CFCC 2026 Winter Open Concludes with GM Francesco Sonis Winning Clear 1st Place!

Final round, board 1 - GM Francesco Sonis (2626) (L) vs GM Igor Novikov (2542) (R), CFCC 2026 Winter Open & Scholastic weekend tournament

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Tournament Recap | Tournament Slideshow | Top Section PGN’s

2026 Winter Open

With a perfect score of 5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate GM Francesco Sonis (2626) for his clear 1st place win at our 2026 Winter Open this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista!

2026 Winter Open Scholastic (U1200)

With a perfect score of 5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate Zane T. (1048) for a clear 1st place win in our 2026 Winter Open Scholastic tournament!

2026 WINTER OPEN SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ

With 7.5/8 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate CM Antony Gospodinov (2161) for winning clear 1st place in our 2026 Winter Open Saturday Night Blitz tournament!

We also wish to thank all the players who participated and congratulate those who placed in their respective sections!

Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC)

TOURNAMENT RATING REPORTS

MASTER-EXPERT ☞ CLASS A
CLASS B ☞ CLASS C
CLASS D ☞ SCHOLASTIC (U1200)
SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ

TOURNAMENT STANDINGS

MASTER-EXPERT ☞ CLASS A
CLASS B ☞ CLASS C
CLASS D ☞ SCHOLASTIC (U1200)
SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ

2026 Winter Open
PGN Games

PGN games will be posted soon!

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2026 Winter Open & Scholastic
Tournament Recap

Recap to be posted soon!

• Master/Expert

  Coming soon

• Class A

  Coming soon

• Class B

  Coming soon

• Class C

  Coming Soon

• Class D

  Coming soon

• Scholastic (U1200)

  Coming soon

• Saturday Night Open Blitz

  Coming soon

• Parting Words

  Coming soon

2026 Winter Open Slideshow Gallery
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CFCC 2025 Autumn Open Concludes with FM Jorge Leon Oquendo Winning Clear 1st Place!

Final round, board 1 - Ayush Maddikonda (2078) (L) vs FM Jorge Leon Oquendo (2506) (R), CFCC 2025 Autumn Open & Scholastic weekend tournament

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2025 Autumn Open

With a final score of 4.5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate FM Jorge Leon Oquendo (2506) for his 3rd consecutive clear 1st place win at our CFCC 2025 Autumn Open this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista!

Prior to winning our 2025 Autumn Open this past weekend, Jorge won clear 1st Place at both our 2025 Winter Open in January and our 2025 Sunshine Open in June!

2025 Autumn Open Scholastic (U1200)

With a perfect score of 5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate Moksh M. (1075) for his clear 1st place win in our 2025 Autumn Open Scholastic!

2025 Autumn Open (BLITZ)

In a 3-way tie with 7/8 points each, CFCC wishes to congratulate NM Raghav Venkat (2360), NM Brayan Amaya (2253), and CM Neil Sahai (2068) for winning our Autumn Open Blitz tournament on Saturday night!

We also wish to thank all the players who participated and congratulate those who placed in their respective sections!

Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC)

TOURNAMENT RATING REPORTS

MASTER-EXPERT ☞ CLASS A
CLASS B ☞ CLASS C
CLASS D ☞ SCHOLASTIC (U1200)
SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ

TOURNAMENT STANDINGS

MASTER-EXPERT ☞ CLASS A
CLASS B ☞ CLASS C
CLASS D ☞ SCHOLASTIC (U1200)
SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ

2025 Autumn Open
PGN Games

PGN Reader provided by chesstempo.com

[Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 5, Board 2"] [White "CM Zhuhai Xu"] [Black "NM Raghav Venkat"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2106"] [BlackElo "2360"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "B32"] [PlyCount "35"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6 5.Nxc6 dxc6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qe2 e5 8.c3 Be7 9.Be3 Qc7 10.f3 O-O 11.O-O b5 12.Bb3 a5 13.a4 Ba6 14.Nd2 Nd7 15.Qf2 Rab8 16.Rfd1 Kh8 17.Kh1 f6 18.Nf1 1/2-1/2 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 5, Board 3"] [White "Yi Sha"] [Black "NM Theo Slade"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2060"] [BlackElo "2309"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "E29"] [PlyCount "71"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 c5 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nc6 8.Nf3 b6 9.O-O Ba6 10.e4 Ne8 11.e5 f5 12.d5 Na5 13.Bg5 Qc8 14.Qe2 h6 15.Bf4 exd5 16.cxd5 c4 17.Bc2 Nc7 18.Rad1 Bb7 19.Nh4 Nxd5 20.Rxd5 Bxd5 21.Nxf5 Rxf5 22.Bxf5 Qc6 23.Qg4 Rd8 24.Re1 Kh8 25.Re3 Be6 26.Bxh6 gxh6 27.Qh4 Bxf5 28.Qxd8+ Kg7 29.Qe7+ Kg8 30.e6 Qxe6 31.Rxe6 Bxe6 32.f4 Nb3 33.Qf6 Nc5 34.f5 Bf7 35.Qxh6 d5 36.g4 1-0 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 5, Board 7"] [White "CM Brandon Vila"] [Black "Stone Wang"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2124"] [BlackElo "1877"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "B36"] [PlyCount "30"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.f3 Bg7 9.Be2 O-O 10.Qd3 Be6 11.O-O Qa5 12.Be3 Rfc8 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.cxd5 Bd7 15.Rac1 a6 1-0 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 4, Board 1"] [White "CM Abhiram Pothuri"] [Black "FM Jorge Leon Oquendo"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2150"] [BlackElo "2506"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "B28"] [PlyCount "68"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bc4 Be7 7.O-O d6 8.a4 O-O 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Qd3 Nc6 11.Rd1 Rc8 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Ng5 Qd7 14.Qc4 Nd4 15.Qa2 Kh8 16.Be3 h6 17.Bxd4 exd4 18.e5 dxe5 19.Nf3 Bd6 20.Qb3 dxc3 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.Rxd7 cxb2 23.Rad1 Nxd7 24.Rxd7 Rfd8 25.Rxd8+ Rxd8 26.c3 Bxc3 27.Kf1 Bf6 28.Qc2 Rd6 29.Qc8+ Kh7 30.Qc2+ g6 31.Qc7+ Bg7 32.Qxd6 b1=Q+ 33.Ke2 Qe4+ 34.Kf1 Qd4 0-1 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 4, Board 3"] [White "Stone Wang"] [Black "NM Raghav Venkat"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1877"] [BlackElo "2360"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "C50"] [PlyCount "97"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Qf6 5.O-O d6 6.b4 Bb6 7.a4 a5 8.b5 Nce7 9.d4 h6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Be3 Ng6 12.Bxb6 Qxb6 13.Nbd2 Nf6 14.h3 O-O 15.Re1 Qc5 16.Qe2 b6 17.Qe3 Qxe3 18.Rxe3 Bb7 19.Rae1 Rad8 20.Bb3 Nd7 21.Nf1 Nc5 22.Bc2 Rfe8 23.g3 f6 24.N3d2 Bc8 25.Kg2 Be6 26.f3 Rd7 27.h4 Ne7 28.f4 Nc8 29.f5 Bf7 30.R3e2 Red8 31.g4 Nd6 32.Nf3 Bc4 33.Rd2 Bb3 34.Bxb3+ Nxb3 35.Ra2 Nc4 36.Ne3 Nxe3+ 37.Rxe3 Rd3 38.Kf2 Nc5 39.c4 Rxe3 40.Kxe3 Rd3+ 41.Ke2 Rc3 42.Rd2 Rxc4 43.Rd8+ Kf7 44.Nd2 Rc2 45.Kd1 Rc3 46.Nb1 Rg3 47.Rc8 Nxa4 48.Rxc7+ Kg8 49.Rc3 0-1 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.28"] [Round "Round 4, Board 6"] [White "NM Antony Gospodinov"] [Black "CM Zhuhai Xu"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2214"] [BlackElo "2106"] [EventDate "2025.09.28"] [ECO "E32"] [PlyCount "146"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.Nf3 d5 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc5 9.b4 Bd6 10.c5 Bb8 11.Bb2 e5 12.Rd1 Be6 13.Ng5 h6 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Be2 e4 16.Nb5 Qe8 17.Nd6 Bxd6 18.cxd6 Nd7 19.O-O Rc8 20.Qb3 Qg6 21.Rc1 Nce5 22.Kh1 Rxc1 23.Bxc1 Rc8 24.Qa4 a6 25.Bb2 Qf7 26.b5 Nc4 27.Bxc4 Rxc4 28.Qa5 Rc2 29.Qd8+ Nf8 30.bxa6 bxa6 31.Be5 Qxf2 32.Rb1 Qf7 33.h3 Qd7 34.Qe7 Rc8 35.Rf1 Qxe7 36.dxe7 Nd7 37.Bd6 Nf6 38.Kh2 Kf7 39.Rb1 Rc6 40.Bb4 e5 41.Rd1 a5 42.Bxa5 Kxe7 43.Bb4+ Ke6 44.Rd2 Rc4 45.Kg3 d4 46.exd4 exd4 47.Bf8 e3 48.Re2 Kf5 49.Kf3 Rc1 50.g4+ Kg6 51.Bb4 Rf1+ 52.Kg2 Rb1 53.Kf3 Nd5 54.Ba5 d3 55.Rxe3 Nxe3 56.Kxe3 Rb3 57.Bb4 Kf6 58.h4 Ke5 59.Bf8 Kf6 60.a4 Rb8 61.Bc5 Ra8 62.Bd4+ Kf7 63.Kxd3 Rxa4 64.Ke4 Ra2 65.h5 Re2+ 66.Kf3 Re7 67.Be3 Kf6 68.Bd4+ Kg5 69.Bc3 Kh4 70.Bd2 Rf7+ 71.Bf4 Kh3 72.Ke4 Kxg4 73.Bd2 Re7+ 0-1 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.27"] [Round "Round 3, Board 1"] [White "FM Jorge Leon Oquendo"] [Black "NM Theo Slade"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2506"] [BlackElo "2309"] [EventDate "2025.09.27"] [ECO "D41"] [PlyCount "93"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5 8.Bg5 Nc6 9.Qd2 Be7 10.e3 Be6 11.Bb5 O-O 12.O-O Qb6 13.Rac1 Rac8 14.Rfd1 Rfd8 15.Qe2 a6 16.Bd3 h6 17.Bf4 Nh5 18.Bg3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Bf6 20.Na4 Qb4 21.b3 Bg4 22.Bb1 g6 23.Nc5 Kg7 24.Nd3 Qb6 25.Nf4 Qa5 26.Nd3 Qb6 27.Qd2 d4 28.e4 Bg5 29.Nxg5 Bxd1 30.Nxf7 Kxf7 31.Qxh6 Bh5 32.Qh7+ Kf8 33.g4 Bxg4 34.Qxg6 Bd7 35.Qf6+ Ke8 36.Rc5 Qxc5 37.Nxc5 Ne7 38.e5 Rxc5 39.Qh8+ Kf7 40.Qxd8 Bb5 41.Qxd4 Rc1+ 42.Kh2 Rf1 43.e6+ Kf8 44.Qf6+ Ke8 45.Qh8+ Ng8 46.Qxg8+ Ke7 47.Qh7+ 1-0 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.27"] [Round "Round 3, Board 2"] [White "NM Raghav Venkat"] [Black "CM Abhiram Pothuri"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2360"] [BlackElo "2156"] [EventDate "2025.09.27"] [ECO "D97"] [PlyCount "62"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 O-O 7.e4 Nc6 8.Be2 e5 9.d5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Qxd4 c6 12.Qd1 Re8 13.dxc6 Qxd1+ 14.Nxd1 Nxe4 15.cxb7 Bxb7 16.Be3 Nd6 17.O-O Nf5 18.Bg4 Nxe3 19.Nxe3 Be4 20.Rad1 f5 21.Bf3 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Bxb2 23.Rd7 Red8 24.Rfd1 Bf6 25.Kg2 Bg5 26.Nc4 Rac8 27.Ne5 Rxd7 28.Rxd7 Bf4 29.Nd3 Bc7 30.Nb4 Bb6 31.Kg3 Rd8 1/2-1/2 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.27"] [Round "Round 3, Board 5"] [White "CM Diego Jimenez"] [Black "Ayush Maddikonda"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2154"] [BlackElo "2078"] [EventDate "2025.09.27"] [ECO "B12"] [PlyCount "82"] 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nd2 e6 5.Nb3 Ne7 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.Be2 c5 8.Nxc5 Nxc5 9.dxc5 Nc6 10.Be3 Be7 11.O-O O-O 12.c3 Qc7 13.Bd4 Be4 14.Re1 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Be3 Rad8 17.Bd3 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 e5 19.Qd2 h6 20.Rad1 Rfe8 21.b4 a6 22.a4 g5 23.Qa2 Qf7 24.h3 Kg7 25.Nh2 e4 26.Qb3 h5 27.Bd4 Ne5 28.Nf1 Nd3 29.Re2 Rf8 30.Ng3 Bxd4 31.cxd4 h4 32.Nh1 Qf4 33.Qc3 g4 34.Rxd3 exd3 35.Qxd3 Qc1+ 36.Kh2 Qf4+ 37.g3 hxg3+ 38.Nxg3 Rde8 39.Rxe8 Qxf2+ 40.Kh1 Rxe8 41.Nf5+ Kf6 0-1 [Event "CFCC 2025 CFCC Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.27"] [Round "Round 3, Board 6"] [White "Stone Wang"] [Black "CM Sritej Sattaru"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1877"] [BlackElo "2310"] [EventDate "2025.09.27"] [ECO "C48"] [PlyCount "157"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 h6 7.Ne2 Re8 8.c3 Bf8 9.c4 d6 10.Ng3 Bd7 11.Qe2 a6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.b3 c5 14.Ne1 a5 15.Nc2 c6 16.Ne3 a4 17.Bd2 axb3 18.axb3 Qb6 19.Rab1 d5 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.exd5 Qb7 22.Qf3 Bb5 23.Ne4 Ra6 ( 23...Bxd3 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.Ng4 ) 24.Nc4 Nxd5 25.b4 cxb4 26.Bxb4 Bxb4 ( 26...Nxb4 27.Nf6+ gxf6 28.Qxb7 Bc6 29.Rxb4 Bxb7 30.Rxb7 ) 27.Rxb4 Nxb4 ( 27...Qc6 28.Rxb5 Qxb5 29.Ned6 Qd7 30.Nxe8 Qxe8 31.Qxd5 ) 28.Nf6+ Rxf6 29.Qxb7 Bxc4 30.dxc4 Nc6 31.Ra1 Nd4 32.Ra8 Re6 33.Rxe8+ Rxe8 34.Qd5 Ne2+ 35.Kf1 Nf4 36.Qd1 f6 37.g3 Ne6 38.Qd7 Kf8 39.c5 Re7 40.Qd6 Kf7 41.Ke1 Ra7 42.Kd2 Ra2+ 43.Kc3 Ra7 44.Kb4 Re7 45.Ka5 h5 46.Kb6 Nd4 47.Qd5+ Re6+ 48.Kb7 f5 49.Kc8 Kf6 50.Kb7 Re7+ 51.Kb6 Re6+ 52.Ka5 g6 53.h4 Nc6+ 54.Kb5 Ne7 55.Qd7 Kf7 56.Qd8 e4 57.Qh8 Nc6 58.Qh7+ Kf6 59.Qg8 Ne7 60.Qf8+ Ke5 61.Kc4 e3 62.fxe3 Ke4 63.Qf7 Re5 64.Qf6 Nd5 65.Qc6 g5 66.hxg5 Kxe3 67.Qxd5 Rxd5 68.Kxd5 f4 69.c6 f3 70.c7 f2 71.c8=Q f1=Q 72.Qc3+ Kf2 73.Qf6+ Kg2 74.Qxf1+ Kxf1 75.g6 Kf2 76.g7 Kxg3 77.g8=Q+ Kh3 78.Ke4 h4 79.Kf3 1-0 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.27"] [Round "Round 2, Board 2"] [White "NM Antony Gospodinov"] [Black "CM Diego Jimenez"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2214"] [BlackElo "2154"] [EventDate "2025.09.27"] [ECO "D31"] [PlyCount "71"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.c5 c6 8.h3 b6 9.b4 a5 10.a3 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Rxa6 12.b5 cxb5 13.c6 Qc8 14.Nxb5 Qxc6 15.Nc7 Ra7 16.Rc1 Qb7 17.Nb5 Raa8 18.Rc7 Qa6 19.Qa4 Rfc8 20.O-O Bd8 21.Rxc8 Rxc8 22.Nd6 Rc3 23.Ng5 Be7 24.Ngxf7 b5 25.Qxb5 Qxb5 26.Nxb5 Rb3 27.Nfd6 Bxd6 28.Nxd6 Rxa3 29.Rc1 h6 30.Rc8+ Kh7 31.Rc7 Ra1+ 32.Kh2 a4 33.Ra7 Nb6 34.Nb5 Nc4 35.Nc7 Nd2 36.Nxe6 1/2-1/2 [Event "CFCC 2025 Autumn Open"] [Site "Orlando, FL"] [Date "2025.09.26"] [Round "Round 1, Board 1"] [White "NM Brayan Amaya"] [Black "CM Neel Sahai"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2253"] [BlackElo "2068"] [EventDate "2025.09.26"] [ECO "B10"] [PlyCount "73"] 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Bd6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.d4 Nd7 7.exd5 cxd5 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxe5 10.Nf3 Bf6 11.c3 Nc6 12.Be3 Bf5 13.Qb3 Qd6 14.Rd1 Be4 15.O-O O-O 16.Rd2 Qe7 17.Qd1 Rad8 18.Nd4 Na5 19.Nb3 b6 20.Bd4 Rfe8 21.Bb5 Rf8 22.f3 Bf5 23.f4 Nc4 24.Re1 Qd6 25.Bxc4 dxc4 26.Bc5 Qxf4 27.Rxd8 bxc5 28.Ree8 Qe3+ 29.Rxe3 Bxd8 30.Nd2 Bd3 31.Rxd3 cxd3 32.Nc4 Bh4 33.b3 Be7 34.Qxd3 Rd8 35.Qe4 Kf8 36.Qxh7 Bf6 37.Qf5 1-0

2025 Autumn Open & Scholastic
Tournament Recap

By Scholastic Chief TD Alex Dshalalow

This year’s Autumn Open was a blast. Players of all ages and backgrounds came together for a weekend of chess, laughs, and a little bit of friendly rivalry. With both two-day and three-day schedules, we had six sections, including two FIDE-rated divisions—the tough Master & Expert and the competitive Class A. And as a special treat, National and Life Master Larry Storch was there signing copies of his new book, My Life in Chess: Mastering the Sunshine State.

Enjoy the below recaps for each competitive section!

• Master/Expert

  Oquendo’s Wire-to-Wire Surge, Maddikonda’s Breakout, and a Field Full of Fighting Chances

  The top board was on fire from the get-go. In this FIDE-rated section, FM Jorge Oquendo (2506) came in as the favorite and lived up to the hype, but the weekend wasn’t just about him. Ayush Maddikonda (2040) made a big push, Yi Sha (2070) rallied late, and a bunch of seasoned competitors made sure every round counted. There were some re-entries, a few forfeits, and plenty of drama—just what you’d expect from a strong field.

  Round 1 — The Gauntlet Drops

  Oquendo started strong, taking down Aakash Jani (2056). Nearby, Raghav Venkat (2372) got the better of Ayush Roy (2019), and Theodore Slade (2317) handled Jolie Huang (1939).

  Stone Wang (1946) held Maddikonda to a draw, and Lyubomir Gospodinov (2176) split the point with Andrew Rea (2000).

  Round 2 — Movers Emerge

  The leaders started to pull away. Oquendo beat Jerry Yao (2115), Maddikonda picked up steam against Analaya Muneeperakul (1925), and Wang backed up his draw with a win over Narciso Victoria (2125). Antony Gospodinov (2214) held Diego Leyva (2162) to a draw.

  Round 3 — Top Board Tests

  Oquendo faced Theodore Slade and came out on top, keeping his perfect score. Maddikonda kept climbing with a win over Diego Leyva, and Yi Sha, now fully in the mix, beat Pharoah Pharel (1930).

  Round 4 — The Leader Meets Fire

  A few big matchups happened here. Abhiram Pothuri (2173) gave Oquendo a run for his money, but the FM held firm and took the win, moving to 4/4. Maddikonda stayed close by beating Brandon Vila (2076).

  Round 5 — A Title on the Line

  All eyes were on the top board. Oquendo only needed a draw against Maddikonda, and he got it—cool and collected, locking up first place with 4.5/5.

  Yi Sha (2070) upset Slade to reach 4.0, tying Maddikonda for second. Venkat and Xu drew, both finishing strong on 3.5, and Wang grabbed a last-round win over Vila.

  Final Scores

  1st Place: FM Jorge Oquendo (2506) – 4.5/5

  2nd-3rd: Ayush Maddikonda (2040), Yi Sha (2070) – 4.0/5

  4th-6th: Raghav Venkat (2372), Zhihan Xu (2084), Stone Wang (1946) – 3.5/5

  Notable Performances & Rating Gains

  • Maddikonda (2040 → 2108, +68): Tied for second with wins over Muneeperakul, Leyva, and Vila, plus a clutch draw with Oquendo.

  • Wang (1946 → 2036, +90): Big rating jump thanks to tough games and key wins.

  • Sha (2070 → 2107, +37): Solid 4.0, including a last-round win over Slade.

  • Xu (2084 → 2113, +29): Recovered from an early loss and finished strong.

  The Takeaway

  The Master & Expert section had it all: a clear winner in Oquendo, a gutsy run from Maddikonda, and a strong finish from Sha. Add in some hard-fought games from Venkat, Slade, and Amaya, and you’ve got a tournament that kept everyone on their toes.

• Class A

  The Class A section was FIDE-rated and packed with tough games. Varshith Gone (1758) really made his mark, finishing with 4.5 out of 5. He took down some strong opponents and only gave up a single draw. His last-round win over Juan Bello (1840) sealed first place and gave his rating a big boost (+142).

  Alexander Kristjansson (1853) had a solid tournament too, ending up with 4.0 points. He bounced back after a tough loss to Bello and kept fighting all the way. Right behind them, Rui Sha (1940), Hariharan Sivaji (1878), Bello, and Joseph Toth (1723) all finished with 3.5. Toth picked up almost 100 rating points, which is always nice to see.

  Gone’s performance was the highlight—he played steady, didn’t take unnecessary risks, and got the job done. If you want a section with drama, comebacks, and a few surprises, Class A delivered.

• Class B

  Class B was a real toss-up this year. Three players—Diego Prats (1744), Addison Baumstark (1647), and Ridhaan Dande (1578)—all finished with 4.0 out of 5, and it felt like any one of them could have taken first. They traded wins and kept the leaderboard interesting all weekend.

  Just behind the leaders, David Ketchum (1769), Anay Bhargava (1584), and Andrew Kan (1600) ended up with 3.5 points each. There were some tough games and a few upsets, which is always fun to see.

  A couple of folks made big rating jumps: Dande picked up 116 points, Bhargava gained 109, and Baumstark added 52. Overall, this section was full of hard-fought games, a few surprises, and plenty of grit.

• Class C

  Class C was a real battle from start to finish. Allan Grifin (1349) and Coco Yao (1380) both ended up with 4.5 out of 5, and it was close all the way. Grifin clinched first on tiebreaks after beating Gus Bleakley (1374) in the last round, while Yao picked up wins over some tough opponents like Stuart Elvers and John Jankowsky.

  Daniel Padgett (1448) and Sree Harsha Siliveri (1452) were right behind with 4.0 points each, and Bleakley finished with 3.5 after a strong start. There were some big rating jumps too—Grifin gained 173 points, Yao picked up 117, and Padgett added 90.

  This section had a little bit of everything: bold attacks, a few surprises, and plenty of players fighting hard for every point. If you like games where nobody gives up easily, Class C was the place to watch.

• Class D

  Class D was close all the way through. Three players—Asher Austin (1291), Brody Lin (1215), and Javier Arocha (1289)—each finished with 4.0 out of 5. It felt like anyone could have taken first, and the games were competitive right up to the end. Austin clinched his spot with a final-round win over Charles Callender (1291), but Lin and Arocha were right there with him.

  Just behind, Arhan Bandaru (1254) ended up with 3.5 points, and a handful of others— Callender, Rajib Chowdhury (1109), Ananya Hariharan (1005), and Shivbhagat Hegde (1251)—finished with 3.0. There were some nice rating gains too: Lin picked up 122 points, Austin gained 66, and Arocha added 21.

  If you like sections where everyone’s fighting for every half-point and nobody gives up, Class D was definitely worth watching.

• Scholastic (U1200)

  The Scholastic section was the biggest and probably the most energetic part of the tournament. Kids from all over showed up ready to play, and you could feel the excitement in the room. Moksh Maru (1075) was unstoppable—he went 5 for 5, beating everyone in his path, including a tough final-round game against George Junkin (1129). That perfect score gave Moksh a huge rating boost, almost 200 points, and he definitely earned it.

  Aituar Anuarov (1262) was right behind with 4.5 points, only dropping a half-point in round two. Junkin finished third with 4.0, and had some impressive wins along the way. Anton Vassiliev (970), Sanjivsai Saravanan (862), and Nathan Sing (587) also scored 4.0, with Nathan making a massive jump of 343 rating points—pretty wild for one event!

  There were upsets, wild tactics, and a lot of kids playing their hearts out. Whether it was a newcomer making a splash or a seasoned scholastic player showing off their skills, this section was a reminder that the future of chess in Central Florida looks bright.

• Saturday Night Open Blitz

  The Blitz section was a whirlwind—eight games, four double rounds, and barely a moment to catch your breath. It was fast, it was fun, and it was unpredictable. At the top, three players—Raghav Venkat (2202), Brayan Amaya (2190), and Neel Sahai (1886)—all finished with 7.0 out of 8, splitting the prize money. Venkat wrapped up his night with a 1½–½ win over Antony Gospodinov (2053) in the last double round, while Amaya and Sahai battled to a 1–1 draw after both came into the final round with perfect scores.

  Just behind, Abhiram Pothuri (1955) scored 6.5, and Gospodinov, Adele Abdullina (1594), and Ayush Roy (1829) each finished with 6.0. There were some wild swings—Sahai picked up 72 rating points after winning his first six games, Amaya kept attacking every round, and Venkat stayed steady when it mattered most.

  Blitz always brings a little chaos, a lot of excitement, and some bragging rights for the fastest thinkers in the room.

• Parting Words

  The Autumn Open & Scholastic weekend tournament was organized by the Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC), under the leadership of NM Larry Storch and Kevin Sibbitt. CFCC’s Chief Tournament Director was Steven Vigil, whose extensive experience and strategic oversight ensured the tournament ran smoothly and efficiently. 

  In addition to my role as Assistant Floor TD, Vigil was assisted by CFCC’s National Tournament Director & FIDE International Arbiter Charles Hatherill, who seamlessly administered the dual-rated Master/Expert & Class A sections as well as serving as Senior Floor TD. Hatherill’s expertise in international events and attention to detail were instrumental in maintaining the integrity and fairness of the games. 

  Together, their combined efforts contributed significantly to the tournament's success, fostering a competitive yet respectful vibe for all participants.

  The visual storytelling of the chess tournament was provided by Event Photographer Kevin Sibbitt. His keen eye and artistic approach brings each of our tournaments to life by capturing the essence of the tournament’s match-ups. 

  Sibbitt's work not only captures the intense moments of competition but also highlights the camaraderie and energy of the players, parents, and guests in attendance. The numerous photos he provides below offer a vivid and engaging glimpse into the tournament’s atmosphere.

  Thanks to everyone who played, helped, or just stopped by to watch a few games. Special thanks to Larry for sharing his stories and signing copies of his new book, My Life in Chess: Mastering the Sunshine State.

  Hope to see you all at our 2026 Winter Open & Scholastic tournament!

2025 Autumn Open Slideshow Gallery
Or View in Grid Display Mode

(all photos have been posted)

Longtime CFCC President Larry Storch Publishes "My Life in Chess" Book!

My Life in Chess by longtime CFCC President Larry Storch

We’re proud to announce that longtime CFCC president Larry Storch has authored My Life in Chess, a memoir about his 43-year chess journey in becoming an USCF original Life Master. In the book, he features 121 completely annotated games that help to tell his story. The hardback edition is currently available for pre-order at USCF Sales.

Larry expects to have copies of his new book available for sale at our upcoming 2025 CFCC Autumn Open & Scholastic weekend tournament, September 26-28, 2025 at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista, 13351 State Road 535, Orlando, Florida 32821

From the preface of My Life in Chess

-By Larry Storch, CFCC President

My Life in Chess, by Larry Storch

“Chess has always been more than just a game to me; it’s a world of rewards and heartaches. I started my chess journey in 1974 at 23 and played continuously until retiring from OTB play in 2017. Over 43 years, I made lasting friendships and rivalries, won countless championships, and led teams to victory in major tournaments.

After thumb surgery in June 2024 kept me home for four months, I finally compiled my experiences into a manuscript. My book details the highs and lows of my chess career and balancing it with family life. I was not a professional player; As an educator, I had papers to grade and children to raise.

My goal in both chess and education was to be the best I could be. I earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership for my job, and worked hard to become a master, then an original Life Master in chess (you might say, I had a double masters degree). I was the Club Champion of the Orlando Chess Club and a five-time champion of the Central Florida Chess Club. How did I do it? Through relentless study and determined play, I forged myself into one of the most feared players in Florida. I also used my experiences to tutor young, talented chess players from Miles Ardaman to Daniel Ludwig. After my playing days were finished, I steered the Central Florida Chess Club as its president to unparalleled success.

Along with the stories of the tournaments I played are 121 completely annotated games. These games are the backbone of my career and contain my thoughts and strategies along with opening secrets I used to defeat my opponents. They show home preparation, creativity, and resilience. The reader will get rewarded with games that carried me forward for 43 years.”

Congratulations to Harvey and Roberta Lerman on Their 65th Wedding Anniversary!

Harvey & Roberta Lerman at their 65th wedding anniversary dinner

Larry (CFCC President) and Shaune Storch at Harvey’s anniversary dinner.

CFCC wishes to congratulate Harvey Lerman, CFCC’s longtime Senior Tournament Director, Board Member, and FIDE National Arbiter (2013), on his 65th wedding anniversary this past Saturday!

Harvey, who retired from directing CFCC chess tournaments just a few short years ago, supported the club throughout his retirement years by organizing and directing the majority of CFCC’s tournament events, including our 34 CFCC Club Championship’s spanning 33 years of voluntary service to the club (1986-2019).

With 413 USCF-rated tournaments now under the club’s belt, Harvey played a key role in growing our tournaments from just the club’s members in the early years to consistently having over 100 players at our hotel weekend tournaments before he retired.

-Central Florida Chess Club

USCF 2024 Annual Awards Ceremony: CFCC Accepting "Chess City of the Year" Award!

USCF’s 2024 “Chess City of the Year” was awarded to Orlando, Florida with CFCC President Larry Storch accepting the award at the 124th Annual U. S. Open Chess Championship from July 27 - August 4, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia!

USCF President Kevin Pryor (L) & CFCC president Larry Storch (R)

USCF Communications Director Dan Lucas (L) & CFCC President Larry Storch (R)

CFCC President Larry Storch

USCF’s 2024 “Chess City of the Year”

USCF’s 2024 Chess City of the Year is Orlando, Florida!

The novelist T.M. Cicinski wrote, “No place which has ever once been perfect is worth the gamble of revisiting.” US Chess disagrees with this sentiment when applied to Orlando’s perfection as over the last 20 years, we have placed 25 national championships in the City Beautiful, including three of our U.S. Opens where we also hold our annual governance meetings. 

Just in this past fiscal year, 29 rated events have been contested in Orlando, including our 2023 National K-12 Grade Championships that had an incredible 2,449 players plus their families, friends, and coaches. 

Local business support for chess has been heartening. Rosen Hotels & Resorts has fully supported our efforts, including when the 2019 U.S. Open was canceled in St. Louis due to a hotel closure and on short notice, they made a space available for us. Rosen Shingle Creek hosted the Pan American Youth Championships that just completed two weeks ago and had almost 300 young players from across North and South America. Visit Orlando worked with us to allow those participants to experience the wonders of the city simply by showing their event badge, including discounted tickets to the major theme parks. 

We have one official US Chess Affiliate in Orlando: The Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC). Established in 1987 as a non-profit chess club, the CFCC has organized and hosted over 400 US Chess rated tournaments and continues to organize and host rated weekend tournaments in support of competitive chess players of all ages and skill levels in the Central Florida area. There are at least six other clubs in the central Florida area that aren’t official affiliates but that support chess.

This relationship between Orlando and US Chess will continue well into the future. SuperNationals VIII will be May 9-11, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center. We are expecting over 7,000 players plus family, friends, and coaches for the largest chess tournament under one roof in history. The National K-12 Grade Championships will be in Orlando seven times between 2026 and 2033—three times at Rosen Shingle Creek and four times at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.

For all of these reasons, US Chess is pleased to name Orlando, Florida as the 2024 US Chess City of the Year.

Dan Lucas
USCF Communications Director

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CFCC Announces Winners of October 15th Online Rapid Prize Tournament!

$250 Prize Fund Percentage: 50% (based on 8/18 players)

Congratulations to Sina Movahed (Akbar_mo) for winning clear 1st place in Saturday’s (10/15/22) rapid tournament with a perfect score of 4/4 points and a prize payout of $40, while Goran Markovic (goranm21) won clear 2nd place with 3/4 points and a prize payout of $25. Nicholas Claudio (nickclaud) won 3rd place with 2/4 points and a prize payout of $15.

Under Prizes

Arthur O'Connor (Ao1000) and William O'Connor (Wo1000) tied for our top U1200 prize earning them $7.50ea. There were no players who qualified for the top U1800 & U1500 under prizes.

We had 8 club players competing in Saturday’s rapid online prize tournament that includes a chess.com results table listing all the players and tournament standings.

CFCC Canceling Online Rapid Tournaments

CFCC Online Chess Club on chess.com

With Saturday’s 64th online rapid 15|10 tournament (we began hosting them in March 2020) CFCC has decided to not schedule any more rapid online tournaments due to waning interest over the past several months.

We appreciate all the players who have participated since April 2020. We’ll keep our CFCC Chess Club on chess.com so that we may host any future online tournament events should the club decide to do so.

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