UMBC chess team competes in Pan-Am Intercollegiate Chess Championship

The UMBC chess team won its match (4-0) against Lindenwood University in the first round of the 2014 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship being held this week in South Padre Island, Texas. Five more rounds will be played over the next three days to determine winner and the top four USA schools, which will compete in the President’s Cup championship April 5-6 at the New York Athletic Club to determine the U.S. college team chess champion.

UMBC’s chess team has won or tied for first place a record ten times at the Pan-Am and a record six times at the President’s Cup. The UMBC team in this year’s Pan-Am consists of GM Niclas Huschenbeth, IM Levan Bregadze, IM Tanguy Ringoir, GM Akshayraj Kore and WGM Nazi Paikidze (alternate).

CSEE professor Alan Sherman, director of UMBC’s chess program, reports that the field is especially strong this year with 22 International Grandmasters (GM) or International Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and notes that “At least one strong school will not make the Final Four”.

You can view the latest results on the tournament website and watch selected games live on Monroi.