Los Angeles, CA — March 20–22, 2026
The 2026 SoCal SuperStates Chess Festival, hosted by ICEA Chess at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, brought together more than 800 students from over 100 schools and clubs across Southern California, underscoring the rapid growth of scholastic chess in the region.
Over the course of three days, the tournament featured a wide range of competitors, from elementary school beginners to nationally recognized masters. Participants competed across multiple sections, including the Championship, Junior Varsity (JV), and one-day Action and Rising Stars events, creating opportunities for players of all experience levels.
A Growing Community
This year’s event saw a notable increase in team participation, with more than 20 new school and club teams joining for the first time. The expansion reflects a broader trend of rising interest in scholastic chess throughout Southern California.
The festival began Friday evening with Blitz and Bughouse tournaments, offering a fast-paced and energetic start to the weekend. A standout event was the free Team Blitz Championship, which included not only scholastic teams but also local and collegiate clubs. The diverse field contributed to a competitive and inclusive atmosphere that set the tone for the days ahead.
Saturday’s Opening Ceremony and Team Parade served as a central moment of the event. ICEA Chess Founder Felix Guo and Junior Varsity Chief Tournament Director Sangeeta Dhingra co-hosted the ceremony, while SCCF President and Championship Chief TD Alaa-addin Moussa and Coach Jay addressed attendees, emphasizing sportsmanship and community. Dozens of teams participated in the parade, highlighting the increasing importance of team identity within scholastic chess.
Top-Level Competition
The Championship section featured some of the strongest scholastic players in the region. After six rounds of play, three International Masters—Julian Colville, Brian Xie, and Isaac Wang—shared first place in the K-12 Championship, with Colville securing the title on tiebreaks. As the Southern California representative, he will advance to the Denker High School National Tournament of Champions, supported by a $1,000 scholarship from ICEA, and has also qualified for the Southern California State Invitational Championship.
The Championship sections determined the following SoCal representatives and alternates for national invitationals, each SoCal representative will receive a $1,000 scholarship from ICEA Chess upon completion of the National Invitationals:
- Denker (High School): IM Julian Colville
- Haring (Girls): WCM Tori Porat
- Barber (Middle School): Ararat Bagdasarian
- Rockefeller (Elementary): Howard Wang
- Ashley (K–3): Renae Chen
Beyond the Championship section, the Junior Varsity divisions saw strong competition across rating groups. Meanwhile, the Action and Rising Stars events provided accessible entry points for developing players, including many competing in their first rated tournament.
Team Success and Competitive Depth
The ICEA Chess Team captured the SuperStates Team Championship title for the fourth consecutive year (2023–2026) in a dramatic finish decided by tiebreaks against a strong San Diego Chess Club team, which secured second place. The narrow margin highlighted the growing depth and competitiveness of team play throughout Southern California.
Emphasis on Access and Inclusion
A defining feature of SuperStates continues to be its focus on accessibility. The Rising Stars sections welcomed a significant number of first-time participants, and all players received commemorative medals, reinforcing an inclusive and supportive environment.
The event also relied on strong community involvement, including all players, families, volunteers, coaches, and partners. We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generous support of SuperStates, including APEX Funding, Meta Mega Group, Think academy Irvine, Law Offices of Fei Pang, Rookly, Lingo Ace, Bravodium, Fish with you, Sue and Dewain Barber and Jackman & Dieseldorff Family, whose partnership continues to help grow scholastic chess in our community.
Live coverage, supported by partners such as idChess, expanded the tournament’s reach and allowed a broader audience to follow key games and results.
Looking Ahead
ICEA Chess extends its sincere gratitude to all players, families, volunteers, sponsors, and partners for their support, and looks forward to welcoming the community back for an even bigger and better SuperStates 2027.
