Bob Jones hails as section’s top team at Scholastic Chess Championship

MADISON – Madison City Chess League or MCCL was well represented and awarded for masterful playing at the 2024 Alabama State Scholastic Chess Championship.

Twenty-three MCCL members competed in this event on March 23-24 in Pike Road with hosts Pike Road Elementary School and Rasberry Chess Academy. Alabama Chess Federation runs this annual event.

“Several Madison schools won top team awards in their sections at the State Scholastic,” MCCL Executive Director Todd Guthrie said.

Bob Jones High School was the first-place team in the High School Championship section. Team members are Xavier Bruni, Steven Pan, Nirvana Rajbhandari, Aadi Saxena and Jacob New Andrew Yang.

Xavier Bruni was named High School State Champion. Steven Pan finished in third place in the section, and Andrew Yang and Jacob New tied for fifth place. Aadi Saxena finished eighth, and Nirvana Rajbhandari finished ninth.

Discovery Middle School ruled as first-place team in the Middle School Championship section. Team members are Noah Hsu, Caden Jordan and Holland Lang. Individually, Sophia Jerez of Journey Middle School finished third in the section.

The team from Rainbow Elementary School with Annabelle Hsu and Dennis Lenski was the first-place team in the Elementary Championship section. Individually, Esteban Jerez of Horizon Elementary School finished second in the Elementary Championship section. Dennis Lenski tied for second. Annabelle Hsu finished in sixth place.

The Mill reek Elementary School team with Brandon Edmondson and Ananth Ravishekar was the first-place team in the Primary Championship section. In individual standings, Ananth Ravishekar finished second in the Primary Championship section, Milan Malak from Heritage Elementary School tied for second, and Brandon Edmondson finished in fifth.

“Congratulations to MCCL member Grattan O’Neill who finished third in the High School Under 1,300 section,” Guthrie said. “Abigail Barbre from Discovery Middle School and Daksh Sunil from Liberty Middle School both finished tied for fifth place in the Middle School Under 1,100 Section.”

Christopher Chan from Columbia Elementary School finished second in the Elementary Under 700 section. Austin Pullum from Rainbow Elementary School finished tied for first place in the Primary Under 400 section.

For more information, visit Madisonchess.com.