Youth News
IL Top 100 Women + Girls (January 2022)
- Details
- Written by Megan Chen Megan Chen
- Published: 22 January 2022 22 January 2022
US Rank Player (US Chess ID) December ’21 Cutoff
| Age 7 and Under | ||
| 40 | Bothe, Devaanshi (17073438) | 312 |
| 42 | Biswas, Avidha (30243658) | 287 |
| Age 8 | ||
| 22 | Zhan, Amy (17073114) | 821 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 39 | Xu, Florence (30196305) | 887 |
| 59 | Varadan, Vijayalakshmi (16801573) | 725 |
| 61 | Chen, Victoria (17307512) | 713 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 33 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1087 |
| 58 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 922 |
| 94 | Sharad, Suhana (16943553) | 742 |
| 97 | Huang, Sophia (17014040) | 731 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 28 | Manimaran, Shivani (16614018) | 1338 |
| 79 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| 81 | Zheng, Joyce J (16239154) | 952 |
| 95 | Mishra, Sushreeya Devi (16812724) | 883 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 23 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1512 |
| 30 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1419 |
| 79 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 10 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1759 |
| 70 | Namuunbayar , Enkhjin (15863824) | 1164 |
| 85 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1092 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 27 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1538 |
| 29 | Lee, Merrill (15703571) | 1531 |
| 37 | Salian, Nisha (15767306) | 1493 |
| 40 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1482 |
| 45 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1400 |
| 71 | Pashyan, Sofia (15844997) | 1210 |
| 85 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| 98 | Zheng, Kaylee (16232261) | 1056 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 5 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 1946 |
| 17 | Luster, Shakira Makayla (15641127) | 1705 |
| 80 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1124 |
| 93 | Schneider, Rosali (15552287) | 1005 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 16 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1730 |
| 27 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1620 |
| 44 | Pashyan, Stella (15575165) | 1351 |
| 61 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1146 |
| 64 | Hill, Imani (16214855) | 1111 |
| 92 | Dhananjaya, Priya Nandish (15473924) | 846 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 12 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| 25 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1710 |
| 77 | Kuricheti, Umika (14579770) | 822 |
| Age 18 | ||
| 2 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2167 |
| 5 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2071 |
| 16 | Shklover, Diana (14672010) | 1527 |
| 19 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1499 |
| 23 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
| Under Age 21 | ||
| 16 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2167 |
| 24 | Konovalenko, Sasha (14154014) | 2096 |
| 29 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2071 |
| 31 | Liu, Miranda Mohan (14042343) | 2054 |
| 54 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 1946 |
| 61 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| Age 50+ | ||
| 18 | Harrison, Eva C (14922272) | 1651 |
| 37 | Chase, Laura (12520636) | 1439 |
| 64 | Malevanaia, Oxana (16079354) | 1070 |
| 69 | Thorpe, Maret (13483913) | 996 |
| Age 65+ | ||
| 19 | Chase, Laura (12520636) | 1439 |
| Top Women | ||
| 32 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2167 |
| 45 | Konovalenko, Sasha (14154014) | 2096 |
| 51 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2071 |
| 53 | Liu, Miranda Mohan (14042343) | 2054 |
| 89 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 1946 |
| 93 | Chen, Megan (13453097) | 1932 |
ICA Education Stipend for High School Graduates
- Details
- Written by ICA Board ICA Board
- Published: 04 January 2022 04 January 2022
In 2020, the Illinois Chess Association started offering an annual education stipend for high school graduates in the amount of $500 as a way to say thank you to our youth for their continued membership and support of chess in Illinois. It is intended to help ICA members who are about to go to college, enter the military or consider a gap year after high school graduation.
Any current high school senior graduating in 2022, regardless of chess skills or tournament participation, who has been a member of the ICA since at least January 2020 is welcome to apply. Starting in 2024, eligibility requirements for the stipend will include uninterrupted ICA membership for all four high school years.
To apply, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by July 1, 2022 stating your name, contact information, date of graduation, and where you are going in the fall.
The drawing for the $500 stipend will take place on August 1, 2022 among those who apply by the deadline and meet the requirements.
If you have any further questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
IL Top 100 Girls (November 2021)
- Details
- Written by Megan Chen Megan Chen
- Published: 25 November 2021 25 November 2021
Happy Thanksgiving! This past month saw quite a few leaps and bounds amongst some of our talented young chess queens from Illinois. Congratulations to all 45 ladies for gaining/maintaining a spot on this list. Special kudos to the Namuunbayar sisters, Enkhjin (13) and Anujin (14), for coming back to the Top 100 Girls lists, and to Rosali Schneider (14) for her first time appearance!
Congratulations also to Linda Pham (12) for climbing over a hundred points to Class C rating territory, crossing the 1400 mark thanks to her stellar 3.5/5 performance in the 1200-1499 section of the Midwest Class!
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) October ’21 Cutoff
| Age 7 and Under | ||
| 36 | Bothe, Devaanshi (17073438) | 229 |
| Age 8 | ||
| 29 | Zhan, Amy (17073114) | 734 |
| Age 9 | ||
| 50 | Varadan, Vijayalakshmi (16801573) | 725 |
| 55 | Ranjan, Nysa (16761560) | 693 |
| 93 | Berkey, Rebekah (16585623) | 479 |
| Age 10 | ||
| 34 | Hu, Angela (16747812) | 1062 |
| 40 | Jiandani, Mehak S (16108634) | 1025 |
| 75 | Sharad, Suhana (16943553) | 834 |
| Age 11 | ||
| 58 | Gansukh, Megan (16231843) | 1054 |
| 71 | Manimaran, Shivani (16614018) | 983 |
| 75 | Doddi, Sukhi (15850503) | 953 |
| Age 12 | ||
| 27 | Pham, Linda (15464538) | 1432 |
| 42 | Girish, Niyathi (16221570) | 1356 |
| 98 | Marsten, Joanna (16138168) | 933 |
| Age 13 | ||
| 13 | Raj, Ria (15844590) | 1704 |
| 29 | Zhao, Sophia Ziyan (16763001) | 1510 |
| 37 | Lee, Merrill (15703571) | 1465 |
| 67 | Namuunbayar , Enkhjin (15863824) | 1217 |
| 83 | Erdenebileg, Oyumaa (16243234) | 1092 |
| Age 14 | ||
| 28 | Adusumalli, Saanvi (15412194) | 1538 |
| 32 | Oberai, Anisha (15794814) | 1518 |
| 36 | Salian, Nisha (15767306) | 1493 |
| 42 | Musku, Himani (15932133) | 1401 |
| 74 | Pashyan, Sofia (15844997) | 1173 |
| 78 | Namuunbayar, Anujin (15863872) | 1157 |
| 79 | Liu, Catherine (15277304) | 1143 |
| 100 | Schneider, Rosali (15552287) | 1005 |
| Age 15 | ||
| 5 | Wisniowski, Natalie (15702390) | 1971 |
| 18 | Luster, Shakira Makayla (15641127) | 1666 |
| Age 16 | ||
| 31 | Tsyganova, Margarita (15922341) | 1639 |
| 32 | Lin, Sarah (15376582) | 1620 |
| 35 | Zhang, Louisa (15746981) | 1584 |
| 58 | Pashyan, Stella (15575165) | 1249 |
| 64 | Williams, Trechelle (15637011) | 1163 |
| 69 | Hill, Imani (16214855) | 1114 |
| 87 | Varadharajan, Saigeetha (16773343) | 965 |
| 90 | Dhananjaya, Priya Nandish (15473924) | 846 |
| 91 | Kuricheti, Umika (14579770) | 822 |
| Age 17 | ||
| 6 | Hoesley, Aria (14631046) | 2103 |
| 13 | Yan, Ashley (14957435) | 1912 |
| 42 | Rodriguez, Layla (15360516) | 1336 |
| Age 18 | ||
| 3 | Mangalam, Shreya (14385521) | 2167 |
| 19 | Shklover, Diana (14672010) | 1527 |
| 21 | Phillips, Rebecca (16628621) | 1502 |
| 24 | Grandy, Sarah Ruth (14279452) | 1446 |
The 2021-2022 Class of Warren Junior Scholars and Rising Stars
- Details
- Written by Eric Luster Eric Luster
- Published: 23 November 2021 23 November 2021
The Illinois Chess Association is proud to announce the 2021-2022 class of Warren Junior Scholars and Rising Stars.
The Warren Junior Scholar program was started over 30 years ago by Helen Warren, a past ICA president, to recognize the most accomplished and promising scholastic chess players in the state. In 2015, the Rising Stars program was added to recognize the next tier of up and coming scholastic players. These two programs together recognize the top scholastic chess talent in our state. Invitation to these programs is based on USCF chess ratings and active participation in chess tournaments.
Top 100 Female Players in Illinois (Oct. 2021)
- Details
- Written by Eva Harrison Eva Harrison
- Published: 25 October 2021 25 October 2021
With newcomer Amy Zhan (age 8), Illinois is again represented in every age bracket. We also welcome back on these prestigious lists Suhana Sharad (age 10) and Joanna Marsten (age 12).
Players of note this month include Shivani Manimaran, who climbed from rank 84 to rank 60, as well as Ria Raj and Shakira Luster, who are also moving up.
The cutoff date for this month’s lists was September 15, so the Midwest Class results are not yet included.
This is my last compilation of these lists. After writing about the Top 100 Girls in Illinois for the past 5 years, I am passing the baton to Megan Chen, who will continue these articles next month. So, for the last time from this author: CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!