Youth Chess News
14 Teams & Others Compete at CPS K-8 Championships
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Thanks to results from playoffs the week before, 14 teams and a host of individuals -- whose teams did not qualify -- will compete at the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Finals March 25.
No team was able to qualify in all four sections: Lower and Upper Primary, Elementary and Junior High at the CPS Play-Offs held March 18.
However, Decatur, Keller, Kinzie and Skinner North qualified in three of the four. Bateman qualified in two sections.
Also qualifying were Azuela, Calmeca, Earle STEM, Edgebrook, Edison Gifted, Gary, Lane Tech, Lenart and Whitney Young Academic Center.
All-Wheaton Celebrates Community With 175 Player Event
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Chess communities do not evolve over night.
Last weekend, nearly 600 from programs around the state gathered in Normal for the state K-8's. That doesn't happen by accident. Tuesday, ICA website readers learned about a 21-year old Elmhurst district blitz chess event attracting 275 players.
Although organized by the coaches themselves, schools within the Wheaton-Warrenville District (CUSD 200) held a 175 player tournament in six individual sections and four team divisions to Wheaton Christian Grammar School on March 18.
Emrikian Now Top 7 & Under in US; 48 IL Youth in Top 100's
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
As of the March 2017 official ratings, 7-year old Aren Emrikian has given Illinois a top-in-age-group distinction for the first time since David Peng briefly held that honor. Aren's 1864 rating is 42 points higher than the number two seven-year old from Arizona.
Ekansh Mehrotra is the number two Illinois 7-year old (ranked 41 in the US). Yuvraj Chennareddy is the number three Illinois 7-and-under -- and in fact is still only 6 years old! He is the fifth highest-rated six-year old in the country.
Arthur Xu is number two in the country for nine-year olds. Arthur is 17 points shy from becoming a US Chess Expert -- with a higher rating than any Illinois 10 or 11 year old -- or 12 year old other than Aydin Turgut.
275 Face Off In Game/7 Elmhurst Pi Day Tournament
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
275 youth chess players competed for nearly two and a half hours at York High School in Elmhurst, March 14, Pi Day. The annual event was open to residents of the western Chicago suburb of Elmhurst -- or those who attend school there.
Playing blitz time controls of Game/7 with no delay, champions were crowned in five grade-based sections along with a combined middle school group. An informal high school tournament was also held.
Where two perfect five-for-five competitors were left, a five-minute play-off was held. And in all three instances, the lower tiebreak holder won the play off game!
Shreya Mangalam Wins 2017 K-8's; Vikram Oberai Is 4-5 Champ; Owen Zhang Tops 2-3; Anshul Shetty Perfect In K-1; Avery Coonley School Wins 3 of 4 Team Championships
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Congrats to Shreya Mangalam!
And Vikram Oberai, Owen Zhang, and Anshul Shetty.
All four are now Illinois state champions thanks to their stellar performances at the 2017 Illinois K-8 Championships completed March 12 in Normal, IL.