Upcoming Event Highlights
WINTER WEATHER UPDATE 1/22/26: This weekend’s tournament at Paragon Prep will be postponed due to winter weather. The most likely new date is 1/31/26, but that date is not yet confirmed. Once it is confirmed, another update will be emailed to all registrants, and this website will be updated as well. See the most recent email sent Thursday night HERE.
- Rocks & Rooks scholastic at Paragon Prep School 1/24/26 – a local classic!
- Region VI Championships to be held in San Antonio 2/28/26 – save the date, details to be added soon!
- Texas Superstate Championships to be held in Austin 3/7/26-3/8/26 – registration is open!
- National Middle School (K-8) Championships to be held in Round Rock 5/15/26-5/17/26. See other national events, like the Elementary and High School events which will not be in Texas, at this link: https://new.uschess.org/national-events-calendar
Recent Event Results
The Austin Winter Open was held recently at a new venue. If you attended, please complete the survey HERE to let us know your thoughts.
Lucius Melillo, an Austin FM, earned his first IM norm at the AGCA’s 2025 Winter Classic. Full results, including an IM/WGM norm for Megan Lee, a WIM based in Seattle, HERE. Congratulations!
Congratulations to Jonathan Tuck for winning the gold medal at the Pan-American Individual Deaf Chess Championships in early December! We are thrilled to have an intercontinental champion right here in central Texas!
Texas players went to the 2025 National K-12 Grades Championship and several from our region earned medals. Region VI players in the top 20 for their grade are listed below, and full standings can be found HERE. Congratulations to all!
- Kindergarten 1st place: Zayn Shanmuganathan, Austin International School
- Kindergarten 10th place: Avanya Kaul, Patsy Sommer Elementary, Austin
- 2nd Grade 7th place: Akhil Gopu, Rancho Sienna Elementary, Georgetown
- 2nd Grade 19th place: Annika Manchanda, Basis Cedar Park
- 3rd Grade 15th place: Advaithkrishna Rajeshkanna, Basis Austin
- 4th grade 17th place: Kai Lan, Laurel Mountain Elementary, Austin
- 5th grade 9th place: Advik Manchanda, Basis Cedar Park (also 8th place in K-6 blitz!)
- 6th grade 5th place: Subbu Sivaraju, Pearson Ranch MS, Round Rock
- 7th grade 8th place (tied for 1st, co-champion): Miransh Vyas, Basis Cedar Park
- 7th grade 11th place: Emerson Johnson, Heroic Homeschool, Austin
- 7th grade 19th place: Asher Chodniewicz, Regents School of Austin
- 7th grade 20th place: Ashwath Badrinarayanan, Meridian World School, Round Rock
- 7th grade 20th place: Anika Kaul, Pearson Ranch MS, Round Rock
- 9th grade 9th place: Anirudh Kumar, Round Rock High School
- 9th grade 3rd place for ratings 1300-1599: Edison Chodniewicz, Regents School of Austin
- 9th grade 5th place TEAM: Round Rock High School
Other Chess Updates and News
Advik Manchanda, a local 5th grader holding a FIDE CM title, has earned the first Texas Master title. Congratulations, Advik! See more HERE.
General Info
The Austin Chess Club is excited to announce that it has taken over the AustinChessTournaments.com website as Lori Balkum retired from chess in 2025. Austin Chess Club (ACC) and Austin Chess Tournaments (ACT) have worked closely together for 20 years. We appreciate your support of our efforts to encourage chess in Central Texas! Read a letter of introduction from the ACC President, Patrick Connaughton, who has great plans for chess in Central Texas!
There are lots of wonderful events both local and out of town being offered all over our great state. Watch our Upcoming Events Listing and visit the Weekly Events page for local opportunities. Central Texas thanks you for your participation!
Please check out Texas Chess Association’s calendar for other chess opportunities, both online and OTB all across the state!
Sarah Brauner is our Region VI Director! She can be contacted at txchessmom@gmail.com to submit bids for the 2027 Region VI Scholastic Championships!
Please consider supporting local events (camps, tournaments, etc) whenever the opportunities present themselves! Responding quickly to new opportunities is the only way we are going to keep chess opportunities in our local area.
If you wish to advertise your chess event, please contact us at austinchesstournaments@gmail.com.
