Competition Team

The ICEA Chess Competition Team is an invitation-based program designed for motivated and tournament-active students who are ready to take their chess skills to the next level. Our team trains with top-level coaches, including national masters and grandmasters, and regularly competes in USCF-rated tournaments to build confidence, strategic depth, and real-world experience.
Program Highlights:
  • High-Level Coaching – Weekly group training led by experienced master-level and grandmaster coaches.
  • Tournament Preparation – Strategic preparation for local, state, and national chess tournaments.
  • Progress Tracking – Individualized feedback and rating milestones to monitor improvement.
  • Team Spirit – Build friendships with like-minded peers and represent ICEA in scholastic and open competitions.
  • Volunteering and Leadership Opportunities – Team members are encouraged to give back by helping at ICEA tournaments, mentoring younger players, or supporting community chess outreach. Qualifying hours count toward the ICEA Volunteer Service Award. Older or more experienced players often take on leadership roles during team events, guiding younger teammates and contributing to the club’s collective strength.
  • Representing ICEA Chess in Team Championships - In addition to individual development, ICEA Chess actively participates in prestigious team events such as the SoCal SuperStates Scholastic Championship and the SCCF Inter-Club Team Championships. These events offer players a unique opportunity to compete not only for personal success but also to represent ICEA as a team.
Who Can Join:

Membership to the Competition Team is by invitation or tryout. To be considered, students should meet the following qualifications:

  1. Have played in at least two ICEA Chess tournaments

  2. Have joined the Reserve Competition Team or demonstrated consistent training and tournament participation

  3. Have volunteered for ICEA Chess events or related activities at least twice

  4. Hold an active USCF membership and regularly participate in rated events

  5. Demonstrate commitment, discipline, and sportsmanship both in practice and competition

Team 2025

Team Achievements

NM Alex Wang

Team Caption
SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship & SCCF Inter-Club Championship

NM Esther Jou

Team Co-Caption
SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

FM Julian Colville

SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

NM Pearson Hong

SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

WCM Elena Zhang

SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

WCM Ellie Zhang

SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

FM Tommy Wen

SuperStates 2025 K-12 Championship

NM Felix Guo

SuperStates 2025 K-8 Championship & SCCF Inter-Club Championship

Sabarish Kailasam

SuperStates 2025 K-8 Championship & SCCF Inter-Club Championship

Forest Sherwood

SuperStates 2025 K-8 Championship

Ethan Li

SuperStates 2025 K-8 Championship

Sai Mahika Chenna

SuperStates 2025 K-8 Championship

Arjun Kumar

SuperStates 2025 K-5 Championship

Young Jun Choi

SuperStates 2025 K-5 Championship

Jacob Murray

SuperStates 2025 K-5 Championship

Zidaan Hussain

SuperStates 2024 K-5 Championship

Adam Kosloff

2025 SCCF Inter-Club Championship

Logan Gawon Kim

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

Sy Mai

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

Isabella Yu

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

David Hernandez

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

Alex Azarmina

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

Havish Venkat

SuperStates 2025
JV K-8 Under 1400

Abbott Shamos

SuperStates 2025
JV K-5 Under 1000

Benjamin Lewis

SuperStates 2025
JV K-5 Under 1000

Lee Guillermo

SuperStates 2025
JV K-6 Under 1000

Adam D Bochner

SuperStates 2025
JV K-3 Under 700

Daniel J Bochner

SuperStates 2025
JV K-3 Under 700

Benson Berry

SuperStates 2025
Rising Stars

Lia Zewdu Kinnaird

SuperStates 2025
Rising Stars

Team 2024

Team Achievements

NM Alex Wang

Team Caption
SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

NM Esther Jou

Team Co-Caption
SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

WFM Angela Liu

Team Co-Caption
SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

FM Sihan Tao

SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

WCM Elena Zhang

SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

WCM Tori Porat

SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

Ethan Hsiao

SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

Vanessa Zhou

SuperStates 2024 K-12 Championship

FM Julian Colville

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

NM Felix Guo

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

Forest Sherwood

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

Sabarish Kailasam

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

Jerry Chang

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

William Wang

SuperStates 2024 K-8 Championship

Sean Jura

SuperStates 2024 K-5 Championship

Jeffrey Wei

SuperStates 2024 K-5 Championship

Zidaan Hussain

SuperStates 2024 K-5 Championship

Austin Huang

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Benjamin Samuel

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Elliott Rimbert

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Bryce Mcintyre

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Gavin Willi Novak

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Isabella Yu

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Kaitlyn Otey

SuperStates 2024
JV K-8 Under 1400

Arjun Kumar

SuperStates 2024
JV K-6 Under 1000

Aarin Sahota

SuperStates 2024
JV K-6 Under 1000

Jun Choi

SuperStates 2024
JV K-6 Under 700

Abbot Shamos

SuperStates 2024
JV K-6 Under 700

Felix Guo

  • National Master
  • Peak Rating: 2232
  • Co-Champion of the 2023 North American Youth Chess Championship (U12 Open)
  • Blitz Champion of 2023 Pan-American Youth Chess Festival (U12 Open)
  • Champion of 2023 World Open Blitz Championship (U2000 Section)

Julian Colville

Esther Jou

  • National Master
  • Peak Rating: 2208
  • 2023 SoCal Girls Chess Champion & SoCal Representative of the 2023 WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions
  • Co-Captain of ICEA Chess Team to win 1st place of K-12 2023 & 2024 SoCal. SuperStates Championship.

Alex Wang

  • National Master 
  • Peak Rating: 2331
  • 2nd Place in K-12 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastic State Chess Championship
  • Co-champion of 2023 Los Angeles Open
  • Co-champion of 2023 Memorial Day Classic
  • Captain of ICEA Chess Team to win 1st place of K-12 2023 & 2024 SoCal. SuperStates Championship.

Angela Liu

  • Woman FIDE Master 
  • Peak Rating: 2143
  • 2024 SoCal Girls Chess Champion & SoCal Representative of the 2024 WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions
  • Co-Captain of ICEA Chess Team to win 1st place of K-12 2024 SoCal. SuperStates Championship.
  • U16 Girls Bronze Medalist in the 2023 Pan-American Youth Chess Festival
  • U16 Girls Bronze Medalist in the 2023 North American Youth Chess Championship
  • U20 Girls Bronze Medalist in the 2023 North American Junior Chess Championship

Elena Zhang

  • Woman Candidate Master
  • Peak Rating: 2020
  • Medalist of Team USA in the 2018 North American Youth Chess Championship (U10 Female)
  • Co-champion of the 2018 International Youth Championship (9-Under)

Sihan Tao

  • FIDE Master & National Master
  • Peak Rating: 2310
  • Co-champion of 2023 Los Angeles Open
  • U14 Champion of the 2023 Pan-American Youth Chess Festival
  • SoCal. Representive of the Barber K-8 National Chess Championship in both 2022 and 2023

Ellie Zhang

  • Woman Candidate Master
  • Peak Rating: 1966
  • SoCal Representative of the 2022 WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions
  • Champion of the 2022 Pacific Coast Open (U1900)
  • Medalist of Team USA in the 2018 North American Youth Chess Championship (U12 Female)

Forest Sherwood

  • USChess Expert
  • Peak Rating: 2084
  • 4th Place in K-8 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastic State Chess Championship

Sabarish Kailasam

  • Peak Rating: 2064
  • Co-Champion of K-5 2023 SoCal SuperStates Schlastics State Chess Championship

Chloe Zamojski

Vanessa Zhou

  • Peak Rating: 2010

Ryan Sweezey

  • Peak Rating: 1852
  • 3rd Place of the Pacific Southwest U2200 section in 2024
  • 1st Place of the Pacific Southwest U1800 section in 2023
  • 1st Place of the Lina Grumette Memorial U1600 Section in 2022

Sean Jura

  • Peak Rating: 1820
  • 13th Place in K-5 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastic State Chess Championship

Willian Wang

  • Peak Rating: 1834

Jeffrey Wei

Reserve Competition Team

Young Jun Choi

Elite Group

Matthew Choe

Elite Group

Arjun Kumar

Elite Group

Logan Kim

Elite Group

Terence Kuang

Elite Group

Sy Mai

Challenger Group

Sai Mahika Chenna

Challenger Group

Logan Kim

Challenger Group

Leo Tseng

Challenger Group

Abbott Shamos

Innovator Group

Aarav Acharya

Innovator Group

Apollo Capinpin

Challenger Group

Ronen Schechter

Innovator Group

Austin Huang

Isabella Yu

Aarin Sahota

Benjamin Lewis

David Hernandez

Benjamin Samuel

Jun Choi

 

Matthew Choe

  • Peak Rating: 1680
  • 1st Place in Varsity K-3 at the 2024 American Open
  • 6th Place in 9 Under Section at the 2024 International Youth Chess Festival @ Las Vegas

Arjun Kumar

  • Peak Rating: 1593
  • (tied) 2nd Place in U1300 section at the 2024 North American Open
  • 8th Place in JV K-6 Under 1000 at the 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastics State Chess Championship

Terence Kuang

  • Peak Rating: 1617
  • 2nd Place in U1400 at the 2024 American Open
  • 1st 900-1099 in 9 Under Section at the 2024 International Youth Chess Festival @ Las Vegas

Logan Kim

Sai Mahika Chenna

Austin Huang

  • Peak Rating: 1207
  • Paritcipated in JV K-8 UNDER 1400 at the 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastics Chess Championship.

Daniel Yoojun Song

Isabella Yu

  • Peak Rating: 1194
  • Paritcipated in JV K-8 UNDER 1400 at the 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastics Chess Championship.

Leo Tseng

Abbott Shamos

  • Peak Rating: 700
  • Paritcipated in JV K-6 UNDER 700 at the 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastics Chess Championship.

Aarin Sahota

Benjamin Lewis

David Hernandez

Benjamin Samuel

  • Paritcipated in JV K-8 UNDER 1400 at the 2024 SoCal SuperStates Scholastics Chess Championship.

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