Good morning chess players, it’s officially September and we’re back for another round of Bushwick Chess. Last week’s Club Blitz tested some of our stronger players, of which many will be playing at this years Chess Club Olympiad on 9/26.

Reminder! Tonight is the bi-monthly Premiere Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for nine rounds of 3|2 Blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Premiere Tournaments are the ultimate test, with a healthy mix of free casual play alongside every week.

Yesterday, we received interest in most parties and a handful of new teams looking to play in this years biggest tournament in Brooklyn, set to take over Troutman Open Streets on September 26th 2-7pm. Players and spectators can expect the largest scale we’ve put on yet. Of the teams confirmed, Prospect Park, Bushwick, Astoria, and Williamsburg Chess will bring three teams each, totaling 94 players overall. With the inclusion of returning clubs like GP Chess Club, Chess Chat, NYU Chess, we will also see some newcomers like Chess Mates, Union Square Bughouse Team and Najee-Ana Walthrust’s first ever NYC Women’s Team.

The 2026 NYCC Olympiad is looking to be something we’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of our journey together as a chess community. While the deadline has closed for the statement of interest phase, we’re leaving the door open for last minute sign ups until this Friday, 9/4 so teams can submit payments and team names.

Our next big deadline is 9/14, the date in which all chess clubs attending the NYCC Olympiad must announce their full player roster of eight players per team. Emails will be sent out this Friday to all final attendees

Our Crescendo To Fall

At last week’s August Club Blitz, we saw 27 players across two sections competing for glory and the microcelebrity of the Nook podium. In the Open Section, 19 players faced off with an average rating of 1705 NYCR. Newcomer Evan Chowdhury put up a strong fight against the usual suspects, but in a show of tested strength the usuals took on fierce laurels at the finish. Top Player went to FM Juan Pereyra on a perfect 7/7, finishing the event rated 2344 NYCR. Second Place went to 1861 rated Najee-Ana Walthrust on 6/7, losing only to FM Juan Pereyra and gaining 51 rating to hit 1912. Third Place went to 1897 rated Atharva Washimkar on 4.5/7, also pushing past 1900 to end the event rated 1910 NYCR.

Top Unrated went to newcomer Evan Chowdhury on 4/7, finishing the event rated 1844. U2000 went to 1725 rated Nirupam Kushalnagar on 4/7, ending rated 1741. U1800 went to 1655 rated Benjamin Douglass on 4/7, ending rated 1750.

The U1600 section saw a lighter crowd with eight players competing, rated on average 1450 NYCR. 1402 rated Elisha Amadasu won the section on 6/7, finishing rated 1500. U1600 Second Place went to 1356 rated Felix Phillips on 6/7 losing only to Elisha Amadasu, finishing the event rated 1466. U1600 Third Place went to 1524 rated Daniel Wang on 4.5/7, ending rated 1514.

You can find the full cross table HERE.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players, it’s almost showtime. Bushwick Chess is fielding three teams of eight across all three divisions for this years upcoming NYC Chess Club Olympiad, and tonight we’re gearing up for the first of two finale tests to decide who in fact are our best players for the job. The monthly August Club Blitz tonight, along with next week’s nine-round 3|2 Premiere Blitz, will showcase who is in best shape as the deadlines for the fourth annual Olympiad near.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for seven rounds of 5|2 Blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Monthly Club Rapid/Blitz split into Open and U1600 sections to encourage a healthy mix of casual and competitive play.

All teams must be accounted for by next Monday 8/31 along with each chess club required to fully lock in all eight players in up to three teams by Monday 9/14. While invitations to our 2025 clubs have already occurred we’re seeing interest by returning and newcomer teams alike, so if you think you’ve got what it takes to challenge us in the Open, Challengers or Casual divisions we have a place for your chess club.

With deadlines and information dumps coming like a storm ahead of the NYC Chess Club Olympiad, we’re ensuring to get readers their dose of data from the club goings nonetheless. Last week we took over the newsletter to discuss who has played for Bushwick Chess over the years. Today, let’s take a look at how things faired at our monthly Club Rapid.

August Club Rapid Hits Another High

At the August Club Rapid two weeks ago, we saw almost 40 players facing off in two sections for our monthly test of strength. The whole house saw some healthy combat, with the U1600 section seeing an average strength of 1465, with the Open section hitting 1767 averaging rating. After five rounds and a dog named Apple later, FM Juan Pereyra came out on top with a score of 4.5/5, drawing only his talented pupil Jack Nugent in the final round, securing Top Player and ending the night rated 2400 NYCR. Second Place went to Adam Serota who finished with 4/5, ending the night rated 2036. Third Place went to 1817 rated Hendrik De Cuyper on 4/5, gaining 20 rating for the troubles.

U2000 went to 1888 rated Jack Nugent on 3.5/5, ending the event rated 1913 NYCR. Top Unrated went to Williamsburg Chess player Marcus Sutton on 3/5, finishing the event rated 1858. U1800 went to 1685 rated Ben Smith on 3/5, ending the night rated 1706.

The U1600 section saw 1593 rated Adam Rosenfeld graduate the section once again after a perfect 5/5 performance brought him to 1639 NYCR. U1600 Second Place went to 1454 rated Cameron Stanfill on 4/5, gaining 67 rating. U1600 Third Place went to Bundesliga Captain, 1473 rated George Rodnikov with a score of 3.5/5, ending the night rated 1507. You can see the full cross table HERE.

Apple won Top Dog, a completely unanimous decision.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

By Micah Jameson

In September 2023, I tried to do what I became known for in the nyc chess world, organize an event while also playing in it. I played for board eight in the first ever NYC Chess Club Olympiad, at the time hosted in the esports bar known as BrookLAN (2026 gentrifiers won’t get the nuanced reference). Notably my number one contribution that year, outside of inventing the Chess Club Olympiad, was to do a king takes against Prospect Park’s Karan Iyer, but ultimately learning the ropes.

Attention! Tonight is Club Night at Bushwick Chess. Come out to Nook 45 Irving from 7-11pm for free play all night.

I had never thrown on a tournament of this size as it was a sixty-four player eight team affair, and so the muddled waters of three time formats, accumulative scoring and lost recordings all made for an extremely exciting story to be told across bars, cafes and chess clubs for years to come.

In 2023, chess was already starting to boom. Our club went from ten or so players a week to 20-30 quickly, and stories from Prospect Park Chess sounded off similar success. Their 2023 victory against Bushwick Chess in tiebreaks made for the type of story you like to tell, even if it meant losing the crown. I became closer friends with almost everyone in that tournament and our little community of 64 players has almost doubled as we near the fourth annual event.

2024 saw a total of nine teams of eight, two more than the year before with 2025 moving into a huge two section event with 12 teams. Each year has seen at least two teams joining the fray and with a third section in 2026 we’re looking at a potential 120+ player tournament.

Board 1 2023-Present

Our top board in 2023 was Alan Morris-Suzuki, a high school senior who genuinely could not be beaten over the board. The one time I saw him facing Grandmaster Aleksander Lenderman, he declined a draw offer with 17 seconds on the clock and decided to push for the win anyways, but didn’t have enough time to convert. He has also the honor of somehow scoring 3-1 against IM Kassa Korley over three years of NYC Chess Club Olympiads. Alan went on to play for Astoria Chess in 2024 and 2025 with college and life moving him back towards his home turf. In 2024 ICN’s NM Alexis Paredes took over the mantle after moving from North Brooklyn Chess and establishing himself as the to-beat player, with FM Juan Pereyra taking the reigns of Bushwick Chess board one in 2025.

Board 2

As the years went by, stronger players took the mantle our team. Board 2 in 2023 went to NM Danny Vulis, a continued titan at Bushwick Chess from the very early days. Danny is one of New York’s top chess tutors in the city, and still frequents the club regularly. 2024 saw NM Michael Finneran take over board 2, with three time Bushwick Chess Olympiad player NM Aakaash Meduri scooping up board 2 in 2025.

Board 3

NM Aakaash Meduri begins the tradition to play on Bushwick Chess’ Olympiad team three years in a row, with his first appearance as Board 3 in 2023. In 2024 NM Danny Vulis played Board 3 but couldn’t make 2025, so newcomer and Australian expert Simon Schmidt took the spot.

Board 4

Board four has always been tricky as the club evolved and the tournament became stronger. Kirill Agishev, the forever u1800 at the club took Board 4 in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, it was Adi Kumar who found his way to our coveted Board 4 with a 1937 NYCR taking precedent at the time.

Board 5

Nick Marino, the sweet prince who was lost. Bushwick Chess has a retention problem. Marino took Board 5 in 2023, but it was 1773 rated Najee-Ana Walthrust who thrust into the position in 2024. By 2025, Nick Marino transferred to Prospect Park Chess after falling in love with the enemy (and his future wife) so it was Atharva Washimkar in the seat rated 1862.

Board 6

Our second three-year player started out as board 6 in 2023. Najee-Ana Walthrust’s growth as a chess player is absolutely terrifying if you’ve been paying attention. Nick Marino swapped spots with her by 2024, but Najee returned to board 6 in 2025 rated 1855 at the time. She’s now in talks to form her own team in 2026 but more news about that later…

Board 7

“A thousand years of Bushwick Chess” say’s our Bundesliga Captain and 2023 Board 7 player George Rodnikov, who became a close friend over the years and our housing benefactor for the epic 2025 Reykjavik Open. But by 2024 the average rating of the seat soared with 1732 rated Atharva Washimkar taking the seat. 2025 saw an even bigger boost when 1856 rated WFM Nino Jalagonia took board 7, noted as maybe an improper spot for the Georgian Woman FIDE Master who went 7-1 that year.

Board 8

And now we get to me, Micah Jameson. My role as a player has only extended to that first year in 2023 though I remained a substitute, with Jimmy Barroso snagging the spot in 2024. Wildly, 2025 saw 1809 rated (at the time) Kirill Agishev, board four in 2023 take over Board 8, putting him as the third and final three time Bushwick Chess player and becoming a looming sign that the gates of an average rating were finally starting to crack as we entered our senior year of 2026…

Final thoughts: God I Love Chess Players. It’s been an honor serving the community of New York Chess since 2021, watching each and every one of you grow into something bigger than an individual. A dear friend recently said “I don’t care about winning, I’m doing it for the love of chess.” I counter this sentiment to say I have always been doing it for the love of chess players like you. Thanks to two time champs Prospect Park Chess, Astoria Chess, Williamsburg Chess, North Brooklyn Chess Club, Chess Meet, Ridgewick Chess, Queers Gambit, Renegades, Park Slope Chess, Daily Press Chess, NYU Chess Club, Bishops Pair, GP Chess Club, Chess Chat, Sapphics For The Bush and all our second teams from 2023-25.

With even more clubs joining this year and 24 seats to fill for our club alone, we welcome everyone with open arms. Much love chess players.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another week of Bushwick Chess. We’re pushing our way into the second rapid tournament of August tonight with our regular Club Rapid, with the second half of August lending toward a rest before back to back blitz tournaments to decide the final players of the THREE Bushwick Chess teams for the upcoming NYC Chess Club Olympiad. We have a few names locked in across the 24 open slots, and as we close into the official date to lock in our teams roster on 9/14 the club will look over who’s on top and active.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Rapid Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for five rounds of 10|2 Rapid Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Monthly Club Rapid/Blitz split into Open and U1600 sections to encourage a healthy mix of casual and competitive play.

While invitations have been sent out to all 2025 competitors across all twelve teams, we’re inviting more players into the fold in 2026. Along with a potential three teams from the likes large clubs Prospect Park, Bushwick Chess, Astoria Chess and Williamsburg Chess, the other clubs from last year may also have more than one team. NYU Chess Club, GP Chess, Chess Chat, Sapphics For the Bush and 2025 Challenger Champs Bishops Pair have all been invited.

When you add confirmed team Check Mates, our sister club at Common Mollie’s every Thursday 7pm, along with murmurs of more new names attending it’s safe to say this year will be the largest tournament we have put on to date. We’re aiming at dropping more information every week until Team Submission closes on Monday 8/31.

That being said we’re ready to talk shop. Let’s get into last weeks results.

Premiere Rapid Winners Share Gold

At last week’s Premiere Rapid, the second of it’s iteration saw 24 players compete in a slower three round 15|10, rated an average of 1523 NYCR. With ten decisive games in round one, 1773 rated Nick Marino faced off against top seed 1886 Jack Nugent on board one in round two. Marino went on to win against 1601 Christian Dittmeier to finish 3/3, gaining 27 rating to finish 1800 NYCR. Only 1886 rated Dmitry Redkin, a returning player from the January Club Rapid, finished the event with 3/3 as well, finishing rated 1969. You can see full results HERE.

A couple fun facts! Ten players from the January Rapid attend both events, almost a 50% double attendance. Marino and Redkin also tied in their third game of the January Rapid, meaning the two share gold among two fronts. This is just like the Magnus Nepomniatchi thing.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another week of recaps, updates and more. Below you can find a list of all our events this month. Join us for a mix of competitive and casual every Tuesday.

Reminder! Tonight is our bimonthly Premiere Rapid at Bushwick Chess. Join us Tonight 7pm for three rounds of 15|10 slower rapid chess. $20 split prize for Top Player(s). Casual Free Play alongside all night.

At last week’s July Club Blitz, we saw one of our strongest competitions to date as we close in toward the NYCR Chess Club Olympiad in September. While the usual club player strength say around 1900, some strong competition hit the scene to test our top players.

Newcomers like Adam Serota and Ronan McDermott joined one of NYCR’s top performers, FM Abimbola Osunfuyi for a serious competition for first. With the likes of FM Juan Pereyra, FM Will Graif and WCM Madeline Weber regulars holding the high ground the event proved to be a remarkable test of strength. In fact, four of the NYU Chess Club team from 2025 NYCR Chess Club Olympiad were in attendance to test their skills.

The first round saw McDermott drawing FM Osunfuyi, with the rest of the leader pack scoring, but in round two saw FM Pereyra draw Marshall player Brandon Vila and FM Graif took to the front through round three until a loss against FM Osunfuyi brought the halfway mark to two front row leaders.

In the U1600, we saw 16 players averaging 1467 NYCR face off for first. After round four, Justin Choi led the pack with newcomer Ann Zhang right behind on 3.5/4. Zhang went on to beat the 1530 rated player in round 5 and take lead in the U1600.

But two draws from FM Pereyra against both FM Osunfuyi and FM Graif created a final scramble for first place. By the time the dust settled in round 7, all three players had a score of 5.5/7. After tiebreaks were considered, a head to head matchup put FM Abimbola Osunfuyi in first place with the only victory amongst the three, taking home Top Player and gaining a single rating point for the troubles at 2262 NYCR. FM Juan Pereyra came in second with draws against both comrades, ending at 2328 NYCR. Third place went to FM William Graif on 5.5/7 as well, with only a loss against FM Osunfuyi costing the head to head tiebreak score. Graif ended up 11 rating to end at 2254 NCYR.

Top Unrated went to newcomer Adam Serota on 4.5/7, the only person to break out of the pack and finished rated 2035 NCYR. U2000 went to 2025 NYU Olympiad player Jess Hoffman on 4/7, gaining 47 rating to end 1878 NYCR. U1800 went to Nirupam Kushalnagar on 4/7, who also claimed the Upset prize to end the night rated 1725 NYCR.

The U1600 section saw Ann Zhang’s lead continue to become Top Player, finishing the night with 6.5/7 and rated 1563 NYCR. U1600 Second Place went to returning player Hector Corea on 5/7, finishing rated 1576 NYCR. U1600 Third Place went to 1419 rated Ben Bar on 4.5/7 after drawing the section leader, finishing rated 1445 NYCR. You can see the full tournament crosstable HERE.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players, we’re back for another night of games.

Last week, Bushwick Chess saw the first time tournament entry of one of if not the New York’s most renowned chess boxer FM William Graif at the Club Rapid Tournament. This week, we train our speed chess skills for the monthly seven round Club Blitz which features the same time control of the annual NYCR Olympiad set for September 26th. With only a handful of tournaments left before the event the club is grinding to decide who will play for the team this year.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for seven rounds of 5|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

We’re sending out our first round of invitations this week for the Fourth Annual NYCR Chess Club Olympiad to all previous teams from 2023-25, along with opening the door to a host of newcomer clubs. If you would like to hear more information or want your club invited, please email bushwickchess@gmail.com for more information.

» 2024 NYCR Chess Club Olympiad

» 2025 NYCR Chess Club Olympiad

The Regular Crowd Shuffles In

At the July Club Blitz, 28 players across two sections faced off against one another for glory amongst peers. The Open Section averaged 1883 NYCR among the 15 players with three strong newcomers, while the u1600 section saw 13 players averaging 1385 NYCR with three newcomers.

2214 rated FM William Graif joined the fray for the first time in a locally rated event, and faced 2387 rated FM Juan Pereyra in the third round with both players on a perfect 3/3. In a tense back and forth game, the two masters fought out a long, challenging endgame but FM Graif flagged in a dead drawn position.

After two more wins in round four and five against fellow clubmates, FM Juan Pereyra finished the night as Top Player with a score of 5/5, putting the to-beat player at the club at an astonishing 2410 NYCR. Second place went to Jack Nugent after a huge upset against Graif in the final round, finishing 4/5 and gaining 48 rating to hit 1898 NYCR. Najee-Ana Walthrust took third place on 3.5/5, gaining 33 rating finishing 1881 NYCR.

U2000 went to 1857 rated Atharva Washimkar on 3.5/5, gaining 19 rating. U1800 went to 1773 rated and newlywed Nick Marino, finishing 3/5 and gaining exactly zero rating. Top Unrated went to newcomer Nare Khachatryan who bested some serious talent to finish 3/5, ending the night rated 1996 NYCR!

The u1600 event saw sharp play too, with u1600 first place going to 1392 rated Jeffery Ho on 4/5, finishing the event rated 1443. u1600 second place went to Brooks Harris on 4/5, ending rated 1374. u1600 third place went to Justin Choi on 3.5/5, finishing rated 1543 NYCR.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Rapid Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for five rounds of 10|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Monthly Club Rapid/Blitz will now split into Open and U1600 sections to encourage a healthy mix of casual and competitive play more regularly.

Seven players returned from last months event to attend the Summer Premiere Blitz. 2077 NYCR NM Danny Vulis and June Rapid winner Atharva Washimkar rated 1971 NYCR led the field of returning players. Kirill Agishev, Ben Smith, Justin Choi, Jesse Fast and Ben Bar also joined the fray, finishing in similar placements as before.

But three highlight players bested the field in the Summer Blitz, with returning club champion Argentinian FIDE Master Juan Pereyra taking first place with a perfect 9/9 score, finishing the event rated 2335 NYCR. Brian Wilmeth showed again an astounding performance against the field since his perfect score at the January Club Rapid of 2025, finishing the event on 7/9 rated 2043. WCM Maddie Weber took third place with 6.5/9, finishing the event rated 2057.

U2000 went to Atharva Washimkar on 5.5/9, finishing rated 1958. U1800 went to 1721 rated Kirill Agishev on 5.5/9, gaining 19 points. U1600 went to 1557 rated Greg Feliu on 5.5/9 who also gained the Upset prize finishing rated 1620 NYCR. U1400 went to Brook Harris on 5/9, finishing rated 1413. Top Unrated went to Sava Sobur on 4/9, finishing rated 1519. You can see the full crosstable HERE.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another week of Bushwick Chess. This week we’re taking a pause on the full article, but wanted to send out our updates nonetheless. Next week we’re getting into the Summer Premiere Blitz, future updates and more but tonight is all about the friends we made along the way.

Below you can find the full 2 hour, 22 minutes and 22 second tournament (angel numbers yay) tournament posted on our Youtube Channel. If you haven’t, please take a second to subscribe to the channel, like and comment on our vids to help boost our content.

Next week 7/21, Bushwick Chess meets for our monthly Club Rapid Tournament. Join us for five rounds of 10|2 rapid next Tuesday. 7/28 will feature our Club Blitz Tournament.

Much love chess players. See you over the board TONIGHT for some friendly games and conversation.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another week of chess. The summer speed chess season kicked off last week for the June Club Blitz. This event marked the first tournaments for the second half of 2026 in both rapid and blitz formats, with the Pride Month Rapid honoring the first tournament of summer on June 23rd. While the Pride Rapid saw 31 players rated an average of 1560 NYCR, the June Club Blitz set a new standard with an average rating of 1593 NYCR across the 27 players.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Premiere Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for nine rounds of 3|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

With two events in the books, we’re looking forward to TONIGHT where some of our best will convene for the tournament for speed demons of all ratings. The Premiere Blitz will feature our returning 9 round 3|2 format, which has not been seen since last September when Aidan Ahram bested the field after a win against FM Juan Pereyra tied the players for first, with Ahram losing only to Atharva Washimkar.

But let’s catch up with last weeks event before we delve further into the history books of Bushwick Chess.

June Club Blitz Fireworks Pregame

As mentioned, the June Club blitz saw 27 players across two sections put up a fight for first. Averaging at 1896 NYCR in the Open and 1368 NYCR in the U1600, the competition across both sections seemed like a solid challenge. In round 3 and with black pieces, 2270 NYCR NM Alex Fikiet scored a crucial victory against 2310 rated FM Juan Pereyra after a tense battle in a Queens Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Variation. FM Pereyra recaptured the c pawn on move 6 (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 a6 4. a4 Nc6 5. e3 Bg4 6. Bxc4), and both parties castled by move ten.

Just after, Pereyra pushes the e pawn but fell for a brilliant sequence played out by NM Fikiet after 11. e4 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Nxd4. The fight continued with Fikeit’s pawn advantage holding firm until move 29 when black picked up a second pawn on a5.

Consolidation into a winning endgame followed suit and by move 55 NM Alex Fikiet played checkmate with 55. Qg4#. You can see the full game HERE.

NM Fikiet went on to win all seven games to end the night on a perfect 7/7 and was awarded Top Player along with crossing the 2300 NYCR Blitz threshold, ending the night rated 2303. FM Juan Pereyra won Second Place, scoring 6/7 and ending the night rated 2306. Third Place went to 1860 rated Jack Nugent on 4/7, gaining 22 rating. U2000 went to 1718 rated Kirill Agishev on 3.5/7, earning 3 points. U1800 went to 1743 rated Ben Beardsley on 3/7, earning 14 points.

The U1600 section saw 1576 rated Adam Rosenfeld score 6/7 to take home u1600 top player, graduating the section with a post tournament rating of 1607 NYCR. U1600 Second Place went to 1581 rated Christian Dittmeier on 5/7, earning 7 points. U1600 Third Place went to 1514 rated Justin Choi on 5/7, earning 65 points. Top Unrated went to newcomer Elisha Amadasu on 4/7, finishing the event rated 1470 NYCR. You can see the full cross table HERE.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another week of chess. June has been full of rapid chess with our monthly Club Rapid, Premiere 15|10 and the Pride Month Rapid all taking space as we slow down into the summer haze. But, it’s time to pick things back up a little. We’re finishing June off in style with our monthly Club Blitz, followed by the first 9 round 3|2 Premiere Blitz of 2026 on 7/7.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for seven rounds of 5|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

You can see the full list of July events below, so mark your calendars for your favorite nights and come through. Reminder all tournaments are now double section, one for pros and one for beginners. Anyone of any level always welcome!

Pride Month Rapid Set the Standard

At the first of it’s kind Pride Month Rapid, cohosted by our friend and sister club Sapphics Chess Club organizer Sam Sharf, saw a steady turnout with a total of 31 players competing for prizes, along with the coveted Top Sapphic/Non-Sapphic trophies to celebrate our queer family at the club.

With an open tournament, five rounds of rapid sat the field average of 1560 on a goose chase to catch FM Juan Pereyra. But after five rounds he again stood undefeated in the format, taking home top player. FM Pereyra stands now at 2387 NYCR, nearing the coveted 2400 NYCR highlight spot. Second Place went to newcomer Sarkis Agaian on 4/5, finishing the event rated 1918 NYCR. Third Place went to Simon Schmidt on 4/5, gaining 85 rating!

U2000 and the Top Non-Sapphic trophy went to 1836 rated Atharva Washimkar on 3.5/5, gaining 21 rating. U1800 went to 1686 rated Ratan Chinni on 3.5/5, while Top Unrated went to newcomer Masayuki Nagase on 3.5/5, ending the event rated 1812 NYCR. Top Sapphic went to 1730 rated Sam Sharf on 3/5. U1600 went to 1546 rated Justin Choi on 2/5, while U1400 went to 1188 rated Nicole Benito on 2/5, gaining 24 rating.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players, we’re back for another week of chess. Our sister club Sapphics Chess Club, who meet at the neighborhood’s Bush Dyke Bar will be joining Bushwick Chess tonight 7pm for our first collaboration. Sapphics Chess Club, led by NYCR’s Sam Sharf at the 2025 NYCR Chess Club Olympiad, invite queer chess players/allies to our Rapid Tournament, a 10|2 five round two section rapid with a casual friendly u1400 limit alongside an Open tournament for stronger players. Casual Club will run free to play all night. All donations and a portion of tournament entries will be donated to the Black Trans Liberation

Sapphics Chess Club Rapid, 10|2 five round rapid tonight at Nook. $20 with prizes for all. Casual Club will run free to play all night.

We’re also covering last weeks June Club Rapid, ushering in the end of the Spring Season. Who’s on top going into Summer Season?

Bert Leonard Wins June Rapid Open

At last weeks June Rapid Open, 38 players gathered across two sections to end Spring Season ‘26. The Open section consisted of 13 players, averaging at 1778 NYCR. Top seed WFM Devina Devagharan stood alone in the 2000+ category, rated 2083 NYCR after winning the Woman’s Championship in April.

But, after five rounds of rapid it was 1967 NYCR Bert Leonard from Prospect Park Chess Club who took home Top Player, scoring 4.5/5 drawing top seed Devagharan in the fourth round. WFM Devina secured Second Place with 3.5/5. Third Place went to 1867 NYCR Jack Nugent with 3.5/5. U2000 went to 1867 NYCR Kirill Agishev on 3/5, while U1800 went to 1724 NYCR Nirupam Kushalnagar, along with the Upset prize for a surprising win against WFM Devina in round 1.

The U1600 section saw a whopping 25 players with an average rating of 1368 NYCR compete, with six newcomers. After five rounds 1536 NYCR Wei Chen placed first with 4.5/5. Second Place went to 1475 NYCR Justin Choi with 4/5. Third Place went to Chess Forum regular, 1435 NYCR Jesse Fast with 4/5. Top Unrated went to Carmen Garcia-Quiorez with 3/5, finishing rated 1432 NYCR. You can find the full cross table HERE.

Who’s in the Lead at NYCR?

We’re watching the best play their chess across the city with the new stats page for NYCR. Players have been competing across Bushwick, Williamsburg and Astoria. Below you can see the top ten players play performance:

All rapid games in the NYCR are hosted at Bushwick Chess, so 2378 NYCR FM Juan Pereyra bested the field in almost all of his games, losing only to 2014 NYCR Gautam Narula in March.

In the Blitz section all three clubs have multiple entries, with 2486 NYCR GM Nico Chasin scoring nearly perfectly in both of the Williamsburg tournaments losing only to FM Pereyra in the Williamsburg Winter Blitz.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

By Micah Jameson

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another night of Bushwick Chess. This weekend can go down in the books as one of the single greatest days of New York history. There’s a funny thought on what can happen in five games. At our monthly club rapid you can squeeze five rapid games into one night, but classical chess takes a little more time. At the Knicks vs Spurs finals series, there was a wild shot to victory, starting with an early 2-0 sweep as the usual top players of our club night tournaments do in the first two rounds. The Knicks then lost a crucial game that would lead to the inevitable, opening up the discussion for maybe, potentially letting the ball drop.

But of course no one in New York believed that as Wednesday’s game four made people believe in magic again. It’s like one of those moments where you just sort of nod, knowing that the best version of the story can be told. By the time game five started, everyone knew who was going home with the trophy, not unlike the tournaments at Bushwick Chess, when you see who fights for the final game and just know who’s going to be on top (hint: it’s usually Juan).

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Rapid Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for five rounds of 10|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Monthly Club Rapid/Blitz will now split into Open and U1600 sections to encourage a healthy mix of casual and competitive play more regularly.

Anyways, yours truly felt inspired this weekend watching the whole of the city erupt into a frenzy I don’t think anyone here can say has been seen before. We’re gearing up tonight for the final game of the summer quarter and plan to look at our top Spring players lineup next week. Until then, have some photos from last week’s amazing club night, where we celebrated the great strides on and off the board. Shout out WCM Maddie Weber who just hit 2112 USCF going 5.5 out of 7 at the 2026 National Open, tying for second in the U2300 section!!! HUGE GRATS!

Rapid Chess is Good For You

At last month’s Club Rapid Tournament, Bushwick Chess saw it’s first two section tournament; a new feature separating the pros from the club level players while rewarding both for their efforts. The tournament saw expert Simon Schmidt hit 2105 NYCR with a 4.5/5 score, drawing only Kirill Agishev who not only placed third, but went on to place second in the following Premiere Rapid played at the start of the month as well.

Other top rapid players in recent history include the likes of Atharva Washimkar, who holds a current 12 game win streak, not unlike the Knicks, before Trump showed up and ruined the vibe for a minute. Please note, Bushwick Chess will not allow Trump’s attendance so Washimkar can continue the run tonight. Other notable players include u1600 highest rating gain Benjamin Diamond, who gained 236 points in the new section to end the May Rapid rated 1410 NYCR. Unrated Nikhil Sapa also ended the event with 4/5, hitting 1700.

We see a lot of potential in the current players at Bushwick Chess, and want to display a small collection of some of the best chess in a while. Take a look at players Aidan Ahram, Ben Smith, Kirill Agishev and Atharva Washimkar at the June Premiere Rapid. Washimkar took home $155 after a perfect 3/3 score in the upper section.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. We’re back for another dive into all things Bushwick Chess. Let’s take a look at one of our growing talents.

Reminder! Tonight is Club Night at Bushwick Chess. Free play inside and outside all night 7-11pm at Nook, 45 Irving. Join us for a casual night of fun.

Atharva Washimkar has had great success in the new era of two section separation. Across 44 games in 2026, Washimkar scored 34 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses across Bushwick Chess and Williamsburg Chess. The current 12 game undefeated streak is only surpassed by FM Juan Pereyra in recent history.

At last weeks June Premiere Rapid, ten players competed in the Open section while twelve took arms in the U1600 section. After three rounds only Atharva Washimkar, rated and Kyle Rausch (u1600) made it out with 3-0 scores. Washimkar’s average opponent was rated 1749 NYCR so the fights were solid work.

Needless to say we’re looking forward to the continued rise of one of our best players at the club. The question now becomes “who will be the player to stop this streak from growing?”

It was at this point the author went on to see the Knicks lose game three but that’s fine because KNICKS IN FIVE!!!

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Happy Pride Month chess players! We’re back for a jammed pack issue of Bushwick Chess so let’s get organized. Tonight begins our first ever 15|10 3 round Swiss Rapid tournament to slow things down and focus. Bushwick Chess returns to Troutman Open Streets as of this weekend, meeting for a few hours of chess in the sun when the weather allows. We’re also going to take a look in the upset fueled battle at the first two section Club Blitz last Tuesday. June is packed with events, so make your move and come play.

Bushwick Chess Premier Rapid Tonight

The switch from Open tournaments to dual sections have alleviated the need for a dedicated tournament for beginners, so we’re adding a dual section focused event to give players a new challenge each month. Tonight’s Premier Club Rapid will join next months 3|2 9 round blitz swiss to open the summer season. The Spring Top Performers list will close 6/20, so this will be one of the last chances to win some games before the list is published.

We’re also opening up Open Streets Scheduling to more regular meetups as the heat builds. Last weekend’s crew saw some excellent games between the regulars and passerby’s alike.

Bushwick Club Blitz Saw Upsets Galore

At the monthly Club Blitz, 38 players across two sections met to test their skills both against the pros and the ranks of u1600. The event average rating of 1620 parsed into the 18 player Open with an average rating of 1852 and the 20 player U1600 with an average rating of 1412 and eight new players!

The Open section saw FM Johnny Pein visiting from London once again after a 5/5 dominant performance in August Rapid of 2025 and an 8/9 blitz score to boot. But the competition in the new stronger section is fierce. FM Pereyra lead the field to a perfect score until a loss against 1912 rated Atharva Washimkar in round five pitted the victor a shot at the Top Player.

After the win against the top seed, Washimkar went on to win in style against FM Pein in round six and Jack Nugent in the final round to take home Top Player and the upset prize on a score of 6/7 points, gaining 71 rating and facing an average rated player of 1991 NYCR to do so. Second place went to 2307>2276 rated FM Juan Pereyra on 5/7, while third place went to 2260>2239 FM Johnny Pein on 5/7 as well.

The class prizes went to 1864 rated Adi Kumar on 4/7 (u2000) and 1740 rated Ben Smith (u1800).

U1600 Section saw it’s own fights, but Amnon Ni saw an undefeated streak of five five and two draws to take home the U1600 Top Player and graduate the section with a rating of 1696 NYCR. Second Place went to 1472>1498 rated Scott Friedman on 5/7. Third Place went to 1384>1470 rated Grant Thorshov on 4.5/7. Top Unrated went to local artist legend Myles Bennett on 4/7, now rated 1378.

You can see the full crosstable and rating changes HERE.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players, hope you had a great Memorial Day. We’re back for another week of chess.

In lieu of a full article, This newsletter will serve as a double reminder for the newer changes at the club and beyond. First up, tonight’s Club Blitz will feature a similar two section structure as we tested in the Club Rapid at the start of the month. With this change, we’re also proud to announce our first 15|10 Premiere next week 6/2. Join us for three rounds of longer rapid for better thought.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for seven rounds of 5|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

Our second bit of news from the outside comes from our friend’s at North Brooklyn Chess, now rebranding the club as Bad Bishop, who will remain playing chess every Thursday at Common Mollies. But they’ve lost their outreach with a new page change, so please send a follow Bad Bishop Chess Club on Instagram if you can!

Club Night last week was a massive success, with friendly faces, returning smiles and our dear friend Nick Marino who is set to be married this summer! We’ve watched him grow so much over the years I could cry.

Thanks to FM Will Graif for stopping by as well after his chessboxing at Outbox, which you can check out if you’re skipping a Bushwick Chess event any Tuesday!

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

By Micah Jameson

Good morning chess players. We’re back at Bushwick Chess to celebrate the winners of the brand new double section tournament at the club. Three top players from both the Open and U1600 sections we’re awarded laurels and rating, along with the usual class prizes to go along with it. 34 total players joined across the two sections to fight for the top.

Reminder! Bushwick Chess Casual Club meeting runs TONIGHT from 7-11pm at Nook, 45 Irving. Please Join us for a night of tales, ales and more.

The Open section saw an average rating of 1762, as opposed to the u1600 section average rating of 1419 NYCR. This resulted in a higher testing of fortitude among the top field than our usual Club Rapid with seven NYCC Olympiad players in the mix facing off against one another and a field of worthy competition.

The Open sections strong field saw a hearty fight for first. After five rounds, 1914 rated Simon Schmidt took top player with a score of 4.5/5, gaining a whopping 191 rating to hit 2105 NYCR. Second place went to 1736 rated Ben Beardsley on 4/5, gaining 58 rating. Third place went to 1777 rated Kirill Agishev on 3.5/5, gaining 44 rating. U2000 went to 1860 rated Adi Kumar on 3/5, gaining 15 rating. U1800 went to 1655 rated Nirupam Kushalnagar, gaining 69 rating, nice!

The new U1600 Beginners/Intermediate section saw some highlight players stood out across the field. After five rounds, 1569 rated Adam Rosenfeld scored top player in the u1600 with a score of 4/5, gaining 28 rating to land at 1597 NYCR. Second place went to unrated Nikhil Sapa on 4/5, now rated 1700 NYCR and has graduated the u1600 section. Third place went to 1387 rated Shreyo Banerjee on 3.5/5, gaining 26 rating. Anshul Doshi also graduated the section, now rated 1663 NYCR.

You can see the full cross table, rating changes and more HERE.

At the annual Washington Square Park chess simul, FIDE photographer David Llada caught a few of our favorite players including internet superstar Sydney Strauss and FM Will Graif, along with park regulars Johnny, seen on Anna Cramling’s youtube, and Doc, who I had the pleasure of writing about at the start of my chess writing career.

Llada posted on Twitter: “I will be back in NYC this spring for a “Chess & Arts” fair at the @MarshallChessNY, together with Sofia Polgar. Come celebrate the intersection of chess and art with a Q&A, book signings, and a silent auction of some of our works. Save the date: May 19, 2026, 7:00 pm.”

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

By Micah Jameson

Good morning chess players. We’re back for a special edition of our newsletter, but first a word. I took off a little time off of our usual weekly schedule over the last month, and I just want to say it has been so endearing to hear friends and members of the club tell me they miss the weekly drops. To be honest, I didn’t think much of taking the time away from updating the who’s who of winners coming through our halls and the neighboring clubs like the 100 player titan tournament at Williamsburg Chess. A short trip to the west coast and whatever the hell virus that slammed the city a couple weeks ago stopped me from writing as much and with so many kind words about the work shared has reignited my desire to talk over what’s been going on.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Rapid Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for five rounds of 10|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels. Monthly Club Rapid/Blitz will now split into Open and U1600 sections to encourage a healthy mix of casual and competitive play more regularly.

Starting us off with updates, I’d love to announce in the newsletter first that Bushwick Chess will be moving into two sections starting tonight at our monthly Club Rapid. Players of all skill levels will have the chance to play in a stronger than average Open tournament while newcomers and improvers will now have the chance to play in an under 1600 NYCR section alongside.

In addition to the new section changes we’re looking to our first 15|10 Rapid event taking place of the u1600 in June, so look forward to more information about that as we close in. Bushwick Chess is also looking to broaden the opinions the average reader takes in outside of what I glean as Club Organizer to be most pertinent week to week. Club member Atharva Washmikar has agreed to step into some game analysis as a contributor to the newsletter, and an extension of a hand is cast to all Bushwick Chess members to share analysis, opinions and news. If you think you’d like to write for the club publication please email bushwickchess@gmail.com to coordinate.

Now, let’s look at the recent events.

April Club Blitz!

At last month’s Club Blitz, 28 players attended with an average rating of 1567 NYCR joined up for a night of friendly fire. After seven rounds of 5|2, FM Juan Pereyra took home first place with a score of 6/7, losing only to recent addition Ben Smith in the final round, ending the event rated 2335. Second Place went to 2140 FM Andrey Krasnov on 5.5/7. Third Place went to 1870 rated Atharva Washmikar on 5/7, gaining 36 points and joining the exclusive 1900+ club.

U2000 went to Ben Smith, along with the upset prize on his win against our top player. U1800 went to 1671 rated Peter Chiapinni on 4.5/7, gaining 13 points. U1600 went to 1315 rated Brooks Harris on 4/7, gaining 42 rating points! U1400 went to 1249 Jeffery Ho on 4/7, gaining a high of 207 rating points for the strong finish. Top Unrated went to Justin Choi on 3.5/7. You can see the full cross table HERE.

Williamsburg Chess Spring Blitz A Massive Success. Again!

At the quarterly Blitz Tournament hosted by Williamsburg Chess for players across the NYCR and beyond, another 100 players met to compete in New York’s biggest “casual” tournament. So many games played that we haven’t even finished rating the event just yet. GM Nico Chasin took home Top Player with a perfect 7/7 score against the field. Second place went to WCM Maddie Weber after defeating fellow 6/7 competitors in tiebreaks, with FM Will Graif taking Third Place.

You can see the full cross table, rating changes and more HERE.

Good morning chess players! We’re back for another newsletter packed with the local comings and goings of chess players around Bushwick. “Mic, Check, Mate” launched it’s first poetry-meets-chess handshake event at Seventh Heaven, a local karaoke haunt within eyesight of Nook. Bushwick Chess regulars and poets clashed for a mix of open mic and casual play. Just next door to Nook during the same time, Sam Sharf’s Chess Knight meetup at The Bush saw 20+ attendees as well. With last weekend’s New York Chessboxing tryouts at Outbox as well with WGM Jen Shahade, it’s safe to say there is a lot of chess going on in Bushwick right now.

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Blitz Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for seven rounds of 5|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

Big shout out to my partner Miriam, not only for her dedication to play the Women’s Championship every year as a casual player, but for co-organizing a wonderful event mixing the two mediums in which I work closest and most tenderly with. I’m looking forward to more chess and poetry soon.

It’s Been Feeling Like Family Lately

At the April Club Rapid, 35 players met up for the monthly rapid tournament at Nook, but something is feeling different at the club lately. We’ve seen an increase in participation at tournaments and club night alike, and it’s becoming clear now more than ever how important community is. Nook just celebrated their five year anniversary and I won’t pretend like it didn’t choke me up a little thinking about the last 4.5 years we’ve been playing together at Bushwick Chess. Thanks to everyone from Shreyo, one of my fellow OG’s to the newcomers pouring in every week to test their skills. It’s been a wild ride. Let’s get into the chess.

After five rounds of 10|2 rapid, FM Juan Pereyra emerged victorious with a perfect 5/5, now with a new rating of 2378. Second Place went to Atharva Washimkar on 4/5, gaining 30 rating! Third Place went to local chess star Kenneth Fernandez on 4/5, who finished the event rated 1957 NYCR. Looking forward to seeing the content he filmed during the tournament.

U2000 went to Kirill Agishev on 3.5/5. U1800 went to Saye Oyama on 3.5/5, gaining 15 rating. Top Unrated went to newcomer Ben Smith on 3.5/5, finishing the event rated 1824 NYCR. U1600 went to Daniel Wang on 2.5/5. U1400 went to Justin Choi on 2.5/5, gaining 112 rating! You can find full tournament info at NYC Chess.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. Twenty year old Javokhir Sindarov has climbed a mountain the likes no other chess player has done with a nine point score across twelve games at the FIDE Candidates, which decides the challenger to current world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. With the old guard of name brand players like Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura dragging behind by a whopping 3 point deficit, only future FIDE president Anish Giri stands in second place behind 2 points. Sindarov’s play this tournament has been out of this world, to the point that it has even stunned former world champion Magnus Carlsen (still our goat).

Reminder! Tonight is the monthly Club Rapid Tournament at Nook! Join us 7pm for five rounds of 10|2 blitz Swiss, $20 with prizes for all skill levels.

At this point there is essentially zero chance someone catches up to the Uzbek star. Stay tuned for more info regarding the big World Championship match. In the Women’s Candidates running alongside the open event, there is a stellar bunch up of the worlds best women at the top of the pool, so it’s anyone’s game. Former world champ Zhu Jiner shares lead with Indian prodigy Vaishali Rameshbabu, with Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva both behind by a half point. With two days left we look forward to seeing who makes it out on top. Speaking of top women, let’s look at the events we’ve been hosting at Bushwick Chess.

2026 Women’s Championship See’s New Top Player

At the third annual Brooklyn Women’s Championship, we saw new and returning players join to challenge one another for the coveted Brooklyn Top Woman. With donations of over $600 from club members the competition was fierce. Our club friend and adult improver Sydney Strauss attended, along with two rockstars from Prospect Park, Elanor Avril and Trina Chatterjee. Bushwick’s Lisa Lin, Sam Sharf, Maya Rutta and Miriam Kagan also tested the field with plenty of newcomers from around the city.

After five rounds of 10|2 rapid, it was clear that the undefeated WFM Devina Devagharan was the clear front runner, defeating the best of the pool along with content comrade WCM Maddie Weber. WFM Devina’s introductory NYC rating now sits at 2083. We look forward to her future attendance when she makes New York her permanent home in May. You can follow her content journey on Instagram!

WCM Weber claimed second place with 4/5, and now sits with a rapid rating of 1884, which lowkey let’s be real mean’s she’s STILL underrated. Follow her Youtube journey HERE. Third place went to the well deserved Sam Sharf on 3/5, bringing her rating up to 1728 NYCR. You can see the full ratings results HERE.

April Beginners/Intermediate Continues to Be A Challenge

While our most beginner friendly event at Bushwick Chess saw an average rating of 1411 NYCR, the challenge to climb out of the U1600 pool remains tough for our regular club players. 21 players met at the monthly five round rapid for new and improving players under 1600 NYCR, all with the hope to graduate out of the pool and find glory in the much higher rated Open Rapid TONIGHT!

After five rounds, newcomer Benjamin Douglass finished the event with a perfect 5/5, graduating in his first entry and claiming a new rating of 1864 NYCR. Second Place went to Scott Friedman on 4/5, now rated 1499 NYCR while Third Place went to Daniel Goodman on 3/5, now rated 1525 NYCR.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.

Good morning chess players. The FIDE Candidates tournament began this weekend to decide who will face the open world champion and the women’s world champion. Sixteen of the best chess players alive are competing in a two week event to decide. You can check out yesterdays recap here. In addition, the annual Reykjavik Open in Iceland is also on it’s final day today, with Iranian GM Amin Tabatabaei on a perfect score of 7/7. So, what do the great chess players around the world have to do with our lil ol chess club in New York? Well, the likes of many great players have entered our doors, but it’s in our hometown heroes we can learn many lessons from.

Reminder! Tonight is the Bushwick Chess Women’s Championship at Nook. Players of all skill levels will compete in our annual tournament to decide the best Woman of 2026, with donations from club members to be added to the final prize pool. $20 entry, prizes for players of all levels.

Bushwick Chess is home to some of the most consistent and strongest players in the city, with FM Juan Pereya’s dominant performance continuing into 2026 as the top seed at our club with a current score of 37.5/40 across rapid and blitz. But I want to show off a specific game against fellow club master NM Danny Vulis, with a few small notes to help express what these stellar players can teach us even in a blitz game.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3… We start off in a QG: Semi-Slav, where black decides to play the London sort of, while white develops the best piece in the game twice. Wow!

4… dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 Qe7 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. d5 Nf6 11. d6 Qb7 12. b3

Now for most of us, playing seven move of theory followed by four best engine moves is already something none of us can comprehend. I for one find myself stumped no matter what my opponent plays. But alas we find ourselves in something chess dot com calls the Slav Defense: Modern, Triangle, Noteboom, Koomen Variation. Say that in one breath. This exact opening has been played by the likes of Etienne Bacrot and a bunch of other names I’ve never heard. White chooses to give up a pawn and allow a passed pawn for a slight lead in development and many questions asked.

NM Vulis took a new approach, aiming for Nd4 instead of the more common Ne4. This becomes a challenge later in the final moments of the game, but we have 17 move to go.

12… Nd5 13. Bxg7 Rg8 14. bxc4 bxc4 15. Bd4 Qb4+ 16. Qd2

The tension starts to break after white gave back the pawn. Each player made some slightly less accurate moves from the computer’s eye, notably 12… Nd5, 14. bxc4 and 15. Bd4. Now it’s easy to nod along when the computer gives us ideas but when you watch these two rockstars play it becomes apparent that even in blitz their tactical minds are sharp and calculating proficiently.

16… c3 17. Qc2 Nc6 18. Rb1 Qxd6 19. Bxc3 Bd7

Now, it was at Bd7 that things are starting to look suspicious. FM Pereyra has 1:11 minutes on the clock to NM Vulis’ 2:46, but the move leads to some intense trouble ahead. Let’s consider 20. Qxh7. The engine wants Kf8, ruining any change at castling queenside (just kidding, 20… O-O-O leads to Ba6+ Rb7 and that’s that). 20… Ke7 runs into a beautiful Bg7, closing out blacks chance at hiding on f8 later. All in all, if black doesn’t find a way to push white kingside, that castle is going to look pretty delicious soon.

20. Bd2 h6 21. g3 Rc8 22. Qb2 Ncb4 23. Be2 Nc2+ 24. Kf1

We’re closing in on the endgame here. White is having all the fun now. Kg2 is on the way, with the bishop pair, some light pressure on the queen hiding behind the knight and a very safe king. To be fair, it was three out of four great moves in a row for white. 22. Qb2 actually led to a potential trade of rooks with something along the lines of 22… Rb8! But by 24. Kf1 it’s become clear that white has some trumps cards in play.

24… Ke7 25. Kg2 Na3 26. Rbc1 Rb8 27. Qd4 f6 28. Rhd1 Bc6 29. e4 0-1

Now I’m a pretty intermediate player still, but the beauty of watching these two masters at work, even during a blitz game inspires me to become a better chess player, or at bare minimum ask a lot of really annoying questions until my opponent gives up thinking. Let’s take a brief look at the final move of the game. In this position, Black flagged. But things were looking intense. How did we get from a slightly worse position to a dead lost one in five moves? Well let’s look at the perks and downsides.

After a move like 29… Nb5 to kick the queen, white is looking to win the knight with 30. Qd3 Ndc3 31. Bxc3 Qxd3 32. Bxd3. White will emerge up a full knight, with black living the rest of their life with three pawn islands and no bishop pair.

Chess is hard. It’s even harder to analyze. I suggest you take this pgn file of the full game and spend some time today before the Women’s Championship at Bushwick Chess testing your understanding without the computer analysis. Think about what moves you’d make for each color in the positions above, or branch out and try to find some unique ideas of your own to bring to the board. Either way, don’t stop learning. See you over the board soon, chess player.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.