Announcements
Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/13/26

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/13/26

Avatar of Brandmair
Brandmair
| 0

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter

Tunnelvision XLIII This Saturday! NM Copeland Lecture Friday!

In This Issue:
  • 2026 SC Girls Scholastic Championship Results!
  • Club Championship Round 3
  • This Week's Club Events
  • Weekly Results Corner
  • Join the Columbia Chess Club Travel Team!
  • Register for Summer Chess Camps!
  • Become a Member / Get an Icon / Sponsor a Table / Support Us Free
  • From the Discord
  • On the Horizon Schedule
View the Club Calendar >
2026 SC Girls Scholastic Championship Results!

The final event of the 2026 scholastic season wrapped on Saturday with the crowning of a new Girl's State Champion! Special thanks to all of our volunteers who have helped organize the scholastic events this year, and thanks to Maureen Grimaud and Susan Key for the girls' tournament favors.

2026 Girl's State Champion: Abigail Lin

2nd Place: Diya Balamurugan (GRIT Award winner)

3rd Place: Ashika Nalamalpu

4th: Sakthi Rajasekar

5th: Jaswitha Saravakota

6th: Charlotte Jordan

7th: Malai Voravudhi

8th: Evelyn Ganss

 

Youngest Participant: Shanaya Panda

Best Debut: Lyla Chojnowski

Biggest Upset: Adela Chojnowski

 

Girl's Championship USCF Rating Report

Girl's Championship Results

Girl's Championship Photo Gallery

DGT Archive

Chess.com Archive

YouTube Archive

 
Club Championship Round 3 this Thursday!
Classical Month in April runs as one open section in a 60+15 time control to determine our next Club Champion. Come one and all to be a part of club history! Past Club Champions >>
This Week's Club Events
5:15 p.m. Developmental Class K-8 (register)
6:15 p.m. Developmental Class HS-Adult (register)
4:45 p.m. Kid's Night
Suited for K-12 players who are new or rated under 1000, we offer a rated tournament with a medal to the winner, an unrated tournament for new players with a USCF membership to the winner, and free casual play.
Kid's Night Registration
6:30 p.m.: Quad Night! G/25+5. Quads place you in a group of four players as closely rated to you as possible, with three rounds to determine the winner. $20 Entry fee can win $40 ($45 for a perfect score). You must be registered by 6:20 p.m. to participate, so don't wait until it's too late!
Quad Night Registration
5:15 p.m. Developmental Class K-8 (register)
6:15 p.m. Advanced Class (register)
5:30 p.m. Blitz 5+0: 4 Rounds of Blitz G/5!
6:30 p.m. Club Championship Week 3: Week 3 of the Club Championship, where players complete for the title of 2026 Columbia Chess Club Champion in a 5-round G/60+15 event! Join any week!
Main Meeting Registration
6:00 p.m: Lecture: NM Sam Copeland recaps the highlights of the Candidates tournament! 
Tunnelvision Registration
Weekly Results Corner
Kid's Night: 
Conratulations to Keshav Aggarwal for winning the medal in this week's rated kids night! Special shoutout to Aeden Morillo for winning a membership to US Chess as our unrated winner. Huge thank you to Coach Sean for leading our learners in the lobby, and to Coach James for directing the tournament.
 
Kid's Night Rating Report
Quad Night:
Congratulations to Lawrence Feng for winning our Super Quad Night!
Thursday Main Meeting: 
Shoutout to Aaryav Saha for dominating this week’s quick tournament with a perfect 3/0 score! Close behind were Arnav Singh and Stephen Welt, each finishing strong with 2.5/3.
Special recognition goes to:
Jalen Griffen for an incredible performance, earning a draw against an opponent rated 450 points higher and securing a win against someone 250 points above him.
Nicholas Ciriello for holding his own with a draw against a player rated 250 points higher.
 
In the 2026 Columbia Chess Club Championship, we now have a competitive field of 44 players. With 3 rounds remaining, 8 players are tied at the top with 2 points each ; it’s still anyone’s tournament!
Notable upsets and standout performances:
Thomas Kemp Sr. pulled off a massive 480-point upset
Aarush Panda delivered a 300-point upset
Birney Blind secured a 275-point upset
Evan Godinich earned a draw against an opponent rated 400 points higher
Quick Rating Report
Join the 2026 Travel Team!
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
Register for 2026 Intermediate & Foundations Summer Camps!
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 (9am-12pm):
  • Monday, June 8, 2026 - Friday, June 12, 2026 - 2 seats remaining
  • Monday, June 22, 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026
  • Monday, July 20, 2026 - Friday, July 24, 2026
2026 Intermediate Summer Camp Dates (1pm-4pm):
  • Monday, June 22, 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026
Become a Member / Get an Icon / Sponsor a Table / Support Us Free!
Become a Member: Help support the Club and take advantage of special pricing and exclusive perks!
Get an Icon: Get your portrait added to the Columbia Chess Club stream - be sure to upload before your next event!
Sponsor a Table: Have a brass plaque with custom engraving permanently installed on the edge of one of our tournament tables. (6 remain)
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.
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.
From the Discord
Join our Discord to be part of our community chat.
On the Horizon
Friday, April 17, 2026:
Saturday, April 18, 2026:
See Club Calendar for Full List of Upcoming Events

More News

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/6/26

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/6/26

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/20/26

Columbia Chess Club Newsletter 4/20/26