2025 Winter Open Individual Scholastic

2025 Winter Open Individual Scholastic

The Illinois Chess Association is happy to congratulate Bill Buklis from King Registration Dam Wilson from Wilson Chess for running our first ICA tour event for 2025. As a wonderful side event for the scholastic players, they offered a scholastic event with lower rated sections compared to the main event. The event was held from January 4, 2025. This tournament was held in Schaumburg, Illinois. There was also the main three-day event from January 3 to January 5, 2025. The main Tim Just Winter Open is presented in a second article which can be found here.

The tournament had three sections: Under 1200, Under 800 and Under 500. In total, there were almost 150 participants, 5 of which were ICA members. The tournament consisted of five rounds of game 25 with a 5 delay.

The Trophies, courtesy of Wilson Chess

Under 1200

We had a very exciting last round with a two-way tie for first entering the last round with a perfect 4 points out of 4 going into the last round.  Pierce Wei defeated Pratheek Gajula to end up with a perfect 5 points. We ended up with four more players going into the last round with 3 points and winning, causing a 5-way tie for second with 4 points. The four other players besides Pratheek Gajulak were Eesha Kumar, Shrinath Hariharan, Eyal Senthilkumar, and Phani Nihit Surikuchi. Pratheek ended up with second place honors on tie-brakes.

Picture Courtesy of Wilson Chess

Here are the players that finished with at least three and a half points:

Under 800

We had a very exciting last round.  Michael Juchems was the only player with a perfect 4 out of 4 wins going into the last round. He defeated Shivank Prathipati who started the last round with 3.5 out of 4 points. Mesen Yang also started the last round with 3.5 points and defeated Milo Soohov to come into second place. Two other players started the last round with 3.5 points and drew each other to end up with 4 points: Loga Alexander Pauley and Ansh Raina. Three other players also finished with 4 points by winning their last game: Vikram Gollapudi, Rylan Ingrum and Navya Gupta.

Picture Courtesy of Wilson Chess

Here are the players that finished with at least three and a half points:

Under 500

There was a four-way tie for first place with a perfect 4 out of 4 points going into the last round, making for an exciting finish.  Adele Mathis defeated Luc Amin and Samarth Singh defeated Wellington Zhou. Adele ended up winning first pace on tiebreaks 

Picture courtesy of Wilson Chess

Here are the players that finished with at least three and a half points:

We want to congratulate the following scholastic players that increased their ratings by at least 50 points:

Linked here is a complete cross-table for the event, courtesy of King Registration, 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. Linked here is a recap with many pictures and cross tables courtesy of Wilson Chess for the event. Once again, we are happy to congratulate everybody who participated and gave it their best in this tournament and to congratulate Bill Buklis along with King Registration and Dan Wilson from Wilson Chess for running the tournament so smoothly. We also want to thank the 5 Illinois Chess Association members that came out and supported the scholastic side event for our first ICA tour event for 2025.

Kevin Bachler: A Lifelong Commitment to Chess and the Community

Kevin Bachler: A Lifelong Commitment to Chess and the Community

    Kevin pictured in front of the Caveman Chess Club

Bachler’s love for chess began in his youth, when he received his first chess set at 11 years old. By the time he was 14, in 1971, he had already begun organizing and directing minor chess tournaments while in Junior High. From there, Bachler’s passion for the game continued to grow. Known for his highly tactical playstyle, he was often told he “played like a caveman” – a description that would later inspire the name of his chess club. During his college years, Bachler’s chess skills advanced to the point where he became an expert player. He began teaching chess and organizing tournaments, and soon after, he achieved the coveted title of master. 

In the 1990s, as his son became involved in chess, Bachler shifted and took a more active role in youth chess. He started a chess club at his son’s school when he was in the third grade. Under his guidance, the club excelled. In three consecutive years, the team finished in the top five in the national championships – and received first in the nation in the third year. As  5th graders before state and nationals, they were also playing in the junior high division because there was insufficient competition within their own age range.

Bachler’s involvement in chess continued to grow throughout the years. By 1997, he began running national chess camps during the summer. These camps provided a unique opportunity for young chess players to practice and play with some of the strongest teachers in the country, while also meeting like-minded children. His camps quickly became some of the largest in the nation, where he himself has the largest chess camp run nationwide.

While Bachler’s career in finance kept him from fully dedicating himself to chess for many years, his love for the game never waned. Upon retiring, he was able to devote more time to his true passion. In pursuit of a lifelong dream, he founded the Caveman Chess Center, a place that would bring respect and positivity to the chess community.

           Inside of the Caveman Chess Club

To Bachler, The Caveman Chess Center is more than just a place for playing chess – it’s a community focused on fostering respect within the game and getting more people involved in this wonderful game. This is because Bachler finds respect to be the most important quality that should be emphasized within chess, and his club serves as a platform for all players to interact and learn from each other. The club will officially open its doors later this month, with tournaments held in the evenings and on weekends, with typical hours ranging from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Bachler’s career as a competitive player is not without its standout moments. One of the most memorable came during the Janesville Chess Anniversary Open in 1980, where he delivered a spectacular performance. As a low expert player, Bachler managed to beat two 2400-rated opponents in a row and went on to win the tournament with a score of 4.5/5. This victory remains one of his proudest and most tactically sound moments in the game, cementing himself as “The Caveman”.

                          Article from ICB (Illinois Chess Bulletin) supplied by Kevin Bachler

           Games courtesy of Kevin Bachler

Beyond his work with the Caveman Chess Club, Bachler is also focused on giving back to the chess community. One of his most recent initiatives is the Caveman Chess Charities, which among many things, especially focuses on  Blind Players, which aims to make chess more accessible for visually impaired players. One of the charity's projects includes implementing blind game notation with ChessBase, enabling blind players to more easily use digital readers to read the information given by ChessBase, or a likewise software. Additionally, Bachler is working on creating a template and accompanying program that will allow tournament information to be published in a streamlined format, saving time and effort for organizers.

As Bachler continues to inspire and teach, his dedication to the game of chess remains unwavering. Whether it’s through coaching, running national camps, organizing a chess club, or his charitable efforts, Bachler is committed to making the chess community a better place for all. Despite all that, with plans to expand his charity efforts, continue running his club, and foster a new generation of chess players, Kevin Bachler’s legacy in the world of chess is far from over.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any articles or requests for meet the member or meet the affiliate 

ICA Staff Reporter Positions

The Illinois Chess Association would like to reach out to our membership to see if anyone wants to join our staff as a reporter. This position is a volunteer position but a wonderful opportunity for a student that can get credit for service hours. The staff-reporter reports directly to the editor and would be responsible for reporting on chess events throughout their area, creating articles or acquiring information to be sent to the editor for review and publishing. We have two positions available. We would like to have one person that lives in cook or surrounding counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will) and one from the rest of the state. Please send your information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and our editor or one of the board members will get back to you shortly.

2024 annual meeting; Notes from meeting

• Opening statement - Stephen Plotnick (President)
  • Reflecting on his tenure since 2017.
  • He expressed satisfaction with the current state of the ICA and acknowledged the team effort it made in overcoming previous issues.
  • The editor position has been reinstated, filled by Jacob Plotnick, a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. 
  • Jacob has written nearly 30 articles since February, mostly about tournaments, with some featuring interviews. 
  • Editor will start writing articles about the ICA Tour, not just state events. 
  • Any current affiliate is welcome to write an article or send facts about events to the editor, so an article maybe written. 
  • ICA is planning to expand, and the addition of staff reporter positions are open. Interested individuals can email the editor to become staff reporters. The position is volunteer based, offering service hours for high school or college students. 
• State of Association – Emily (Treasurer)
  • The ICA is current as the US Chess state affiliate and as a non-profit with the state of Illinois. 
  • Banking information has been moved to the Peoria area, with a new PO box established for consistency in mailings. 
  • The association carries event insurance and bonding insurance for the board. 
  • Current funds in checking and savings accounts total $61,952.45, with approximately $11,000 in investment accounts. 
  • The checking account is now interest-bearing, earning a few hundred dollars annually in dividends. 
  • Taxes and corrected taxes were filed last year, with extensions filed this year due to late access to investment accounts. 
• Upstate Update – Eric (Metro VP)
  • Reported that things are going well, coordinating with update clubs to help establish different places to play chess and increase public visibility. 
• Downstate – Amy (Downstate VP presented by Emily) 
  • Amy, unable to provide a detailed update due to location, had Emily fill in, highlighting the active chess scene in Peoria and 
  • Bloomington-Normal areas.
  • Greater Peoria Chess hosts 17 tournaments between August and February, with recent tournaments attracting over 300 participants.
  • The club provides the Boy Scouts of America Chess Merit Badge and won a Title 1 US Chess travel grant, enabling eight players to attend Super Nationals. 
  • Fundraising efforts allowed for two scholarships to Nationals and a bus trip to the K-8 State Championship in Bloomington. 
• WJS update – Edwin (WJS Committee Chairperson)
  • The program will officially start in January, with new qualifications posted and asterisks indicating near-qualification. Players with an asterisk should reach out to the WJS director to see what they are missing. 
  • Common issues that would lead to a player having an asterisk: Not a current ICA member, missing one of two required tournament appearances 
  • A new female/girl’s/women's Warren Junior Scholars group will encourage more female participation. Should start early this year.
  • As of January, there will be 46 Warren Junior Scholars and about 72 Rising Stars. 
  • Efforts are being made to reach out to chess education platforms for potential discounts or programs to benefit members. 
  • Focus is on retaining female players, especially as they transition to high school and beyond. 
• ICA Tour - Emily 
  • Listed events can be found on the ICA website under rules for Illinois tour. 
  • Twelve events are scheduled, evenly split between northern and southern locations, running from January through November, ending with the Illinois Class. 
  • Prizes are divided into Open, Reserve, and Scholastic categories, with players earning participation points based on tournament entries playing at least half the number of rounds scheduled.
  • Winners will be announced and awarded in January after board
  • approval, with the same rules and locations used for the 2025 tour.
  • Plans include increasing publicity and membership participation in tour events. 
  • Prizes also included if anyone played in a total of 7,9 or all 12 events.
• Announce new executive board – Steve (President)
  • President – Danial WIlson
  • Metro VP - Eric Ortega 
  • Downstate VP - Amy Green 
  • Treasurer - Emily Dawson 
• Remarks from new President – Danial 
  • Danial shared his vision for the ICA, expressing gratitude for the work of current and past board members. 
  • Plans include launching the revamped Warren Junior Scholars and Rising Stars program, the new website with enhanced content, and improved member benefits. 
  • Producing more articles both informative and educational.
  • Giving away free entries to our state events via a raffle for members. 
  • There are plans to review and revise bid guidelines and bylaws, emphasizing the board's ambition and readiness to implement significant improvements in the coming years. 
• New Website – Steve 
  • The new ICA website is close to completion, with a demonstration of the functionality of the website. 
  • Affiliates will be able to submit their own event listings, which will be displayed on the main page carousel once approved. 
  • Members will have access to game analysis videos and articles, with different levels of access for free and paid memberships. 
  • The website will feature ~600 practical chess exercises from the editor's overseas teaching experience. 
  • Access to PGN games from Grandmaster games to state championship games. 
  • Post demonstration if anyone has anything they would like to see
• Q&A – 3 minutes per question 
  • No questions asked