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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 (July 2023) at Premier Chess Academy, North America(Canada & USA)!

1. Tej Katariya

Tej is a brilliant and hardworking 9-year-old boy. He thrives on challenges and embraces learning with enthusiasm, making him stand out among his peers. Whether he’s gracefully gliding through the pool during his swimming sessions or strategizing his way in chess matches, Tej’s determination and passion are evident in all he does. Not to be underestimated, he also takes on the discipline of karate and cadets honing his skills with dedication and focus. Beyond his impressive pursuits, Tej’s caring nature shines through his deep love and respect for the environment, making him a true eco-friendly champion.”

Coach feedback on Tej :

” Tej is a brilliant kid. He is very hardworking and never misses any of his classes. At such a young age his attitude towards learning new things is just commendable. He is doing very well and is a quick learner. The way he solves the puzzles and gives quick answers that are superb. This is just the beginning and at this point, such type of quality, responding to puzzles and various aspects shows that he will do much better in the future. I feel privileged to have Tej as my student. My best wishes are with him for success in his near future.”

Few games of Tej :

https://lichess.org/nfhzNheP

https://lichess.org/9TiodE9J

https://lichess.org/wXhGdnm9/black

2. Nishk Mendonza

Nishk is a vibrant, quiet, kind and very respectful 8-year-old from Delaware, USA. He enjoys both academics and extracurricular activities and starts fourth grade in Fall 2023. At school, Math is his favorite subject. He also had the lead part in the Odyssey of the Mind team from his school representing the state of Delaware that attended the world finals in Lansing, MI in May 2023. He is an avid swimmer, plays the piano and plays soccer for the Delaware Football Academy Under-9 travel soccer team. Nishk is the reigning silver medalist in Abacus at the National level competition organized by AVAS India. In his free time Nishk enjoys skating, skiing, cubing, riding his bicycle and most of all being a wonderful big brother to his little sibling. Nishk started his journey with chess 2 years ago and quickly fell in love with the game. He spends time watching games of the grandmasters and takes every opportunity to improve his game. Since joining Premier Chess Academy (PCA) under Coach Sarthak Dutta, Nishk has improved his game strategies and consistency. Many thanks to the coaches and staff at PCA that elevate the game for the next generation.”

Coach feedback on Nishk :

Nishk is a calm and cool kid who enjoys chess a lot. His passion for chess is growing day by day. He is very attentive and solves combinations very precisely. He tries to learn from his mistakes and makes sure not to repeat them. If he continues with the same approach then I am sure that Nishk will have an amazing chess career ahead. Good luck for your Chess Career…!! ” 

Few games of Nishk :

https://lichess.org/zWDqPnQl#60

https://lichess.org/4vjTyENu/black#54

https://lichess.org/XXskS6Rq#104

3. Mahith

Mahith is 11 years old and is in 6th grade. He started chess less than a year ago with a dual mind, but his coach Sahil’s techniques to keep kids engaged has helped him to focus and learn new skills. Since then he enjoys playing and also look forward for the classes and tournaments. He is very focused in chess now and progressed well since the start. Apart from chess he likes to play Tennis, Swimming, Video games and Biking with his friends. We are very happy with coach Sahil’s teaching methods and the way he encourages kids to challenge themselves.”

Coach feedback on Mahith :

Mahith a very passionate, focused and an intelligent kid. He is also fun loving and very respectful. He has shown tremendous improvement in his rating 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 Mahith as my student and my best wishes will always follow his path. ”

Few games of Mahith :

https://lichess.org/y3xOjx2q/white#95

https://lichess.org/pUreKkgu/white#56

https://lichess.org/PzwDsEx8/white#28

4. Avyukth Balakannan

Avyukth is 7 Years old and will be going to 2nd Grade. He shows strong interest in learning and improving in Chess, grasps the different concepts in Chess quickly and loves to solve Puzzle Themes.  He’s also passionate about Dinosaurs, Reading Books and Soccer.  Thank You so much to ‘Premier Chess Academy’ for setting the platform to learn Chess with Practice Tournaments and Thank You so much to Coach – ‘Raunak Gupta’ in shaping him better in Chess with continuous Support, Guidance and Motivation.”

Coach feedback on Avyukth :

Avyukth is an intelligent, focused and calm boy. He gives maximum attention during the sessions. He is very consistent in practice tournaments. He is exceptional in applying the concepts that he learns during the class in his games. He is very active in class and responds perfectly whenever asked anything. He never missed any session. His efforts towards chess in such a small age is truly remarkable. I am glad to have Avyukth as my student and I wish him success in Chess and his life as well. God bless him. “

Few games of Avyukth :

https://lichess.org/6mhlcHEP/white

https://lichess.org/vrczxKov/black

https://lichess.org/2w6gCgzk/white

5. Madhavi

Madhavi is an 11 year old girl. She will be in 6th grade and excited to start her middle school. After few months of chess coaching she improved a lot. She started playing with more focus hence winning more games.  Thanks to coach Rakesh for teaching her chess techniques and correcting her mistakes. She plays chess with her parents and grandfather and defeats them frequently. Apart from playing chess she is a voracious reader and also loves to play piano. We hope she becomes an excellent chess player in the future.”

Coach feedback on Madhavi :

Madhavi is a young talented, disciplined, hardworking and enthusiastic kid who pursues to keep on improving herself. She too has a great focus and learning ability, enabling her to perceive new concepts and ideas very quickly. She always actively gets involved in the class activities with full focus and also does her given assignment very well.  She too shows great enthusiasm toward chess and learning in class. Personally, I feel that her greatest ability is her focus and enthusiasm toward learning new things while pursuing to understand the subject matter as clearly as possible by clearing her doubts with raising authentic questions and continuing improving herself. Madhavi parents and grandparents are also very positive toward chess and keeps on supporting her to learn and practice chess. I am very much happy with her improvement. I too wish her a very bright future toward her upcoming chess journey and in real life.”

Few games of Madhavi :

https://lichess.org/FA0RZ3B9/black#28

https://lichess.org/qsCPZm84

https://lichess.org/KM2uTALQ/black#24

6. Prachethan Reddy Reguri

Prachethan Reddy is 9 years old and going to 4th grade. He is a kind and ambitious child. He likes to play chess, his interests other than chess are swimming, playing soccer and playing with his younger brother. He started playing chess 6 months before with Premier Academy and has been doing well. Our great thanks to his coach Miss Prakrati Manodhya for all her helpful guidance and support. “

Coach feedback on Prachethan :

” Prachethan is a very disciplined student, he has the great love for chess. The best quality about him is that He’s always interested in learning new topics, takes active participation in class discussions, he’s good at solving puzzles and enjoys playing games. I wish him all the very best for this future. “

Few games of Prachethan :

https://lichess.org/PVqiixZ6/black#0

https://lichess.org/Et1ETsqP#0

https://lichess.org/yRhIHS2V

7. Aarav Aramanai

Aarav is a 7 years old 2nd grader from San Jose, California. He got introduced to chess during covid lockdown period in an attempt by us to keep him engaged at home. Little did we know that it will become such a passion now. He loves playing chess with us. He likes his chess class group and his coach Mr. Prajwal Gupta. Apart from chess, he likes to read books, build his own Lego creations, enjoys learning tennis and art. He is looking forward to learn more about chess.”

Coach feedback on Aarav :

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

Few games of Aarav :

https://lichess.org/LpyShYAT

https://lichess.org/yyWknelK/black

8. Jasnoor Singh

Jasnoor is 10 years old and heading into 5th grade; he lives in Washington state. He has been interested in chess since he was 6 years old, but his ability and passion have really increased in the 6 months he has been with PCA. We thank his coach Devansh for all the effort he has put into Jasnoor. Aside from chess, Jasnoor enjoys reading books, playing video games with his sister, and going to his soccer classes.”

Coach feedback on Jasnoor :

Jasnoor is a very smart kid, since i started working with him I can see a great improvement in his thinking and puzzle solving skills, he likes to solve the puzzles and play chess, he loves the game and want to improve in it, I hope and wish that he will get better and better in chess. “

Few games of Jasnoor :

https://lichess.org/WnM0FJ2I/black#0

https://lichess.org/SWxdEUWo

https://lichess.org/tjqPb48Z/black

9. Samaaha Ganji

Samaaha is a 10 year old 5th grader. She is enthusiastic and always willing to learn new things. She is kind, caring and loves to make new friends. Samaaha is now a budding expert who loves to read, play chess and enjoy science. Playing piano, doing swimming, art and crafts is something that also excites her. She started her chess classes as a newbie from 2022, and could see tremendous improvement in her game strategies and analysis. Special call out to Sir Rinku Jain for his great efforts, patience and being so supportive at every stage of her learning. It really feels great to see your child’s growth and improvement in such a wonderful and complex game. Kudos to the PCA Team!!”

Coach feedback on Samaaha :

Samaaha is a really talented girl who joins her chess classes on time and spends a lot of time practicing too. I have seen much improvement in her game from the last few months. She likes to solve chess puzzles, learn new strategies and play with strong chess players. She does focus in the class and clear her doubts. She is a good lister who is well disciplined when the coach is explaining the topic. Her dedication and hard work will make her a very strong chess player in future. I wish her all the best for her bright future.”

Few games of Samaaha :

https://lichess.org/y9YGW4h5

https://lichess.org/LfocZuOm

https://lichess.org/5AkrH29F/black

https://lichess.org/Mk4Fludq/black

10. Anay Gupta

Anay Gupta, an ambitious 8-year-old residing in Centennial, Colorado, has already embarked on an exciting journey in the world of chess. His passion for the game was ignited when he enrolled in an after-school program, and since then, his love for chess has only grown. In February 2023, he took his chess prowess to new heights by joining the prestigious Premier Chess Academy, where he was placed in the advanced-beginner level under the guidance of his esteemed coach, Mr. Baibhav Mishra. Anay eagerly looks forward to his practice sessions and weekly lessons, always striving to improve and master the intricate strategies of the game. Beyond chess and an avid reader, he possesses a curious mind, exploring other interests such as Lego robotics, and golf, demonstrating his enthusiasm for learning and challenging himself in various fields. With his determination, diverse interests and amazing guidance from Mr .Baibav we are assured he will reach heights. “

Coach feedback on Anay :

Anay is an extremely hard-working and sincere kid. At such a young age his passion and dedication towards the game is really commendable. He is always ready to learn new concepts and is eager to dive deep into understanding the game. He is a very regular kid and never missed classes nor practice sessions. His performance in this month is praise worthy since apart from analyzing his games and trying to learn from his mistakes Anay has also been “implementing the learned concepts ” in his practice games. He has increased his lichess rating by significant margin and constantly got the top three positions in practice session tournaments which really makes him worthy star of this month. He has also solved a huge amount of puzzles in a short span of time which really proves his commitment towards the game. Hope he continues to perform well and achieve his dreams in the long run. Being a coach I really feel lucky to have Anay as my student and wishing him to have an extremely successful life. “

Few games of Anay :

https://lichess.org/MSNYIuvn

https://lichess.org/K3jVdFGf/black

https://lichess.org/dWcpngwv/black

11. Atharv Girish Surpur

” Atharv is a 6th grader from California. He loves playing chess and soccer. His passion for Chess has grown a lot in the past year after he joined PCA. He enjoys analyzing intricate Chess games of GMs and inculcating the ideas in his own game. He has won many tournaments including the school championship. He uses his analytical and tactical thinking to excel in other sports and academics. Thanks to his coach Arya and PCA friends he has been enjoying the whole experience of growing in the Chess world.”

Coach feedback on Atharv :

” Atharv has improved a lot recently, his USCF rating geared up to 1400 from 1000 (when he started). His tactical skills are admirable, he is capable of finding very unique ideas. His knowledge also gives him an upper hand. Atharv’s consistency in practice has reflected in his improvement. He is always trying to compete against each other, and also in other tournaments. I can confidently say he’s one of my students in PCA! Wish him the very best for his future endeavors.”

Few games of Atharv :

https://lichess.org/6FF2ZyYu  

https://lichess.org/z0stbEMj/black   

https://lichess.org/9FBcXZXo 

12. Maneesh

10 year old, about to enter 6th grade, Maneesh is a vivid reader, quick learner and wonderful entertainer.  Apart from learning chess, he plays viola, rides bike, fights with his brother in leisure. He takes responsibility, behaves well and empathetic to everybody around him. Thank you for teaching him chess & hope he excels in it with PCA coaching.”

Coach feedback on Maneesh :

Maneesh is very curious about learning new concepts.He is always attentive at class. He is focused and tries to find the best moves in puzzle solvings. He has good intuition in chess. Always implements the concepts taught in his games. I wish him a good future in chess and keeps improving to new heights. “

Few games of Maneesh :

https://lichess.org/XKO9fQ8b/white#31

https://lichess.org/7mIN6e1B/black#88

https://lichess.org/wMKQeiX3/white#43

Selection Criteria – July 2023: 

  • 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.