8 Indian Americans win 2018 National K-12 Grade Chess Championships

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Eight Indian Americans won the US Chess Federation’s 2018 National K-12 Grade Championships in their respected grade-level Championship Section, held from December 14 to 16 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

The eight Indian Americans are:

• Vihaan Jammalamadaka; 1st Grade; Redmond, Washington
• Imran Champsi; 2nd Grade; Fremont, California
• Rishabh Chinni; 2nd Grade; Bothell, Washington
• Sumit Dhar; 8th Grade; New York, New York
• Raghav Venkat; 8th Grade; Wellington, Florida
• Nithin Kavi; 11th Grade; Acton, Massachusetts
• Nikhil Kalghatgi; 12th Grade; Chicago, Illinois
• Sahil Sinha; 12th Grade; Montgomery Village, Maryland

This year, the championship featured 1,701 of the nation’s best scholastic chess players as 20 other students won, along with 13 teams from all over the country.

According to a press release, this was the last scholastic national championship this year and US Chess is looking forward to the 2019 spring national scholastics season when the National Elementary, Junior High, and High School events will be held.

“The greatest joy in my job is seeing the players come to a national event with big smiles on their faces and a spring in their steps. Knowing they have seven rounds of competitive chess ahead doesn’t faze them. Their excitement is palpable and everyone at the tournament is infected by it. Our scholastic players, whether five, 12, or 18 years old, are among the best ambassadors for chess,” US Chess Executive Director Carol Meyer is quoted saying in a press release.