Highlights from the 2026 National High School (K-12) Chess Championship in Chicago

Chicago Hosts Thrilling National High School Chess Championship

Chicago, IL – March 29, 2026 – The city buzzed with excitement as over 1,500 students gathered at the Sheraton Grand Riverwalk for the highly anticipated National High School (K-12) Championship, organized by the 501(c)3 US Chess Federation. From March 27 to 29, young chess prodigies showcased their skills across various sections, culminating in a weekend filled with intense competition and strategic brilliance.

The Championship section saw fierce battles, with FM Rose Atwell from California and IM Eric Chang Liu from Texas emerging as co-champions. Both players finished with impressive scores of 6½ out of 7, marking Liu’s fourth consecutive year of securing a top spot in a spring scholastic championship. His previous accolades include victories in the National Middle School Championship and ties in the K-12 Championship at SuperNationals VIII.

In the team championships, four schools stood out as co-champions, each finishing with a score of 19½ out of 28. Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, Stuyvesant High School, Arizona College Prep Erie Campus, and Dalton School all demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill throughout the tournament.

Team Champions:

• Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, NY

  • Tanitoluwa Adewumi (5.5)
  • Megan Althea Paragua (5.5)
  • Aiden Teitelman (4.5)
  • Dominic Nathan Paragua (4.0)
  • Christopher J. Williams (4.0)
  • Adam Gordon (4.0)
  • Arhan Javeri (4.0)

• Stuyvesant High School, NY

  • Aditeya Das (6.0)
  • Aritro Chakravarty (5.0)
  • Rhyan Grennan (4.5)
  • Arko Chakrabartiroy (4.0)
  • Louis Barry (4.0)

• Arizona College Prep Erie Campus, AZ

  • Matthew James (5.5)
  • Amudan Mangudi (5.0)
  • Jayden H. Lee (5.0)
  • Drew Martin (4.0)

• Dalton School, NY

  • William Safranek (5.5)
  • Elliott Goodrich (5.5)
  • Kevin Stern (4.5)
  • Johji Nakada (4.0)

As the tournament concluded, the atmosphere was electric during the awards ceremonies, with participants and spectators eagerly awaiting the announcement of winners. A full report, including expert analysis from WGM Sabina Foisor and additional photos from the event, will be available soon.

For those who missed the action, daily recaps of the opening rounds and Saturday’s games are already accessible online. The complete standings and individual scores for all sections can be found on the US Chess website.

As the chess community reflects on this year’s championship, the excitement for next year’s event is already building. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the National High School Championship!