Arizona Chapter

Sandeep founded The Chess Effect in 2020, and was our first coach. He is the youngest International Master in Arizona history, a 3-time National Champion, a Denker co-Champion, and the 2nd highest rated player in Arizona. Sandeep has taught hundreds of free lessons for The Chess Effect, has written articles for Chess Life Magazine, is a Head Coach at Unity Chess Club, and is the Captain of the BASIS Chandler chess team.

Purvit is one of the top high school players in Arizona and has contributed greatly to the BASIS Chandler Chess Team which has placed runners-up twice at National Championships and won 2 State Championships. He has multiple top finishes in State Championships and increased his rating by almost 400 points last year.

Sanjay is the Vice President of the Hamilton High School Chess Team and a top player in the Arizona chess scene. He has been selected for the All-American Team, and even represented the United States at the World Cadet Chess Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. He has had multiple top finishes at Arizona State Championships and represented Arizona at various National Championships.

Kenneth is a former Arizona State Champion with a peak rating of 2171. He has been playing for almost 10 years, and has represented Arizona at the Dewain Barber Tournament of Middle School State Championships and at several National Championships. He is also the President of the Hamilton High School Chess Club and has led them to a State Championship and several top finishes.

Sanjana Ramesh is a representative of Michigan for the Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions and has represented the USA at the World Cadet Chess Championship held in Brazil. She got second place in the Michigan Open and tied for first in the Michigan Junior Championship. In addition, she has been teaching chess to elementary school students, and coached two teams to the Michigan Junior (K-9) Team Championship.

Aaroh has consistently been ranked amongst the top players for his age in Arizona, and is quickly closing in on being an expert. He is a vital part of the BASIS Chandler Chess Team, winning best board 2, and helping them to 2 State Championships and 2 National Championship Runners-ups. He has had a huge rating jump from 1300 to 1800 since entering High School.

Eeshaan is an expert-level player who is a top 3 player in Arizona and a top 70 player in the U.S. aged 17. He has excelled in tournaments, with notable results being two top 6 finishes at National Opens, 6th place at the National Quick Championship, and shared 2nd at the 2021 ChessKid National Championship. He is also the founder and President of the Chess Club at Paradise Valley High School.

Jayden Lee

Coach (Advanced/Intermediate)

Jayden is one of the highest-rated high school players in Arizona and has represented the USA at the World Cadet Chess Championships in Pocos De Caldas, Spain. He was also the 2023 Arizona High School State Champion and represented Arizona at the 2022 Barber Championship of Middle School State Champions and the 2023 Denker Championship of High School State Champions.

Ridhi is a top 15 player for her age group in the United States and the #1 player for her age group in Arizona. She recently won 2nd place at the 2023 KCF U14 All-Girls Nationals Championships. She also took 2nd place at the 2023 Arizona State 7th grade Championship and 8th place at the 2023 Arizona Middle School State Championship. She has also taken top prizes at National-Level Events in here rating category.

Merissa Wongso

Coach (Intermediate/Beginner)

Merissa is the highest-rated female scholastic player in Arizona and a top 10 player for her age in the United States who has represented the USA at the 2019 World Cadet Chess Championships in China, tied for 3rd in her section at the 2022 American Open, and won the Southwest Regional Girls Championship. She was also the 2022 and 2023 Representative for Arizona at the Haring Invitational Tournament of State Champions and the Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational. She is the second board on the Gilbert Classical Academy Chess Team and has led them to a 2nd place finish in the AIA State Championship.

Avinash is a quickly rising player who has improved his USCF regular rating by over 750 points within a year. He has qualified for many national events such as the K-12 Grade Nationals and Las Vegas National Open. He is also a vital part of the BASIS Chandler Chess Team which has won the AIA Division I State Chess Championships twice and is a two-time runners-up in National Championships. He also helped BASIS achieve 5th place at the 2023 FIDE-ISF World School Championships.

Gnana Vardhan Gudla

Coach (Intermediate/Beginner)

Vardhan is a top-rated player for his age in Arizona and is rapidly rising in the rankings. He has amassed over 300 points in the last year to put him close to the expert level, and he has finished at the top at many Scholastic State Championships. He is ranking in the 97th percentile for junior players, 90th percentile for Arizonan players, and in the 92nd percentile overall.

Justin is a top Arizonan junior, being ranked in the top percentile for all 14 year-olds across the United States, and improving his rating by over 350 points within the last calendar year. He has had several recent strong performances in open tournaments such as the National Open, Phoenix Open, Arizona Scholastic State Championships, and the Arizona Spring Training Classic. He is the leader of his local chess club and teaches intermediate and beginning players there.

Ishan Kolukula

Coach (Intermediate/Beginner)

Ishan is one of the highest-rated Arizonans for his age, having reached a peak of 1875 in 136 over-the-board tournaments over 7 years. He is still very active on the chess scene, playing in local events and national tournaments such as the National Open and North American Open. He is currently ranked 122/1572 players in Arizona for all ages and is rapidly rising in that regard.