Tag: news
RESULTS OF THE APRIL SCHOLASTIC SWISS ARE IN!
Forty-two students participated in the USCF-rated April Scholastic Swiss on April 12 in the Mayo Clinic Harwick Cafeteria. The high school section ended a three-way tie for first place with Calder Nguyen, Cole Lappi, and Johan Myburg scoring 3 wins and 1 loss. The winners are all members of the Century High School team which finished tied for first place in the 2025 Minnesota State High School Championship.
Luke Sellon (8th grade, John Adams) won the middle school section with a score of 3.5-0.5. Luke will be headed to Mayo High School next year. Luke played on the Mayo High School team which finished in first place in the 2024-2025 regular season of the Rochester Area Scholastic Chess League. Akhshar Vijayakumar (Byron, 6th grade) and Arthur Chen (Willow Creek, 6th grade) tied for second place with scores of 3-1, losing only to Judah Rigles (Kellogg, 8th grade).
Logan Anderson (Ben Franklin, 5th grade) won the elementary school section with a perfect 4-0 score. Close behind, tied for 2nd place, were Kaan Demirci (Lincoln K-8, 5th grade), Claire Niu (Jefferson, 4th grade), and Chris Gorcznski (Chatfield, 5th grade), all with 3 points.
The tournament has been rated by USCF: https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202504128872.0-16917467
The K-2 section was won by Micha Cook (Rochester Central Lutheran, 2nd grade) with a perfect 4-0 score. Micha was closely followed in 2nd place with 3 points by Moksh Patel (Lincoln, 1st grade), Mia Zhang (Schaeffer Academy, 1st grade) and Henry Beam (Lincoln, 1st grade).
Congratulations to all of the participants for playing chess all day with like-minded students. You are all winners!
Thanks to the coaches Master Thompson, Kevin Gaustad, Matt Markland, Roy Truelson, and Chuck Handlon for volunteering to help make the tournament possible. Also, thanks to the numerous parent volunteers for their assistance.
HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY TO EDWIN ALBRECHT!
Edwin Albrecht, lifetime member of Rochester Chess, recently celebrated his 100th birthday with his family and friends. Edwin currently lives independently at Augustana Apple Valley Villa in the Twin Cities. Edwin shared his birthday celebration with his 30 grandchildren and great grandchildren, his daughters, and his sister Doris, who is 98 years young! Friends from Wabasha, former patients, and family members attended.
Prior to moving to the Twin Cities, Edwin drove from Wabasha to play OTB chess at the Rochester Chess Club. Edwin continues to play chess online with Bob Richardson on Wednesdays.
We wish Edwin Happy 100th Birthday!
ROCHESTER AREA SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE FINAL RESULTS
RASCL 25th Anniversary is Silver For Century HS
By Chuck Handlon, Rochester Area Scholastic Chess League. February 22, 2025.
The Rochester Area Scholastic Chess League finished its 25th (silver) anniversary. Silver is one of Century’s school colors and the Century chess team defended the RASCL City Cup defeating Mayo HS 4 ½ to ½ in the championship round. Century, the second seed, defeated the Homeschool team 5 – 0 and Mayo, regular season champions and first seed, had defeated Byron 3 – 2 in the semifinals. The Homeschool team then defeated Byron 5 – 0.
The RASCL City Cup is a coveted trophy awarded to the high school which wins the varsity playoff between the top four regular season teams. The winner gains bragging rights and holds the trophy for the year. The City Cup Trophy, however, has spent most of its time in the Century Chess trophy case since Century has won it 14 out of 25 times.
The top five varsity RASCL players based on board points gained during the season were awarded trophies. Isaac Ahn, senior, Mayo was first while Isaac Sellon, Mayo sophomore and Calder Nguyen, Century freshman tied for second. Johann Myburgh, Century freshman was third. Dylan Park, Lourdes freshman and Cole Lappi, Century sophomore tied for fourth. Luke Sellon 8th grader from John Adams and Evan Lujan, Byron junior tied for fifth.
The RASCL All League team named by the RASCL coaches consists of Century sophomore Cole Lappi, Lourdes ninth grader Dylan Park, Byron junior Evan Lujan, Ibrahim Abdalla Rochester Math & Science Academy, senior Isaac Ahn of Mayo, and Jaydon Zempel Homeschool team. Byron HS coach Jacob Findley was named the RASCL Coach of the Year.
There was a concurrent RASCL Swiss Open Tournament at Century for junior varsity players and varsity players on teams which did not qualify for the varsity city cup. Ansh Singh, Kellogg Middle School, was the first-place winner with 3.5 out of 4 points, Wilson Wang, John Adams Middle School, took second, Dylan Park, Lourdes was third, Hamza Suleiman, Rochester Math and Science Academy fourth and Charlie Meyer, homeschool, fifth. Lourdes HS won the team trophy.
Although the RASCL City Cup Tournament is the culmination of scholastic chess in Rochester, the Minnesota State Chess Association (MSCA) K – 12 State Championship Tournament will conclude the overall 2025 scholastic chess season. Many of the Rochester players will participate in the MSCA State Championship which will be held the weekend March 8th and 9th at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. A RASCL press release will be made later to announce those results.
For more information contact RASCL Secretary Chuck Handlon chuckwheelerhandlon@gmail.com
ROCHESTER AREA SCHOLASTIC CHESS LEAGUE
2024 – 2025 REGULAR SEASON FINAL STANDINGS, FEB 12, 2025
| VARSITY | Match Record W-L-T | League Points | Game Points |
| 1. Mayo | 6 – 0 | 6.0 | 23.5 |
| 2. Century | 5 – 1 | 5.0 | 23.5 |
| 3. Homeschool | 4 – 2 | 4.0 | 18.5 |
| 4. Byron | 2 – 3 – 1 | 2.5 | 13.5 |
| 5. Lourdes | 2 – 4 | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| 6. STEM Academy | 1 – 5 | 1.0 | 6.5 |
| 7. John Marshall | 0 – 5 – 1 | 0.5 | 7.0 |
| Player | Match Record W-L-T | Board Points | School | Grade |
| 1. Isaac Ahn | 5 – 0 | 50 | M | 12 |
| Isaac Sellon | 5 – 0 | 45 | M | 10 |
| 2. Calder Nguyen | 4 – 1 – 1 | 45 | C | 9 |
| Johan Myburgh | 6 – 0 | 43 | C | 9 |
| Dylan Park | 4 – 0 | 40 | L | 9 |
| 4. Cole Lappi | 4 – 1 – 1 | 40 | C | 10 |
| Luke Sellon | 4 – 0 – 1 | 34 | M | 8 |
| 5. Evan Lujan | 5 – 1 | 34 | B | 11 |
| Jadon Zempel | 4 – 2 | 33 | H | 10 |
| Josh Wang | 2 – 0 – 1 | 28 | C | 9 |
| 8. James Hill | 4 – 0 | 26 | H | |
| 9. Max Rivera | 3 – 3 | 24 | M | 12 |
| 10. Ryder Selnes | 2 – 2 – 1 | 22 | JM | 8 |
| 10. Uriah Vangness | 2 – 0 – 1 | 22 | H | |
| 11. Asa Cape | 3 – 0 | 21 | H | |
| 12. Zeke Vangness | 2 – 1 | 20 | H | |
| 13. Sammy Shao | 3 – 0 | 19 | M | 12 |
| 13. Ibrahim Ahmed | 2 – 3 | 19 | SA | 11 |
| 14. Chase Stenzel | 2 – 2 | 17 | B | 9 |
| 15. Connor Nation | 2 – 3 | 16 | L | 12 |
| 16. Wilson Wang | 1 – 1 – 1 | 14.5 | JM | 7 |
| 17. Ibrahim Abdalla | 2 – 1 | 14 | SA | 12 |
| 18. Ansh Singh | 2 – 0 | 13 | C | 8 |
| 18. Cameron Vilhaver | 1 – 1 – 1 | 13 | JM | |
| 19. Breckin Ryan | 1 – 2 – 1 | 12 | L | 12 |
| 19. Jack Noseworthy | 2 – 3 | 12 | M | 8 |
| 19. Andrew Merkel | 2 – 1 | 12 | C | 9 |
| 20. Drew Somheil | 1 – 3 – 1 | 11.5 | L | 12 |
| 20. Cece Meek | 1 – 4 – 1 | 11.5 | B | 10 |
| 21. William Zhao | 1 – 1 | 10 | B | 9 |
| 22. Hamza Suleiman | 0 – 3 – 2 | 9.5 | SA | 9 |
| 23. Ibrahim Ahmed | 1 – 3 | 9 | SA | |
| 23. Gavin Zabel | 1 – 1 | 9 | B | 10 |
| 24. Farhan Mohamed | 1 – 3 | 8 | SA | 11 |
| 24. Noah Sheggeby | 1 – 2 | 8 | JM | |
| 24. James Devlin | 1 – 5 | 8 | H | |
| 25. Chloe Callahan | 1 – 4 | 7 | B | 12 |
| 25. Nuradin Abdalla | 1 – 4 | 7 | SA | 11 |
| 26. Max Orth | 1 – 2 | 6 | L | 12 |
| 26. Charlie Meyer | 1 – 0 | 6 | H | |
| 26. Thomas Robertson | 1 – 0 | 6 | H | |
| 26. Giada Barnes | 1 – 0 | 6 | M | |
| 26. Conner Esser | 1 – 1 | 6 | B | 11 |
| 26. Judah Rigles | 1 – 1 | 6 | C | 8 |
| 26. Gavin Shanks | 1 – 1 | 6 | B | 11 |
| 27. Sanvitha Vallurupalli | 0 – 2 – 1 | 4.5 | JM | 8 |
| 28. Josh Scripture | 0 – 1 | 0 | H | |
| 28. Jack Dougan | 0 – 2 | 0 | L | 12 |
| 28. Yonis Mohamed | 0 – 1 | 0 | SA | 11 |
RASCL 2025 City Cup
Mayo 3 Byron 2 Century 5 Homeschool 0
Championship Consolation
Mayo ½ Century 4 ½ Homeschool 5 Byron 0
RASCL Swiss Open
Ansh Singh 1st Kellogg
Wilson Wang 2nd John Adams
Dylan Park 3rd Lourdes
Hamza Suleiman 4th STEM Academy
Charlie Meyer 5th Homeschool
RASCL Varsity Top Five
Isaac Ahn 1st Mayo
Isaac Sellon 2nd Mayo
Calder Nguyen 2nd Century
Johan Myburgh 3rd Century
Cole Lappi 4th Century
Dylan Park 4th Lourdes
Luke Sellon 5th Mayo
Evan Lujan 5th Byron
RASCL All League
Cole Lappi Century
Evan Lujan Byron
Jadon Zempel Homeschool
Dylan Park Lourdes
Issac Ahn Mayo
Ibrahim Ahmed STEM Academy
John Marshall
RASCL 2024 – 25 Coach of the Year Jacob Findley