2014 Warren Scholars Class Announced

The 2014 Class of Warren Junior Chess Scholars has been announced with 48 qualifiers, 32 in Grades K-8, 16 in High School.

Six are female, nine are from downstate. 15 have never been Scholars before, three are returning to the program after brief absences. 48 participants represents a leap from 37 qualifiers in 2013 and 36 in 2012.

According to Warren Director Pattie Zinski, "The Warren Junior program sponsors  unique training and playing opportunities for its Scholars, including quarterly clinics, subsidies for select summer camps and invitational playing events."

Warren Scholars are selected based on national rankings on the USCF Top 100 lists published monthly. At the present time, program qualifiers must have been in the Top 35 of their age group on at least one list in the prior qualifying year, or achieved a certain minumum rating:

• For youth aged 9 and younger and for female players through age 18: USCF 1500,
• For youth through eighth grade, USCF 1700,
• For high school players through age 18, USCF 1900.

The qualifying year runs from March of the prior year through February of the selection year. In that final month (February), the Top 35 criteria is relaxed to Top 50.

Other than for those active on an interscholastic high school team, participants must also have played a minimum of ten USCF-rated games outside of scholastic competition at a regular time control in the qualifying year.

Zinski congratulates the incoming class and looks forward to their participation throughout 2014 and into early 2015. 

Scholar Name	Age	City		Scholar Name	High School / City
Aaron Gan (new)	7	Vernon Hills		Anshul Adve	University Lab School
Martin Stukan (new)	8	Buffalo Grove		Jimi Akintonde (returning)	Whitney Young, Chicago
Brian Gong (new)	9	Naperville		Joe Fennessey (new)	Marist, Chicago
Stefan Musikic	9	Chicago		Eli Goering (new)	Evanston Township
Aydin Turgut	9	Decatur		Caeley Harihara	Walter Payton, Chicago
Jason Daniels	10	Normal		Zachary Holecek	Loyola
Shreya Mangalam	10	South Barrington		Jonathan Hrach (returning)	Highland Park
David Peng	10	Wilmette		Jonathan Kogen	Deerfield
Advaith Prabu (new)	10	Bloomington		Nate Kranjc	Benet Academy
Ricky Wang (new)	10	Buffalo Grove		Spencer Lehmann	Barrington
Eddie Zhang (new)	10	Palatine		Gavin Mc Clanahan	Glenbrook South
Vincent Do	11	Rockford		Sam Schmakel	Whitney Young
Marissa Li (new)	11	Streamwood		Duncan Shepherd (new)	Lake Forest
Tej Rai (new)	11	Carol Stream		Penny Xu	Urbana
Jacob Furfine (new)	12	Wilmette		Tim Zhou (new)	Illinois Math & Science Academy
Hanson Hao	12	Bloomington		Max Zinski	Benet Academy
Akhil Kalghatgi	12	Chicago
Nikhil Kalghatgi	12	Chicago
Miranda Liu	12	Buffalo Grove
Rishi Narayanan (new)	12	Hoffman Estates
Matthew Stevens	12	Hinsdale
Jonathan Tan	12	Mundelein
Nicholas Bartochowski (new)	13	Palatine
Alex Bian	13	Lincolnshire
Daniel Bronfeyn	13	Mundelein
Jack Curcio	13	Park Ridge
Andrew Fei	13	Peoria
Ian Gilchrist	13	Marion
Blair Hu	13	Bloomington
George Li	13	Glenview
Shayna Provine	13	Plainfield
James Wei (returning)	13	Buffalo Grove