Warren Program Blog
NM Rosen Wins Denker, Xu wins Girls Invitational
- Details
Photos: Betsy Dynako
NM Eric Rosen and Penny Xu both emerged as winners in two prestigious events this weekend, Rosen in the Illinois high school Denker qualifier which wrapped up Monday and Xu in the state girls invitational which ended Sunday. Rosen, a sophomore at Niles North High School in Skokie, will go on to be the Illinois representative in the National Denker Tournament of High School Champions in Irvine, California this summer. Xu, a seventh grader from Champaign, would have been named the Illinois representative to the National Polgar invitational, but itʼs been announced that the tournament is being replaced this year by a five-day intensive training session, so she plans to attend both the Kasparov Girls Open in Columbus, Ohio next month and the National Girls Open in Irvine this summer.
Warren Scholars attend GM Seminar
- Details
About 25 talented chess players from throughout the Chicago metropolitan area are brimming with new knowledge after participating an intensive day of study on Sunday, Feb. 28, with three of Chicago's grandmasters.
The instructors included grandmasters Nikola Mitkov, Dmitry Gurevich and Mesgen Amanov, the state's second, third, and fourth ranked players respectively, who put together a day of lectures tailored to the students' needs. Students ranged in age from 6 to 17 and in rating from about 1150 to over 2200, and were divided by rating into three groups. The modest tuition fee covered about 60 percent of the cost for the day, and the ICA Warren Junior Program contributed the remainder.
2010 ICA Warren Junior Scholar Recipients Announced
- Details
Congratulations to 36 talented youth chess players across the state who were named as ICA 2010 Warren Junior Chess Scholars. The group of players includes 30 boys and 6 girls, ranging in age from 6 to 17. For nine of the students, this is the first time they’ve received the honor, which has been given annually since 2006. To qualify, the students needed to be among the top-ranked youth chess players for their age in the country.
Most of the eight high school students among this year’s Warren Scholars were present to receive special recognition for the honor at the awards ceremony of the Illinois high school team championships on February 13. The 28 elementary students will receive their awards at the state K8 championships that will be held in St. Charles the weekend of March 13-14. A letter is also being sent to each student’s school principal about this special achievement.
The ICA Warren Scholar program provides some funding for individual instruction, and arranges group instruction with high-level masters and grandmasters to further develop the players talents and help them be competitive on a national stage. All 2010 Warren Scholars have been invited to participate in a special group seminar on Sunday, February 28 with Grandmasters Dmitry Gurevich, Nikola Mitkov and Mesgen Amanov. The Warren Scholar program also sponsors two competitive invitational tournaments for the state’s top high school and top female players, and provides funding for the winners to travel to national competitions.
Congratulations to the 2009 Warren Junior Scholars
- Details
Age 7 and under:
William Radak
Jack Xiao
Michael Rhodes
Matthew J. Stevens
Chetan Baddam Reddy
Vincent Do
Age 8:
James Wei
Alex Bian
George Li
Anshul Adve
Jack Curcio
Haoyang Yu
Age 9:
Conrad Oberhaus
Bryce McClanahan
Ian Gilchrist
Sonam Ford
Age 10:
Zachary Holecek
Age 11:
Gavin McClanahan
Age 12:
Sam Schmakel
Age 14:
Josh Dubin
Jason Chien
Age 15:
Eric Rosen
Michael Auger
Age 16:
Trevor Magness
Zach Kasiurak
Age 17:
Ilan Meerovich
Gordon Ruan
Gopal Menon
Age 18:
Tony Cao
James Pavese
Girls Under 13:
Penny Xu
Victoria Bian
Caeley Harihara
Girls Under 16:
Sonya Vohra
Adele Padgett
Future Goals
- Details
In addition to providing adequate funding for all current activities, the program hopes to provide future funding for two initiatives:
- Establish a series of invitational events for Warren Scholars with a prize of travel to a top-level national or international competition.
- Create a fund to provide support for school chess clubs in underserved areas.
Activity Overview
- Details
Our year-round activities include:
Recognition: Players who qualify as Warren Scholars are presented with awards at the annual elementary and high school state chess championships, and their school principals are notified of their accomplishment.
Matching funds for private instruction: When funds are available, Warren Scholars who indicate they have financial need are offered matching grants for private instruction with top-level masters and grandmasters. These awards pay half the cost of 12 hours of private instruction.
Subsidized Group Seminars: About twice a year, Warren Scholars are invited to participate in group workshops with top-level masters and grandmasters. These groups provide opportunity for intensive study and learning, and often have the feel of a graduate school seminar. In addition, they foster a sense of community among the players, and serve to motivate them to work harder. Past instructors have included GMs Mesgen Amanov, Dmitry Gurevich, Gregory Kaidanov, Nikola Mitkov, Alex Shabalov, Yury Shulman, and Alex Yermolinsky, and IM Jan van de Mortel. Click here for a short YouTube video of a Warren Scholar seminar.
Chess Camp Scholarships: For the second year in a row, the program is partnering with Yury Shulman's International Chess School to offer partial scholarships for 15 Warren Scholars to had attend the school's summer chess camp, whose instructors included some of the top chess players and teachers in the country.
High School Denker Qualifier Championship: The Warren Program provides all support and funding for the state Denker qualifier tournament, whose winner represents Illinois at the National Denker Tournament of State High School Champions, held each summer. The winner receives a $500 travel stipend to attend the national tournament, as well as $250 towards chess lessons. The runner-up receives $125 towards chess lessons.
Girls’ Invitational Championship: For the second year in a row, the Warren Program has provided all support and funding for a girls invitational championship event. The winner receives a $500 stipend to attend a girls national tournament, as well as $250 towards chess lessons. The runner-up receives $125 towards chess lessons.
Community Outreach: For the last four years, the ICA Warren Scholars have been invited to host a tent at the Taste of Chicago, where they offer informal instruction and drop-in chess play. Warren Scholar players are available to appear at other community events. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..