♟️ Summer Scholastic Showdown – Tournament Recap
📅 July 12, 2025 | 📍 Baruch Middle School, Gramercy Park, Manhattan
Hello!
On July 12, Official Chess proudly hosted its inaugural chess tournament—the 2025 Summer Scholastic Showdown at the Baruch Middle School in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park. The event drew over 90 talented players from all rating groups, marking an exciting start to what promises to be a vibrant series of chess events in New York City.
We were honored to welcome Correspondence Grandmaster and World Correspondence Chess Champion Jon Edwards and National Master and Original Life Master Eric Fleischman, who generously offered game reviews and coaching between rounds, giving players invaluable insights and encouragement throughout the day.
Click for complete tournament results on USChess.org
🏅 Premier Section (u500)
In the 15-player Premier section, consists of our newest scholastic chess kids. Some even making their debut “premiere” but all equally hungry, talented and driven as our seasoned competitors!
🥇 Peien Chen went undefeated with a score of 3.5 (3 wins and 1 draw) for the top spot
🥈 Kian Arnold scored 3 points securing the 2nd place trophy for his mighty efforts
🥉 Genhi Hibma Thompson also tallied 3.0 points for the tournament. Genhi’s podium finish was particularly impressive, as this was her first-ever rated tournament!
Also scoring 3.0 were Rio Rodriguez Miller, Luca Marin, and Yuv Mukherjee, who narrowly missed top-3 trophies due to tiebreaks. But to celebrate these strong performances, Official Chess will always award 3rd Place Tie trophies to all competitors who tie for 3rd by tournament points.
Two other players, Noah Hodel and Zeno Scott Ades, made their rated tournament debuts, competing with determination and spirit.
👑 Elite Section (u1000)
With over 20 players, the Elite section featured a standout performance by three talented young women:
🥇 Aurora Golovicher swept the field with a perfect 4.0 points, taking 1st place by winning all her games
🥈 Solaris Wang earned 2nd place with 3.5 points
🥉 Naomi Finkin, also scoring 3.5, claimed 3rd place on tiebreaks
This trio dominated the section and showcased the growing strength of girls in scholastic chess.
🧠 Grand Section (u1500)
The largest section of the day, with nearly 40 players, saw high-level battles and standout performances:
🥇 Aarav Singh finished a perfect 4.0/4.0, taking 1st place
🥈 Mateo Maurentt earned 2nd place with 3.5 points
🥉 Louie Nakamura, also with 3.5, placed 3rd via tiebreaks
The depth of this field made every round a true test of concentration and endurance.
💰 Championship Section (Open)
The Championship section featured 15 of the strongest players, with several rated near USCF 1800. This open section offered significant cash prizes and top-tier competition.
🥇 Gavin Liu delivered a commanding performance with a perfect 4.0, taking 1st place and the full $250 prize
🥈-🥉 Caleb Garcia, Ayden Spellman, and Khalil Wilson each scored 3.0 points, sharing the $150 second-place and $100 third-place prizes evenly
The intensity and precision in this section made for thrilling chess throughout the day.
🏆 Team Awards
In addition to individual honors, team pride was on full display. Schools competed in two categories: Top 6 (best six individual scores) and Overall (all team players contribute).
🥇 IS 318 – 1st Place in both Top 6 and Overall
🥈 Speyer Legacy School – 2nd Place
🥉 PS 281 The River School – 3rd Place
These schools showed impressive depth, teamwork, and consistency throughout the day.
🎉 Final Thoughts
Congratulations to all our winners and every player who competed across four rounds of intense, brain-stretching chess. Whether it was your first rated event or another step on your tournament journey, your passion, focus, and sportsmanship made this event truly special.
Huge thanks once again to Correspondence GM Jon Edwards, NM/OLM Eric Fleischman, and families for making this first tournament a success.
We can’t wait to see you at the next Official Chess Summer Scholastic Showdown!
August 9, 2025 – Simon Baruch Middle School
More scenes from the Showdown:
Thank you.
OC