The Midwest Open Team Chess Festival (MOTCF) has once again lived up to its legendary status as Ohio’s most iconic chess event! For decades, MOTCF was not only a celebration of chess excellence but also a testament to the tournament’s role in building community. For many players, MOTCF is the one tournament they never miss—a time to honor friendships and the joy of playing side by side.
This year’s MOTCF was truly historic for not only did it see the largest turnout since 2000 with an incredible 132 players, but it also debuted its first ever junior division, welcoming more than 40 scholastic chess kids rated under 1200. And for the CCL community, it was a joyful reunion of coaches, students, and alumni from across the continents.
CCL made a big splash, fielding 12 teams, including three junior teams, making this our biggest showing ever! Representing the top tier of talent were IM Atanas Kizov from Europe, LM Walker Griggs, and WIM/FM Maggie Feng. We were also thrilled to welcome back Joe Kleban, a CCL graduate and current Georgetown University senior, who joined us during his spring break. Another star was Mehmet Yilanli, National Kindergarten Champion and the US Official Representative for the 2025 World Cadet Championship and World Cup (U8)!
After five intense rounds over two days, CCL teams rose to the top:
- Team JAMS (Joseph Kleban, Shiv Srinivasan, Maxwell Chung, Arnav Kodkani) dominated the U2000 section!
- Team E (Het Patel, Colin Park, Jack Hamilton, Vihaan Multani) took first place in the U1800 category!
- Our talented juniors Rehaan Sivaraman, Hengrui Wang, Sai Viraj Salguti, and Max Yang brought home the Junior Team Championship!
In individual honors:
- Mehmet Yilanli shined as the Top Youth Player, finishing with 4 points!
- Aanya Parul Karthikeyan earned well-deserved recognition as the Top Female Player!
It was an unforgettable weekend full of passion, strategy, and community. Congratulations to all the players and teams! We can’t wait to reunite and make even more memories at MOTCF 2026!
