We’re thrilled to share that the 2026 Chess A2Z Inaugural Open welcomed 92 players for a full day of competition, learning, and fun. Thank you to our volunteers, parents, and coaches for making our first Chess A2Z tournament smooth and special.
Our game analysis sessions were a highlight of the day. Darrel and John shared not only their chess knowledge, but also their life experiences and personal journeys in the game, which our younger players don’t often get to hear.
USCF rating report can be found here: https://ratings.uschess.org/event/202603210853?section=0
Congratulations to Our Winners!
U400 Section
1st Place (Perfect Score): Crow Dmitry Stine
2nd Place: Alexander Dang
3rd Place: Cecil G Varner
4th Place: Saisha Sinha
5th Place: Yoganand Mannam
Even Medalists: John Cherian; Rhishabh Pandey; Vihaan Kumar
U700 Section
1st Place (Perfect Score): Elise Petra Gordon (Also our best female player of the day)
2nd Place: Saanvi Shah
3rd Place: Aarav Hegde
4th Place: Andrew To
5th Place: Aneesh Bapat
Plus Medalists: Sharvi Dian; Jayden Katayama; Oliad Farris; Sumanjali Mannam
Even Medalists: Yuvanraju Muppalla; Janelle Nguyen; Moumitha Aarushi Tharun; Jocelyn Cattone
U1000 Section
1st Place (Perfect Score): Ishaan Dhaval Shah
2nd Place: Krounchdhar Konda
3rd Place: Surya Manidhar Burra
4th Place: Viraaj Sai Puligundla
5th Place: Corina Maokhampio
Plus Medalists: Kai Wu; Aarush Dhaval Shah; Krish Telang
Even Medalists: Atharv Murthy; Avyukt Singhal; Vishnu Chethan; Om Zalavadiya; Vihaan Yadlapalli; Ishaan Dokania
Open II Section
1st Place (Perfect Score): Ruthwikksai Madhan
2nd Place: Vedanth Yada
3rd Place (Tie): Beatrix Khan; Srihan Yedupati
Plus Medalists: Evan Chien; Heath Larsen; Amartya Benegal Kadali; Vihaan Dokania
Even Medalists: Tim Hu; Rajvi Das; Sharanya Pingale
Open I Section
1st Place (Perfect Score): Weg Shukla
2nd Place: Mehrdad Pedram
3rd Place: Suhaan Kesavan
Even Medalists: Merrick Liu; Prakrithi Balasubramanian
Plus Medalists: Dylan Randall; Liam Pham; Jayden Yu; Riana Paul; Vihaan Rahul
More photos from this tournament can be found here. Thank you again for being part of the first Chess A2Z tournament. We’re looking forward to the next one.
