Methacton’s Chess Club was founded in 2021 by Co-Presidents Srikrishna Tirumalareddy and Chinmay Bapat. Working with Dr. Cocozza, the club provides a space for people to play chess and other board games from 2:30-3:30 every Wednesday in the library. The club has expanded from just a few friends to over 20 members in its short lifespan, and, as it continues to grow, so will its activities.

On December 14th, 2022, the club hosted its first chess tournament. Anyone from any skill level was welcome to participate and approximately 10 players competed. The stakes were high, as each player had 10 minutes of time to make moves and the prize was a $20 gift card.

One standout match of the tournament was Tiago vs. Sean. Two of the most experienced members of the club faced off in the first round of the bracket, but Tiago came out on top. But, even with a loss, Sean won all three of his rounds in the loser bracket with a ferocious comeback.

Another interesting match was Josiah vs. Mayank. As the very first match of the tournament, the match set the overall tone. Josiah won the match and then won against John in his second round before losing to Tiago. Josiah ended up playing one round more than any other player, and still reached the semi-finals – an impressive performance given the extra game.

Overall, the tournament couldn’t be concluded on the 14th and was set to be finished on the 21st, but the club was unable to host due to Dr. Cocozza being absent. The Chess Club hopes to complete the tournament sometime after winter break with matches between Ethan vs. Tiago and Carter vs. Sean.

While it ran into a few issues, the tournament was a success, bringing in a small yet dedicated group of players and spectators for the first of many Chess Club events. 

Co-president Srikrishna Tirumalareddy says that he hopes to make a “bullet format” tournament in the future where each player only has 2 minutes of total time to make moves in order to spice up gameplay.

Gallery • 5 Photos