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2025-2026 Scholastic Season Announced
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The Scholastic Season for the next school year is now set—get ready!
The Columbia Chess Club has officially been approved by the South Carolina Chess Association to host the 2026 South Carolina Scholastic Chess Championship at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center! |
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Kid's Night: Kids Night was buzzing with energy as 20 kids battled it out in the tournament run by Coach James, while Coaches Nick & Brandon kept the casual side packed and learning. Joshua Verdugo earned a US Chess membership as our unrated prize winner. Kai Mukunoki took the medal in the B Section, and Rio Saha claimed gold in the A Section!
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Classical Quad Night: Quad Night brought out 12 players! Tamaghna Roy and Dylan Wong tied for 1st in the top section. Nicholas Ciriello took the middle, and Rio Saha scored a perfect 3-0 to win the bottom section!
Quad Night Rating Report
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Thursday Main Meeting: Hand & Brain saw 12 teams battling it out, ending in a 4-way tie for 1st!
• NM Mike Sailer & NM Kevin Cotreau
• Liam McCullough & Alex
• Thomas Kemp Jr. & Chace Nguyen
• Tyler Murrah & James Brandmair
In Week 1 of Classical, we had 31 competitors.
Shoutout to Nicholas Susi for a 244-point upset win, and to James Brandmair for holding a draw against a player 258 points higher rated as Black!
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Sunday Diamond Swiss
Congratulations to Count_Roy, the winner of this week's Diamond Swiss. U1400 was taken by MastersRicky and U1000 was taken by speedbro63! Congrats to all our winners of a free month of chess.com diamond!
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Hall of S.C. State Champions
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To promote this year's State Chess Championship being held at the Columbia Chess Club on Oct. 3-5, 2025 with a $6000 prize pool, we are highlighting state champions in chronological order each week. For more details about the state championship, visit www.scchampionship.com.
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NM Harold "Hal" Alwyn Muzon, Jr.
(1929-2015)
1948, 1950, and 1959 South Carolina Chess Champion
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| Harold "Hal" Alwyn Mouzon, Jr. was a distinguished National Master chess player, attorney, and public servant, born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Harold A. Mouzon, Sr., an attorney and president of the College of Charleston trustees. Mouzon's chess career was marked by significant achievements, including winning the South Carolina Chess Championship three times: in 1948 (June 19-20 at the Hotel Wade Hampton in Columbia), 1950 (June 10-11 at the YMCA in Charleston), and 1959 (November 27-29 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston). During his 1948 victory, as a College of Charleston student, he bested E. B. Hallman of Spartanburg, who was the runner-up. In 1950, he defeated A. T. Henderson of Tazewell, Virginia, and in 1959, he outscored Dewey J. Varn of Charleston, with a final score of 5 points. That same year, Mouzon also won the North Carolina 30-30 Swiss type open chess tournament on December 13 at Pullen Park Community Center, as well as a closed tournament in Charleston over Thanksgiving weekend. Additionally, he claimed the 1969 Eastern Open title, achieving a peak USCF rating of 2294 (USCF ID 10191637). A longtime member of the Arlington, Virginia, Chess Club, Mouzon's legacy in chess extended to his son, Harold Alwyn "Wyn" Mouzon III, also a National Master, residing in North Carolina. Beyond chess, Mouzon lived most of his life in Alexandria, Virginia, where he built a career as an attorney with the Department of Labor. He demonstrated his commitment to public service by volunteering for the Army during the Korean War. Mouzon passed away at the age of 85 on December 15, 2015, and he is buried at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Alexandria. |
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Columbia Chess Club's Foundations Chess Camps Open for Registration!
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Foundations Chess Camp is designed for students just starting out in chess, or those with limited knowledge beyond the basics. Camp sizes are limited to 12 students, so please act quickly if you are interested in attending.
For:
- Complete beginners
- Students who have only played chess at home
- Students who have not competed in a formal tournament
- Students with limited tournament experience (have played in US Chess in-person tournament but have a rating under 600)
- Children between the ages of 5-12
Instruction
The Chess Foundations camp is taught by Coach Brandon Jordan and other Columbia Chess Club coaches, with a class size limited to 12 students. The goal is to learn the rules, basic strategy, and beginner tactics and compete in a tournament setting.
Schedule
8:45 - 9:00 Drop Off
9:00 - 12:00 Instruction / Play
12:00 - 12:15 Pick Up
Where
Columbia Chess Club
6169 St. Andrews Road
Columbia, SC 29212
Dates
Monday, June 9, 2025 - Friday, June 13, 2025 - SOLD OUT
Monday, June 23, 2025 - Friday, June 27, 2025 - SOLD OUT
Monday, July 21, 2025 - Friday, July 25, 2025 - 1 Slot Remaining
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Governor's School Chess Camp
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| If you are aged out of our Foundations Summer Camp, the Governor's School has a summer camp for rising 8th-10th graders intended for new to U1000-level players! You can get more information on their website, including how to apply. |
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Corny Jokes from the SCCA Archives
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James Brandmair provides his thoughts on a draw held against a higher-rated opponent during this past week's classical night.
See Full Commentary |
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| Join our Discord to be part of our community chat. |
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Free Ways to Support the Club
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| The Columbia Chess Club is an affiliate of major chess retailers, like House of Staunton and others, and using our affiliate links can earn us a commission that helps us continue our efforts to enrich and grow the chess community in South Carolina! We also sell our own line of parody scorebooks, if you're looking to buy a notation book. You could also follow us on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media--the Club earns partnership revenue from streaming services, so your viewership helps the club too. Consider also leaving us a Google business review! |
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| Thank you for all the support! Only 8 tables remain available for sponsorship. If you would like to sponsor a table, you can do so on our website. |
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