Warren Program Blog
2016 - 2017 Warren Junior Scholars Officially Announced; Exciting New Rising Stars Qualifiers Now Posted (Updated)
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- Written by Scott Daniels and Bill Feldman Scott Daniels and Bill Feldman
[Editor's note: we apologize that the lists do not render particularly well on mobile devices. The template we have been using for awhile is flawed and we hope to upgrade in the near future. Your membership and dues -- in addition to supporting the Scholars and the Stars programs -- will help support improvements to the award-winning website!]
The Warren Junior Scholar Class of 2016-2017 is listed below, followed by the class of the Rising Stars below that. In-person activities are planned both upstate and downstate with additional opportunities through online vehicles.
ICA Appoints Scott Daniels as Director of Warren Jr Scholars
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- Written by Carl Dolson Carl Dolson
With the sad passing of ICA Warren Junior Scholars Program Director Sevan Muradian, the ICA Board has taken action to appoint Scott Daniels of Normal as Director of the WJS.
Scott, an ICA Board member since January 2014, has been an active supporter of Illinois scholastic chess. His son Jason, an Expert-level player, is a Warren Scholar and represented Illinois at the 2015 World Youth Championship in Halkidiki, Greece. His younger son Alex is also a former state kindergarten champion.
The Board expressed confidence that Scott will provide the necessary leadership to further the objectives of the Warren Junior Scholars Program.
Dates set for Illinois Youth Invitationals
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The dates have been set for the Illinois Youth Invitationals.
All three events - Denker, Barber and Girls - will be held on Saturday May 14 and Sunday May 15, 2016.
The location will be the Hyatt Hotel in Schaumburg, IL.
Participants will receive their invitations by Feb 15, 2016 with responses due back by Feb 29, 2016.
More information can be found here: http://www.il-chess.org/index.php/denker-qualifier-guidelines
2014 Warren Scholars Class Announced
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
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."
2011 ICA Warren Scholars Announced
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Congratulations to 43 talented youth chess players across the state who were named as ICA 2011 Warren Junior Chess Scholars. The group of players includes 36 boys and 7 girls, ranging in age from 7 to 18. For 13 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.
Nine of the high school students among this year’s Warren Scholars were present to receive special recognition at the awards ceremony of the Illinois high school team championships on February 13. The elementary and junior high students will receive their awards at the state K8 championships that will be held in Bloomington the weekend of March 5-6. 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. They also are eligible to receive a special discount and scholarship money to attend chess summer camp at the Yury Shulman International Chess School. The Warren Scholar program also sponsors three competitive invitational tournaments for the state’s top high school, top female, and top K8 players, and provides funding for each of the winners to travel to national competitions.
2011 Denker Qualifier Information
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The llinois Denker High School Qualifier is an invitational tournament for the state's top high school players sponsored by the ICA Warren Junior Scholar program. The winner of the qualifier is becomes the state's high school champion, and goes on to represent Illinois at the U.S. Denker High School Tournament of champions, to be held in Orlando from July 30 to August 2.
Date: Saturday, March 26 to Monday, March 28
Location: North Shore Chess Center, 5500 W. Touhy Avenue, Skokie, IL
Format: 5 or 7 round Round Robin OR 4- or 5-round swiss, depending on number of players*
Time Control: G90 plus 30-second increment
Tournament Organizer/Director: North American Chess Association/Sevan Muradian
How Players are Chosen: HOW PLAYERS ARE CHOSEN: All eligible (see next section) players who have reached a peak rating of 2000 or more from games played between Feb. 1, 2010 and Jan. 31, 2011 will be invited. The top-scoring player in the ICCA individual championship tournament, to be held Feb. 5, 2011, who would not have otherwise have been invited will also receive an invitation. If fewer than six players accept their invitations, alternates will be invited in order of peak rating.
Warren Scholar Back-to-School Seminar
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Chicago's Whitney Young High School and its chess coach Paul Kash played host to nineteen talented chess players who came from the city and suburbs to attend an intensive one-day training seminar with Grandmasters Dmitry Gurevich and Nikola Mitkov. The seminar was organized by the ICA Warren Junior Scholar program, whose mission is to provide instruction and support for the state's top youth chess players. Players at the all-day workshop ranged in age from 10 to 17, and in rating from 1500 to over 2200. Thanks to the instructors and to Mr. Kash for making the event a success. More photos can be found here.
Warren Scholars and Chicago Industrial Chess League Summer Match
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Twelve Warren Scholars and twelve members of the Chicago Industrial Chess League braved flooded roads and horrendous traffic Saturday, July 24 to play a match at the Wheaton Public Library. Each Warren Scholar played one G90 game with a higher-rated CICL member, with an average rating difference of 143 points per board. Despite being outrated, the Warren Scholars came pretty close to snagging the match, winding up with 5.5 points to the CICL's 6.5 points.
GM Mesgen Amanov was on hand to provide game analysis afterwards, aided by Warren Scholar NM Eric Rosen, and CICL NM Steven Tennant (who also played Board 1 for CICL).
Bring the Warren Scholars to your Community Event
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The Warren Scholars are also available to participate in other community events. They are a great attraction at neighborhood festivals, company picnics, business grand openings, or other special events. For information on how you can bring the Warren Scholars to your community event, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..