| John Yates is now enjoying his 90th year and the mantle of eldest Columbia Chess Club member! Thank you John for being such an ardent supporter of the club! |
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Kid's Night:
Congratulations to Jack Bontrager for winning the medal in the top section, Max Kohn winning the medal in the lower section, and to Leo Cepeda for winning a membership to US Chess as our unrated winner at kids night! Special thanks to Coaches Sean, Brandon, and James for hosting the event.
Kid's Night Rating Report
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Thursday Main Meeting:
Congratulations to Thomas Kemp Jr. for winning our Rapid Tournament, followed by Simon Kubrynski in 2nd place, and his brother Daniel Kubrynski in 3rd place. James Brandmair won the classical month event's top section, followed by Sean Miller in 2nd and Thomas Kemp Jr. on 3rd. In the lower section Rio Saha & Abhyudaya Raj shared 1st and 2nd, followed by Vivaan Biswal in 3rd.
Rapid Rating ReportFebruary Classical Month Rating Report
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The club had 71 players compete in classical this month with 2 of them competing in their first ever classical tournament. Abhyudaya Raj had the most rating gain in classical after winning February 2026 Classical (U1200) for a total of 164 points. James Brandmair had the second most rating gain in classical after winning 2026 February 17th Quad Night (The Manly Men) and the open section of the classical weeknight tournament for a total of 154 points. Andy Jean-Louis had the 3rd most rating gain in classical after a 335 point upset at Tunnelvision XLI for a total of 131 points. The biggest breakout performance by an unrated was Joseph Stinton who earned a rating of 557. Honorable Mentions to others who gained over 100 points: Thomas Kemp Sr., Gabriel Jankovic, Elizabeth Jordan.
The club had 125 players compete in quick this month with 8 of them competing in their first ever quick tournament. Abhyudaya Raj had the most rating gain in quick after a 285 point upset at Feb '26, Palmetto Scholastic Chess and winning February 2026 Classical (U1200) for a total of 289 points. Gabriel Jankovic had the second most rating gain in quick for a total of 242 points. Keshav Aggarwal had the 3rd most rating gain in quick for a total of 235 points. The biggest breakout performance by an unrated was Aaden McAbee who earned a rating of 588. Honorable Mentions to others who gained over 100 points: Eli Adams, Andy Jean-Louis, Gabriel Vera, Mayank Arvin Gummeneni, Chris Voravudhi, Kosti Holtzclaw, Akilan Karthick, Isaac James Tone, Alvin Jordan, Syre Strickland, Charlotte Jordan, Ethan Du, Maya McFadden, Alice Young.
The club had 30 players compete in blitz this month with 6 of them competing in their first ever blitz tournament. Abhyudaya Raj had the most rating gain in blitz after a 683 point upset at Time Trouble BLITZ, Feb 2026 for a total of 338 points. Thomas Kemp Sr. had the second most rating gain in blitz after a 285 point upset at 2026 February Blitz 3+2 for a total of 170 points. Vivaan Biswal had the 3rd most rating gain in blitz for a total of 70 points. The biggest breakout performance by an unrated was Sav Strickland who earned a rating of 951.
Paul Copeland
Number Nerd |
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Student Spotlight: Vivaan Biswal
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Congratulations to our student member Vivaan Biswal who competed in the scholastic tournament held by the @charlottechesscenter last weekend, and won sole first place in the U1000 section!
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March 21 Scholastic Chess Championship!
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The 2026 State Championship is coming up on March 21, 2026.
The Palmetto Scholastic Chess League is a proving ground to ultimate success at the State Championship. Last year, River Bluff HS swept 1st at PSCL and went on to win the 2025 State Championship. Dutch Fork Middle and Lakeside Middle battled it out for 1st and 2nd at PSCL events in 2025 and then placed 1st and 2nd, respectively, at the State Championship. This year, those teams are again strong championship contenders, with more top finishes at PSCL, along with the notable New Providence Elementary School who has 4 first-place finishes in Elementary School this year! (See Past PSCL Winners)
There is only one more PSCL on March 7, 2026 until the big dance!
See the Scholastic Championship website for tips and flyers that will help you form your team and get ready. No team? No problem! The Championship awards individual prizes as well and is the official USCF qualifier event for the national tournament of champions! |
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2026 Travel Team Announced!
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The Columbia Chess Club travel team is available to all ages, without a rating requirement, provided the player has demonstrated themselves as committed to chess improvement and will be able to attend four of the travel tournaments on the schedule and represent the Club in a positive manner.
If you're interested in joining the Travel Team, see full details at https://columbiachess.org/travel-team |
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2026 Intermediate Summer Camp!
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In addition to our Foundations Summer Camp for newer players, we've added an Intermediate Camp on June 22-26, 2026 for players with tournament experience rated under 1200. Our camps are limited to 12 kids, so register early if you want to be assured of a spot: https://columbiachess.org/camps
2026 Foundations Summer Camp dates www.columbiachess.org/camps:
- Monday, June 8, 2026 - Friday, June 12, 2026
- Monday, June 22, 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026
- Monday, July 20, 2026 - Friday, July 24, 2026
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Become a Member / Get an Icon / Sponsor a Table / Support Us Free!
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| Get an Icon: Get your portrait added to the Columbia Chess Club stream - be sure to upload before your next event! |
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| Donate to the Club: The Club remains volunteer operated and is bolstered by generous donations from the community. Consider donating and check out our Donor List recognizing those who have given to support the club's mission to grow chess in the midlands and throughout South Carolina. |
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| Support the Club for Free: Consider one of the many ways to support the Club for free by patronizing our affiliate sponsors when you buy chess equipment, premium Chess.com accounts, and support us on social media. |
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| Join our Discord to be part of our community chat. |
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| Saturday, March 14, 2026: |
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| Saturday, March 21, 2026: |
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