UTD Claims First CCL Title

In the fall 2025 season, the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) team fell just short, losing in the finals 8.5-7.5 against St. Louis University (SLU). They fought their way back in the spring 2026 season, claiming the title 9.5-6.5 against SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRM). It was a great team effort, as all of UTD's players scored between 1.5 and 3 points in their four-game match.

Round One: UTD 1.5-2.5 SRM

SRM made it to the finals by defeating the defending champions, SLU, in the semifinals. They continued their amazing play in the first round, scoring two wins and a draw. GM Pranesh M, who won every game in that match, started well again, defeating GM Koustav Chatterjee.

Round Two: UTD 2.5 - 1.5 SRM

UTD tied the score in the second round. Pranesh won again, but GM Gergely Kantor scored for UTD, and Chatterjee made up for the previous round with a bounce-back win in a wild game.

Round Three: UTD 3 - 1 SRM

UTD took the lead in round three, going undefeated while Kantor and GM Yair Parkhov scored wins. Parkhov played a sharp Sicilian, where both sides had dangerous attacking chances. He found the last tactical shot and scored a critical win with the black pieces.

Round Four: UTD 2.5 - 1.5 SRM

SRM needed a final round comeback, but UTD took control and refused to let their opponents back into the match. GM Aditya Samant ran into huge trouble in the opening, but escaped and then won an endgame to help put the match out of reach.

After the match, Kantor expressed regret about a missed opportunity in his final game. However, he was happy with his team's play, saying "I think we deserved this victory." He closed his interview on a confident note, predicting, "probably we will be right back next semester."

Check out the finals broadcast, hosted by Joe Lee:

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