Girls in Madison City Chess League soar in All-Girls State Chess Championship

MADISON – Girls from Madison City Chess League or MCCL were an indomitable force at the All-Girls State Chess Championship.

“What an incredible day of chess at the All-Girls Tournament! We’re so proud of all the players who competed on Feb. 8 and grateful for the community supporting and encouraging young female chess players,” MCCL Executive Director Todd Guthrie said.

“Thank you to the Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur for hosting us in such a fantastic venue and to State Sen. Arthur Orr for his financial support for this event,” Guthrie said.

The Madison girls earned these standings in this tournament:

• K-3 Section Individual Winners — Udara Sarathchandra, first place; Rishika Baipu, second; Aci Fountain and Allison Song, tied for third; and Charlotte Epling and Lydia Rytting, tied for fifth.

• K-6 Section Individual Winners — Alice Zou, first; Avyaktha Subramania, second; Gopika Baipu, third; and Eleanor Kreusser and Lilia Baker, tied for fourth.

• K-12 Section Individual Winners — Co-champions Nirvana Rajbhandari and Sarah Peter, tied for first place; Sophia Jerez and Christina Yang, tied for third; and Kylie Zou, Kate Meyer, Caroline Wang and Faith Nguyen, tied for fifth.

• K-3 Section Team Winners Rainbow Elementary School, first place; and Midtown Elementary School, second place.

• K-6 Section Team Winners — Heritage Elementary School, first; Journey Middle School, second; and Midtown, third.

• K-12 Section Team Winners –Bob Jones High School, first; and Journey, second.

In other MCCL activities, the 2025 Alabama State Scholastic Chess Championship will be held March 15-16 at Magnolia School, 1 Jaguar Loop (13317 County Road 55) in Foley. Players should create an account at alabamachess.jumbula.com and register online in advance.

Registration is open through March 12. Late registration will not be allowed. For information, email todd.guthrie@alabamachess.org.

Madison City Chess League, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, promotes chess education for students in Madison and the surrounding area. The league teaches youth about life skills through chess.

MCCL’s mailing address is P.O. Box 843, Madison, AL 35758. For more information, email mccl.director@ gmail.com or visit madisonchess. com.