Student Spotlight: Shiv Karthik Srinivasan

We are proud to introduce CCL’s 40th graduate, US Chess Expert Shiv Karthik Srinivasan, and celebrate his journey from a young beginner to a tournament champion. Shiv’s story highlights his passion for chess, steady growth through dedication and competition, and the meaningful role his coaches and the CCL community have played in his development. This feature also showcases his key achievements, recognizing both his accomplishments and the consistent effort behind them. (Article Link)

Newest National Champion: Mehmet Yilanli

Mehmet Yilanli, CCL’s 39th graduate and the #1 player in the U.S. for age 8, continues to excel on the national stage. At the 2026 National Elementary Championship in Baltimore, MD, Mehmet delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a perfect 7/7 in the K–3 Championship section to claim the national title. He also earned the 6th place medal in the K-3 Blitz National Championship.

We also congratulate Saahith Reddy Adreddy, who earned 9th place out of 172 players in the K–1 Championship section. We are confident in Saahith’s strong potential and look forward to his continued success in future competitions.

New Personal Record: Shashank Palla

Shashank Palla dominated the U1800 section at the recent Spring Open in Columbus, OH, securing clear first place along with a perfect score bonus. This impressive performance also pushed Shashank to a new peak rating above 1700, marking a significant milestone in his competitive progress.

 

• Ohio Scholastic Championships
• Queen City Classic
• MOTCF Team Tournament
• National High School Championship
• Chess in College: Aryan’s Journey

CCL Chess Excels at State Championships with Six Titles and National Qualifiers

Aanya Parul Karthikeyan and Mehmet Yilanli led the way with Elementary championship victories that qualified them for prestigious national tournaments in Grand Rapids. CCL players also dominated the State Blitz Championships and secured numerous additional podium finishes across all divisions.

CCL Chess Shines at Queen City Classic with Championship Performances

Shiv Karthik Srinivasan led the team with a perfect-score victory in the K–12 Open, capturing the individual title and powering CCL to the team championship while surpassing the 2000 rating milestone. With this achievement, Shiv earned recognition as CCL #40 Graduate. Congratulations!

CCL Teams Earn Multiple Honors at 2026 MOTCF; Walker Griggs Goes Perfect on Board One

CCL teams delivered a strong showing at the 2026 Midwest Open Team Chess Festival in Newark, Ohio, earning multiple prizes across sections. Coach and Life Master Walker Griggs captured the Board One Prize with a perfect 5–0 score against elite competition. Overall, the tournament showcased CCL’s strength and competitiveness across all levels.

CCL Rising Stars Make Their Mark at National High School Championship

Building on a strong legacy of national success including titles won by John Hughes, Maggie Feng, and Jason Wang, the new generation is striving to reestablish CCL’s presence on the national stage. Notable performances included Het Patel tying for 15th place in the U1900 section and first grader Saahith Reddy Adreddy sharing 30th place in the U1600 section, reflecting promising progress among rising players.

Aryan Balyan Continues Chess Success in College

CCL’s national master Aryan Balyan has carried his chess excellence into college, leading his team to the 2025 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship (U1800) title and earning his national master title after competing in tournaments abroad. He recently won his first Indiana State Blitz Championship and tied for second at the Indiana Chess Congress, competing closely with top grandmasters. 

CCL Summer Chess Camp 2026: Intensive Training for Competitive Growth

The CCL Summer Chess Camp (June 22–26, 2026) offers a 30-hour immersive training experience led by top-level coaches, including an International Master and FIDE Master, designed for students rated 600–1900. The program combines structured instruction, daily tournaments, and targeted lessons in tactics and strategy to improve calculation, positional understanding, and competitive confidence. Registration here 

Future Chess Tournaments at CCL 

April 4 Easter G60 Seniors and Open

April 25 Dublin Jerome Spring Scholastic

May 2 Spring Open

June 26-28 Goran Memorial Open

 

The 2026 Midwest Open Team Chess Festival (MOTCF), held in Newark, Ohio, brought together nearly 150 players across a wide range of ages and rating levels. After five competitive rounds, CCL teams delivered a strong collective performance, earning multiple prizes across sections.

CCL B and CCL D finished in a four-way tie for the U1900 Team Prize. CCL H secured a share of the U1500 Team Prize alongside a team composed of current and former CCL students. Meanwhile, CCL J claimed a share of the Junior Team Prize, further highlighting the program’s depth across age groups.

Leading from the top board, CCL coach and Life Master Walker Griggs captured the Board One Prize with a flawless 5–0 score, defeating opponents with an average rating above 2100, a commanding performance against elite competition.

CCL A and CCL C narrowly missed prize placements. With multiple rounds requiring top CCL teams to face one another, the pairings proved especially challenging. Nevertheless, these matchups underscored the strength and internal competitiveness of the CCL roster.

Overall, the results reflect a well-rounded and promising showing for CCL, with success spanning multiple sections and rating categories.

Congratulations to all players on their achievements.

 

The CCL Chess team delivered an outstanding performance at the 25th Queen City Classic in Cincinnati, earning top honors against a highly competitive field of more than 550 players from across the Midwest.

Shiv Karthik Srinivasan captured first place in the K–12 Open with a flawless perfect score, an exceptional achievement at this level of competition. This marks the first perfect-score victory by a CCL student at the event since 2020, when then–US Chess Expert and CCL #26 Graduate Aryan Balyan claimed the title. Shiv also played a pivotal role in securing the K–12 Open Team Champion for CCL.

Following this performance, Shiv’s US Chess rating surpassed the 2000 mark, earning him recognition as a CCL #40 Graduate and establishing a significant new milestone in his chess journey.

A special shoutout to Shashank Palla, who tied for second place in the K–12 Open, gaining over 100 rating points to reach a new personal peak of 1659.

In the K–3 Open, second-grader Ian Li delivered an impressive showing, finishing in second place and earning his first trophy in this classical tournament. Strong contributions from Ian Li and Amyra Parul Karthikeyan helped the CCL team secure a tie for third place in the K–3 Open team standings.

K–12 Open Team Roster
Aadhi Adaikappan
Het Patel
Aanya Parul Karthikeyan
Shiv Karthik Srinivasan
Saahith Reddy Adreddy
Arjun Sai Kommineni
Shashank Palla
Georgios Stavropoulos

K–3 Open Team Roster
Amyra Parul Karthikeyan
Ian Li

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Six State Titles and Multiple National Invitations Highlight Outstanding Weekend for CCL Players

Akron, Ohio

March 2026

Students from CCL Chess delivered an exceptional performance at the 2026 Ohio Elementary, Middle, and High School Championships, held this past weekend in Akron, Ohio. Current and former CCL students collectively captured six state championship titles along with numerous podium finishes across championship and blitz events.

In the Elementary School Championship section, current CCL students Aanya Parul Karthikeyan and Aadhi Veerapandian Adaikappan finished among a four-way tie for first place. Aanya secured the official state championship title on tiebreaks, earning the opportunity to represent Ohio at the 7th Annual Rockefeller National Tournament of State Elementary Champions, which will be held this August in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In the Primary K-3 Championship, Mehmet Yilanli, the youngest US Chess Expert in Ohio history and a recent CCL graduate, captured the state title with a perfect score. His victory earns him the state delegate spot to the inaugural GM Maurice Ashley National Tournament of K-3 State Champions, also scheduled to take place in Grand Rapids this August. The tournament is named in honor of Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, a leading advocate for scholastic chess in the United States.

In the Middle School Championship, CCL students Shiv Karthik Srinivasan and Shaurya Kurulekar shared a six-way tie for second place, with Shiv securing the official runner-up position after tiebreaks.

In the High School Championship, CCL #36 graduate and US Chess Expert Louis Zhang and former student National Master Broderick Bauml finished tied for third place.

CCL players also dominated the State Blitz Championships, sweeping the championship titles across multiple divisions:

• Mehmet Yilanli – Elementary School Blitz State Champion
• Georgios Stavropoulos – Middle School Blitz State Champion
• NM Broderick Bauml – High School Blitz State Champion

Additional strong finishes included Shashank Palla, who earned clear second place in the Middle School Blitz Championship, and Rishi Mettapally, who shared a two-way tie for second place in the Elementary Blitz U1000 section.

CCL’s youngest generation also celebrated a milestone achievement. Mustafa Yilanli, a kindergartener and Mehmet’s younger brother, captured his first state chess title as co-champion of the K-2 U400 section. With only 18 rated games played, Mustafa also surpassed the 500 US Chess rating mark.

Other CCL students earning state trophies included Rishi Mettapally who shared 3rd place in the U1000 K5, Amyra Parul Karthikeyan and Oliver Ma who both shared 3rd place of U700 K5, and Roopali Palla who scored 3.5 out of 5 in the elementary championship section.

The Ohio Elementary, Middle, and High School Championships attracted nearly 300 students from across Ohio in grades K-12. The event serves as a qualifying tournament for national invitational competitions for state champions, held annually in conjunction with the U.S. Open Chess Championship.

For more than a decade, CCL Chess students have consistently dominated the state podium, qualifying numerous times for these prestigious invitational national championships and earning multiple national titles. The 2026 invitational tournaments will take place in Grand Rapids in August.

About CCL Chess

CCL Chess is one of the Midwest’s leading scholastic chess programs, dedicated to developing young players through structured instruction, competitive training, and tournament opportunities. CCL students have earned numerous state and national titles and continue to represent Ohio at the highest levels of scholastic chess competition.