chess Association for running the tournament so smoothly on behalf of the Illinois Chess Association.
Illinois' other annual scholastic championship, the two-day K-8's, will be held in March 2026 in upstate Schaumburg.
Read MoreIllinois Elementary School Association Recognizes Betsy Zacate for Lifetime Achievement and Jim Aman for Distinguished Service for Chess
Illinois Elementary School Association Recognizes Betsy Zacate for Lifetime Achievement and Jim Aman for Distinguished Service for Chess
The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) has long championed extracurricular enrichment across the state, offering students opportunities to grow beyond the classroom through both athletic and academic opportunities to elementary aged students. In 2011, chess officially joined that roster: a quiet but powerful addition that has since nurtured critical thinking, sportsmanship, and community among thousands of young minds. The tournament-style program is unique: individual play, team scoring, and a deliberate emphasis on accessibility. What started as a pilot program has grown into a statewide tradition thanks to a handful of devoted visionaries who saw not just a game, but a chance to shape lives.
His story began, fittingly enough, in a library. As a child growing up in Fort Worth during the height of the Bobby Fischer craze, Jim Aman spotted a Chess Life magazine at the public library while accompanying his mother. Though he didn’t yet know how to play, he was instantly hooked on the mystique of the game. Chess had captured his imagination before it ever captured his mind.
He finally learned to play at 16, taught by a friend at the time. That casual encounter set in motion a journey that would span decades and state lines: from reviving a local club in Texas to becoming a driving force behind Illinois’s growing scholastic chess scene.
In Fort Worth, he restarted the Greater Fort Worth Chess Club and became a tournament director to help it thrive. For a time, he even played competitively. But life moved on: he married, had children, and set the game aside. It wasn’t until his youngest son, then in second grade, wanted to start a school chess team that his passion reignited. Sitting through tournaments as a parent, he realized he could help by directing events again. That decision quickly snowballed into nearly full-time weekend work.
One of his most important early collaborations came through a friendship with fellow Director Grant Perks. Together, they organized major events, including one at the Cincinnati Bengals stadium with around 500 players – a logistical feat that would pave the way for the future. Through Grant, he was introduced to Mike Zacate, a chess pioneer in Illinois involved in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) chess tournament. That connection led to his first invitation to work with IHSA, preparing for a lifetime of involvement in Illinois chess.
But it was in the middle school scene under the IESA where the next chapter would unfold. That initiative had its roots in a family legacy.
For Betsy Zacate, chess wasn’t just a hobby; it was a heritage. Her father had helped found the IHSA chess tournament, and she grew up trailing him at events, absorbing the facets of chess. Taught to play at five, she competed sporadically but gravitated more naturally to directing. Organization came easily, and so did empathy – two key traits emphasized by Betsy for anyone running a tournament where chaos is inevitable.
Eventually, Betsy and Mike began pitching the idea of a middle school state tournament to the IESA. It wasn’t easy. IESA was a small organization with limited resources, and chess didn’t yet have a foothold at that level. “The challenge wasn’t convincing them chess was worthwhile,” Betsy said. “It was proving enough schools would show up.”
They built the foundation through persistence, not pressure. The first events were pilot programs with no entry fees, designed to remove barriers. One year, the venue fell through at the last minute and the tournament had to be relocated to a hockey rink. “It was chaos,” Betsy laughed. “But the kids were excited. Everyone was. That day, we knew we’d started something that mattered.”
The amazing IESA administrators, such as Nicole Schaefbauer helped turn this vision into reality. She has been the IESA Executive Director since 2021 previously the Associate Executive Director from 2001-2021 and before that an Assistant Executive Director 1999-2001. She organized logistics and formed a core committee that included Betsy, Mike, and Jim to help in other facets such as adapting the IHSA rulebook for younger players. They ran the first tournament in 2011, and as the opening round began, there was a spark. “We knew we had started something that was going to continue for a long time,” Jim recalled.
Inaugural IESA Chess Championship
Over the years, IESA chess has grown slowly but deliberately, particularly in rural areas and towns south of Chicago. Unlike the faster pace of major urban leagues, this model of steady expansion builds sustainability. One school might send two students one year, then return with a full team the next. The program has become a feeder for high school chess, seeding long-term interest and keeping the game accessible to kids from every background for extended periods of time.
The human element has always been the most rewarding aspect of being involved in chess. “So many friendships have developed through IESA and IHSA events,” Jim said. “And I love seeing the look on the kids’ faces—watching them grow not just as players, but as people.” Chess, for him, is more than a game. It’s a tradition, a tool for life. “It teaches patience, self-control, critical thinking, and respect for rules,” he reflects. “It keeps the mind active. And it connects kids to something timeless.”
Betsy echoes the sentiment. “In basketball, you can always pass blame. In chess, it’s just you and one other person. You learn to be accountable. To slow down. To think.” She’s proudest not of any specific rulebook or milestone, but of the community they’ve built: coworkers, scorekeepers, parents, and kids who come back year after year, a little older, a little more confident.
Even after stepping back from frequent directing, Betsy remains a fixture. Her background in writing and photography helped document the journey, from event coverage in Chess Life to candid tournament photos. When she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work, she called it “a delightful surprise.” But the real reward, she says, is knowing that IESA chess will outlive her. “It’s something kids can carry forever.” Likewise for Jim, the achievement of his Distinguished Service Award pales in comparison to the gift IESA has given to every kid involved in the chess program.
Betsy and Jim receiving their awards from IESA
Today, both Betsy and Jim remain committed to the mission: to grow the game, make it inclusive, and nurture the next generation of players, directors, and mentors. Regional tournaments are on the horizon. Looking to the future, more schools might be integrating chess into classrooms: not just as a game but as a developmental tool.
If there’s one lesson they would pass on to others, it’s this: show up. Volunteers, coaches, organizers – every adult who gets involved makes it possible for another kid to benefit. Not everyone will be Bobby Fischer or be the best tournament director, but not everybody needs to; that is the beauty of chess. Everyone can show up with their own skills and interests and make a distinct contribution to the overall chess community, which contributes to the continued success of IESA chess. And if Jim could give his younger self advice? “Be ready for the friendships. That’s what matters most.”
Whether through scholastic chess or other facets of the community, they’ve built a life around community. A life around tradition. A life around the quiet, powerful game of chess. And IESA is working towards bringing this community to kids all throughout the state so they too can become members of this instrumental community.
Read More2025 Illinois Senior State Championship
The 2025 Illinois State Senior Championship was held concurrently with our Youth Invitational in Evanston. The tournament featured two sections, Reserve and Open, with the winner of the Open section earning entry into the Senior Tournament at the US Open in Middleton, WI.
Reserve Section
The Reserve Section consisted of sixteen players. Heading into the final round, Craig Sandford and Gee Leong were tied with 3 points out of 4. Since the two faced off in Round 4, they were paired against different opponents in the final round: Craig Sandford defeated Kelvin McAlister while Gee Leong defeated Edward Lozano.
With these victories, both players finished with 4 points, splitting first place.
Shown below is the final cross-table:
Open Section
The Open Section featured twenty players and delivered an exciting finish. Entering the final round two players were tied with 3.5 points out of 4 and two players were tied with 3 points.
In those final games Florentino Inumerable and FM Camillo drew, each finishing with 4 points. Meanwhile, CM Glen Gratz defeated William Brock, creating a three-way tie for first place with 4 points each.
The final cross-table is shown below:
