67 Players, 6 Sections, and One Incredible Day of Chess
On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the chess community came together for a fantastic day of competition, learning, sportsmanship, and friendship at the ChessKidsNation & Trussville Public Library Chess Tournament.
With 67 enthusiastic chess players participating across six sections, the tournament was filled with exciting games, determined young competitors, proud parents, and countless memorable moments.
At ChessKidsNation, we believe that chess is about much more than winning and losing. It is about developing critical thinking, patience, concentration, confidence, problem-solving skills, and resilience. Watching so many young players demonstrate these qualities throughout the tournament was truly inspiring.
A Huge Thank You to Our Chess Community
A successful chess tournament is never possible without the support of an entire community.
Thank You to Our Players ♟️
To every player who sat down at the chessboard — thank you!
Whether you won trophies, scored a few points, faced a difficult opponent, or played your very first tournament game, you should be proud of yourself.
Tournament chess takes courage. Players have to make decisions under pressure, recover from mistakes, stay focused, and continue fighting until the final move.
That experience is one of the reasons competitive chess is so valuable for children.
Thank You to the Parents and Families ❤️
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to all the parents and families who supported their young chess players.
From practicing openings and tactics at home to making sure players arrived ready for their games, parents play an enormous role in a child’s chess journey.
Your encouragement, patience, and support help children develop confidence both on and off the chessboard.
Thank You to Trussville Public Library 🏛️
A special thank you goes to Trussville Public Library for being such a wonderful partner and providing a welcoming venue for our chess community.
Libraries are incredible places for learning, creativity, and community connection, and we are grateful for the opportunity to bring competitive chess into such a positive environment.
Thank You to Everyone Behind the Scenes 👏
We also appreciate everyone who helped with tournament organization, setup, pairings, scoring, logistics, and all the little details that helped the day run smoothly.
A tournament may look simple from the player’s side of the board, but many people work behind the scenes to make each round possible.
Your contribution is greatly appreciated!
Tournament Results and Highlights
Congratulations to all of our top finishers across the six tournament sections.
Rated Primary (K–3)
🏆 Viraj Aggarwal
🥈 Shivangshu Banerjee
🥉 Sehath Sivurupitiya
Shrihan Patlori
Sarva Roshan Vinodh
Nithilan Kannan
Rated Elementary (K–6)
🏆 Ved Raval
🥈 Varun Raval
🥉 Yatin Chowdary Dama
Keshav Madhav Menon
Alexander Thrasher
Sri Medhansh Malla
Rated Jr. High & High (K–12)
🏆 Krishna Patil
🥈 Edward Hu
🥉 Aarav Patel
Leon Zeng
Samarth Arora
Mclean Birney
Not Rated Primary (K–3)
🏆 Riyaan Patel
🥈 Saswin John Victor
🥉 Benjamin Atchison
Iniyan Karthikeyan
Zephan Bhayani
Josiah Parker
Not Rated Elementary (K–6)
🏆 Daniel Yang
🥈 Hector Ayuso
🥉 Ayaan Sharma
Matthew Kinsaul
Aaryan Patel
Rishan Suresh
Not Rated Jr. High & High (K–12)
🏆 Trent Bivines
🥈 Luke Atchison
🥉 Amiliano Wrenn
Jacob Hoard
Johitha John Victor
Congratulations to every player who competed!
While trophies and medals are exciting, the real achievement is having the courage to compete, learning from every game, and coming back ready to improve.
More Than a Chess Tournament
At ChessKidsNation, our goal is to create opportunities where children can learn, compete, build confidence, make friends, and develop a lifelong love for chess
♟️ US Chess Federation Rating Update
We would also like to share an important update with players and families participating in the rated sections.
The rating files for all rated sections have been submitted to the U.S. Chess Federation (US Chess).
Player ratings should be updated on the US Chess website once the tournament has been processed.
We appreciate everyone’s patience while the official rating process is completed.
Building the Next Generation of Chess Players
Events like the ChessKidsNation & Trussville Public Library Tournament are an important part of developing young chess players.
For some children, this may have been their first tournament.
For others, it may have been another step toward their next rating goal.
And for experienced competitors, it was another opportunity to test their skills against strong opponents.
Regardless of experience level, every player was part of the same chess community.
That is what makes scholastic chess so special.
What’s Next for ChessKidsNation?
The August 15 tournament may be over, but the chess journey continues.
We look forward to creating more opportunities for young players to participate in chess tournaments, training programs, chess classes, and community events.
Our mission is simple:
Help children learn chess, develop confidence, compete with purpose, and fall in love with the game.
We hope to see many familiar faces — and plenty of new ones — at our next ChessKidsNation tournament!
Until Our Next Tournament..
To all 67 players, their parents, families, volunteers, organizers, and our wonderful partners:
THANK YOU for making this tournament such a success! ❤️♟️
Your enthusiasm and support inspire us to continue creating meaningful chess opportunities for children and families.
Keep practicing.
Keep learning.
Keep improving.
Keep believing in yourself.
And most importantly…
♟️ Keep enjoying the beautiful game of chess!
