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At Premier Chess Academy (PCA), our vision is to transform kids into the world of chess & support them along the transition. Each and every kid at PCA deserves a special appreciation but we have shortlisted (selection criteria below) the students. Friendly advise, “for student’s those who didn’t make it through – you will make it one day and for those who are the stars of the month – continue the practice as your bar goes up”.

Here we go to recognize the stars of the month (January 2024) at Premier Chess Academy, North America (Canada & USA)!

1. Advaith Vemmenthala

” Advaith is 12-year-old, studying in 7th Grade and lives in Denver, CO. He started learning chess 1yr back and is showing a lot of improvement in learning new chess moves. His coach Mr. Tejas has provided him a lot of confidence and is a constant source of inspiration to him. Advaith tries his best to improve his skills in chess and whenever he gets time plays with his friends. Apart from chess, he loves swimming and playing soccer. We are very glad that we joined Advaith in PCA, and the coach is excellent and motivates him all the time.”

Coach feedback on Advaith:

“Advaith, a player of exceptional focus, engages passionately in every facet of his chess pursuits. His commitment to dedicated practice underscores his understanding of its pivotal role in achieving his goals. Within the intricate moves of his games, Advaith adeptly showcases innovative and creative ideas, a testament to his strategic acumen. His intellectual curiosity is a driving force, evident in his avid exploration of new topics introduced during sessions. Advaith encapsulates considerable potential, and I extend my sincere best wishes for a highly successful career in chess. May your unwavering dedication and creative approach to the game lead you to great achievements, Advaith.”

Few games of Advaith:

https://lichess.org/8W9Evq1a

https://lichess.org/AW1NDMDv

https://lichess.org/NR4kGY9U

2. ANISH PAGADALA

“Anish is 7 years old and is in 1st grade. Anish enjoys chess and has been playing for a few months now. He always looks forward to classes with Coach Ankush and even he practices sessions on weekends. In his free time, he also enjoys doing math and playing guitar 🎸.”

Coach feedback on ANISH:

“Anish is regular in class and also in practice sessions, he is the first one to solve the puzzles in class, He has shown a lot of improvement since he joined, his interest in chess is helping him improve in chess.  I wish him a successful life and keeps on enjoying chess.”

Few games of ANISH:

https://lichess.org/xCuhUyEQ/black

https://lichess.org/Ittcr5vT

https://lichess.org/SAyxpQoK

3. Arjun Munagala

“Arjun is a 5-year-old from Akron, Ohio. His interest in the game was sparked by watching chess games played by the older kids in our community. Arjun’s curiosity led him to take the plunge into learning chess this past summer. Arjun’s passion for chess is boundless, and it’s remarkable how he has taken to the game with such zeal and enthusiasm. His focus and understanding of chess strategies go beyond his tender age, sometimes leaving us all astonished at the depth of his engagement with the game. We are truly grateful for Coach Aniket, whose patient and dedicated guidance have played a pivotal role in shaping Arjun’s journey in chess. Arjun is an avid lego builder, outdoor sports enthusiast and his interest in Carnatic music adds another layer to his diverse set of passions. We look forward to celebrating many more successes with Arjun in the world of chess.”

Coach feedback on Arjun:

” Arjun stands out as an exceptionally passionate and enthusiastic young individual, consistently demonstrating an eagerness to learn and embrace new tactics and strategies. His proactive approach and readiness to face challenges are commendable, showcasing his ability to quickly grasp and apply new concepts. His adherence to instructions and effective implementation of these in the game is a testament to his learning capability. I have no doubt that Arjun’s future is bright and filled with remarkable achievements. “

Few games of Arjun:

https://lichess.org/AXeuawIR/black

https://lichess.org/uyb4bLIc/black#42

https://lichess.org/3kJGQM2z6RlM

4. Arush kumar

“Aarush is 12 years old and is very talented. He dominates not only the chessboard but also excels in soccer, boasting a passion of sports that matches his strategic mind. As a black belt in Karate, he combines mental prowess with physical powers. Beyond the games, he maintains a stellar academic record, consistently earning straight A’s. He is destined to go far in whatever he puts his energy into.”

Coach feedback on Arush:

“Aarush is a strong solid chess player. He is excellent at solving puzzles and spotting opponents’ weaknesses. He is very attentive in classes. I am very happy to see his progress and wish him all the best for his upcoming tournaments.”

Few games of Arush:

https://lichess.org/AMWen3yw/black

https://lichess.org/RvE6s2t1/black#0

https://lichess.org/1gSpow7N

5. Havisha

“Havisha is 8 years old second grader. She is fun loving, energetic, kind and fun-loving kid. She enjoys playing with her friends, brother and sing songs with dad. She started learning chess in second grade and is loving it. Besides chess she also enjoys arts and crafts, traveling. Thank you, Mr. Prajwal Gupta, for all the support and helping her learn and grow.”

Coach feedback on Havisha:

“Havisha has improved a lot in last few months and showing improvement at such a small age is very commendable. My best wishes are with Havisha to do excellent in her life.”

Few games of Havisha:

https://lichess.org/N8XtpPpC/black

https://lichess.org/2UmYKZjp

https://lichess.org/Gifipv41/black

6. Jace Sam

“Jace Sam is 10 years old, studying in 4th grade, and residing in Bloomington IL. He plays soccer and is a member of the local traveling club for last 4 years. He recently reached the milestone of 100 goals for the club. Jace used to play chess occasionally and joined Premier Chess Academy 3 months back to acquire more knowledge to compete effectively. He is eager to learn new techniques in chess and appreciate the help from the coach.”

Coach feedback on Jace:

“Jace is ultra-active kid who is eager to learn new things. He learns things quickly and his attitude towards solving the problems is praiseworthy. He gives full attention on what is being taught to him and tries to implement new techniques in his game. He is a good footballer as well. As a coach i wish he achieve every height of success in chess and his life, God bless him.”

Few games of Jace:

https://lichess.org/hOrrcRjh

https://lichess.org/wuxze4QS/black

https://lichess.org/ZJxCitv5

7. Jemil Patel

“I’m 13 years old, studying in 7th grade. I live in Minnesota, and I started chess when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My influencers are my dad and my coach. My goal in chess is to become a grand master someday. Other than chess I love math and science because it’s like solving puzzles, once you learn it’s less likely that you will make the same mistake again.

“In chess you lose, but I count that as a win because from that loss I have learned not to make the same mistake again” – Jemil.

Coach feedback on Jemil:

“Jemil a very passionate, focused and intelligent kid. He is also fun loving and very respectful. He has shown good signs of improvement in his gameplay in the last few months. He participates regularly in the practice sessions and weekly tournaments and has strong zeal to learn from his past mistakes. He learns everything with dedication, and he can grasp things very quickly and easily. His progress has been very fast with consistency. He is doing great, and I hope will do great in the future. Being a coach I’m very happy to have Jemil as my student and my best wishes will always follow his path.”

Few games of Jemil:

https://lichess.org/uvuaE5Yg/white#40

https://lichess.org/ebLn802n/white#67

https://lichess.org/J9NVIJ3w/white#45

8. Kabir

“Kabir is an 8-year-old boy who is enthusiastic about cricket and wants to be a professional cricketer when he grows up. He is a natural talent with a passion for the game. He is also a hard worker and is always willing to learn new things. Kabir showed interest in chess, so we enrolled him at PCA. He has been playing chess for almost a year.”

Coach feedback on Kabir:

“Kabir loves his coach and colleagues at the PCA and is always eager to learn from them. Kabir recently reached the milestone of 1000 points on lichees, and he was super happy. I am sure this was not possible without support from coach Venkat.”

Few games of Kabir:

https://lichess.org/k8cr6WC8/black#88

https://lichess.org/W3JJtoyx/black#114

https://lichess.org/xUJFYyia#21

9. Kiara Naomi Ganesh

” Kiara is 7 years old and enjoys the game of chess. She was introduced to the game when she was 5 and her interest peaked after she enrolled in Premier Chess Academy. She is improving her game leaps and bounds – thanks to her coach. She aims to play for a long time and eventually create a mark in Women’s chess. Her idol in chess are Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. She likes to watch Gotham Chess videos in YouTube and solve puzzles.”

Coach feedback on Kiara:

“Kiara is very passionate about chess. She never loses hope neither She stopped herself from practicing chess. She listens to everything that is being taught in the class. She improved a lot during the time period. The way She deals with tactical situations is quite good. I hope she will be doing great in upcoming times. I really want to see her progress in the upcoming chess tournaments, and I wish her all the very best for her bright future…!” 

Few games of Kiara:

https://lichess.org/hKgzVCoD#0

https://lichess.org/TC8BusJt#0

https://lichess.org/pw26rMZP/black#0

10. Krithaan Reddy Manik

“He is 7 years old. He loves to play soccer and chess. He is kind and friendly to be around. Krithaan plays Chess with a lot of enthusiasm and interest. He plays chess mostly in Liches.”

Coach feedback on Krithaan:

“krithaan is an enthusiastic, kind and active kid. he is very concentrated during sessions and always tries his best.I am really impressed with his performance. Really happy to have a student Like krithaan wishing kid all the best.”

 

Few games of Krithaan:

https://lichess.org/xVhRT7dj

https://lichess.org/1r7mHQR0

https://lichess.org/muKSheSm

11.Nameer Issani

“Nameer is a 12-year-old Canadian student with a passion for sports and mathematics. He started playing chess at the age of 6 and has since found immense joy in pursuing this board game. Coach Arya has been an invaluable mentor, supporting Nameer’s chess development and helping him realize his potential. Nameer’s gratitude goes out to Coach Arya for his unwavering support and guidance.”

Coach feedback on Nameer:

“Nameer had a goal since he had joined the classes, and he is working his way on it every day with dedication! He is very knowledgeable and finds unique ideas. He has won lots of tournaments already and is pushing for more! His dedication towards improving consistency in practice has been reflected in his advancement. He is always trying to compete against each other, and in other tournaments. He has a familial lineage about chess minds, his cousins, sister everyone plays chess! Wish him the very best for his future endeavors.”

Few games of Nameer:

https://lichess.org/ucO7jrZU

https://lichess.org/9llNgoU3

https://lichess.org/8B4T7JEi

12.Nerko Pulian

“Nerko, at the age of 11, is currently enrolled in the 5th grade. His affinity for chess was cultivated at the tender age of 6 when he commenced playing the game alongside his father. Presently, he is engaged in a beginner online class under the guidance of Mr. Rakshan through Premier Chess Academy (PCA).Nerko derives immense pleasure from playing chess and actively participates in tournaments to further enhance his skills. Rakshan’s unwavering support has enabled Nerko to acquire a plethora of new techniques, bringing him closer to achieving the necessary points for progression to the next level.In expressing gratitude, Nerko extends heartfelt thanks to his coach and the entire PCA team for their invaluable support, which has been instrumental in his growth and progress.”

Coach feedback on Nerko:

” Nerko’s growth is all due to his discipline of following up things, attending the sessions regularly and playing practice games regularly. He has always been calm during the game despite the result and his patience and determination has rewarded him. He is a great kid with a passion towards chess and discipline towards life. I wish the best for his future endeavors. “

Few games of Nerko:

https://lichess.org/wZcqXGRx#37

https://lichess.org/V70l1kt1#33

https://lichess.org/2jA21kQb#63

13. Raudhraram Reddy Mylarapu

“Raudhraram Reddy Mylarapu, is 9 years old and studying in 3rd Grade in public School, Ashburn city, of Virginia State. He is very focused and passionate to learn new things. He enjoys playing Chess a lot. Raudhra has joined PCA on September 2023 as an absolute beginner. Since then, he has improved his game a lot under the guidance of Coach Mr. Viswanath. He stood 2nd and 3rd positions in PCA practice sessions couple of times and mostly maintains below 10th positions in many practice sessions. We, as the parents of Raudhra would like to appreciate Coach Mr. Viswanath for his impactful training sessions, dedication, creating healthy competition between the kids, and his teaching style of making sure that every kid understands the topics & Game. Raudhra is also learning Abacus and loves to play basketball. We thank PCA and Coach Mr. Viswanath for all the kinds of support and helpful guidance.”

Coach feedback on Raudhra :

“Raudhra is one of my favorite students who is obedient and regular in my sessions. He used to grasp the concepts quickly and make things so easy for me as a coach. The consistency of Raudhra makes him achieve success in all the games. I wish him all the very best for his future.”

Few games of Raudhra :

https://lichess.org/tpbAm8AD/black

https://lichess.org/YMTsU37F/black

https://lichess.org/ZjyIGbDT

14. Kalp Patel 

“Kalp is 8 years old, third grader from Dubin, Ohio. He loves to think, apply his logic and solve any kind of puzzles. He is quick learner and started getting interest in chess after playing with his dad at the age of 6. Apart from chess, he loves to play soccer, play outdoors with his friends, riding bike and play Xbox. Kalp is very kindhearted and loves to help not only his parents but whoever ask for help. He spends his spare time playing chess on lichess, keep learning new strategies and keep increasing his score or solve Rubix cube to avoid screentime. His aim is to reach advance level as soon as he can. Kalp is full of energy and enthusiasm in learning chess and always waits for his next class for chess. He also loves his coach Devansh and always admires him. Thanks to the coach Devansh.”

Coach feedback on Kalp:

“Kalp is very smart and intelligent kid, since i started working with him i saw constant improvement in his puzzle solving and calculation skills. He is a quick learner and also a great observer of the game, he can quickly find the patterns and understand what’s going on over the chess board, apart from the puzzles and games he is very attentive in the class and always comes up with interesting ideas. I wish him all the best for chess, academics and sports.”

Few games of Kalp:

https://lichess.org/vvpXp7i3/black

https://lichess.org/m6hdENV1/black#28

https://lichess.org/zuBDslAa/black

15. Sameeksha Karthick

“Sameeksha is a caring, thoughtful, beautiful, understanding and a sweet 13 years old girl with lots of love and compassion for other people. She makes everyone around her feel happy. She loves nature. She is a quick learner. Apart from excelling in subjects, she likes a lot to dance and sing songs. She has excellent artistic skills, very good at drawing, painting, crafts work, etc. Before joining PCA, she had very less to no exposure to playing chess games. Ever since she joined PCA, she plays Chess with a lot of enthusiasm and interest. I would dedicate my sincere thanks to her coach Mr. Narendiran who has really been a very polite and encouraging teacher. He makes Chess learning more enjoyable. Without her coach’s motivation, I doubt she would have learned so much in a short span of time. Looking forward to her journey to learn this highly intellectual game with PCA.”

Coach feedback on Sameeksha:

“Sameeksha is a quick learner and as always active in the class. She had shown a consistent performance. Very punctual in attending the classes, submitting assignments etc. She’s very interested in learning new tactics and likes to solve puzzles and always comes up with different variations. I wish all the very best for her upcoming achievements in this chess journey and a Happy New Year 2024.”

Few games of Sameeksha:

https://www.chess.com/game/live/98916883185?username=samiat2710

https://www.chess.com/game/live/98918715333?username=samiat2710

https://www.chess.com/game/live/98919963217?username=samiat2710

16. Sivesh Nagarajan

“Sivesh is a 8-year-old 3rd grader. Sivesh is very fond of chess. He continues to put great effort in learning new strategies. He always likes to be challenged and he responds to those challenges passionately. He regularly extends his learning beyond lessons by practicing more to improve the areas that he lags. He got inspired by his brother to join chess class and started liking chess much more than earlier. Thank you for your contribution in his success.”

Coach feedback on Sivesh:

“Sivesh is a very passionate and enthusiastic kid. He loves to learn chess. I can see his improvement by attending Practice sessions. He follows the instructions and tries to implement them in games. I wish him a very bright future Ahead.”

Few games of Sivesh:

https://lichess.org/oOVlwj4R/black 

https://lichess.org/FxBbdLgc 

https://lichess.org/vWn00UKH/black

17. Srihas Vunguturi

“Srihas Vunguturi is 8 years old, studying 3rd grade and living in Placentia, California. He is always energetic and wanting to engage himself in learning new things. He likes doing Mathematics very much and interested in watching science related documentaries, such as National Geographic. He is holding Jr black belt in Taekwondo. He started learning chess from her sister and built an interest for the game over the years. Every time we have house guests it is entertaining to watch him ask them to play chess with him and being a good sport helping them if they are stuck in a position. At home we always see him very excited while attending PCA online chess class. He likes all his PCA teachers particularly Mr. Kunal who he has learned a lot from.”

Coach feedback on Srihas  :

“Srihas Vunguturi is a dedicated and enthusiastic learner, displaying a profound passion for chess. His commitment to understanding and implementing the topics covered in class is commendable. Srihas actively engages in discussions, showcasing a strong desire to absorb knowledge and improve his skills. His participation in practice sessions and weekly tournaments, coupled with a keen willingness to learn from mistakes, distinguishes him. Srihas has developed a solid understanding of the game, and his continuous growth makes him a promising player for the future. With proper training and encouragement, I believe Srihas Vunguturi has the potential to achieve significant success in his chess journey. My best wishes are always with Srihas.”

Few games of Srihas :

https://lichess.org/eULPqJCg/black

https://lichess.org/kVFDgAng/black

https://lichess.org/Hw1zw3Mk/black

18. Sudiksha Kottha 

“A little about Sudiksha: Sudiksha Kottha, a bright and enthusiastic 8-year-old in 3rd grade lives in Delaware state, has shown a remarkable passion for chess. Her journey began with learning the basic moves from her Dad and then has quickly progressed to mastering strategies in PCA. Beyond the chessboard, she enjoys activities like mind games that challenge her strategic thinking, solving Rubik’s cube within 30 seconds and swimming. Thanks to Aniket’s expert coaching, she is quickly advancing in the world of chess, demonstrating both talent and a love for the game. Her dedication and enthusiasm for the game promise a bright future in her chess endeavors.”

Coach feedback on Sudiksha:

“Sudeeksha shows excellent strategic thinking and demonstrates a strong understanding of chess principles. She continuously practicing tactical puzzles to enhance her calculation skills and maintain focus during longer games. Overall, she’s making great progress!” She is a very passionate and enthusiastic kid. He loves to learn chess. I can see his improvement by attending Practice sessions. He follows the instructions and tries to implement them in games. I wish him a very bright future Ahead.” 

Few games of Sudiksha:

https://lichess.org/9YM4fqCU/black 

https://lichess.org/VqybMGfg 

https://lichess.org/8LYbwAgN/black

19. Vaishnavi Soni

“Vaishnavi is 9 years old and studying in 4th grade. She is an enthusiastic, happy, fun loving kid. She loves to read various fiction and non-fiction books, play with lego and swim. Last year Vaishnavi showed interest in learning Chess, so we enrolled her in PCA. Now Vaishnavi spends most of her free time playing chess or watching the same on youtube. A special thanks to coach Sathwik.”

Coach feedback on Vaishnavi:

“I have been watching Vaishnavi develop right from the basics to a point where she now understands and analyzes all chess moves. Since I too took Vaishnavi’s trial, I had complete faith in her ability to succeed from the first day. Vaishnavi’s gameplay, particularly her opening, is her strongest suit and even her puzzle solving speed ad accuracy. I’m hoping for the best for her moving forward.”

Few games of Vaishnavi:

https://lichess.org/bZdVPQJf

https://lichess.org/KkZrDHeh/

https://lichess.org/IlLrzFmF

Selection Criteria – January 2024: 

  • Regular in class and practice sessions.
  • Displaying improvement in practices to reach top 3 positions.
  • Puzzle solving and tactics findings in regular class.
  • Generate quest in chess and regular in assignments.
  • Over all – Passion is evident in class, practices, puzzle solving etc.