Final round, board 1 - Ayush Maddikonda (2078) (L) vs FM Jorge Leon Oquendo (2506) (R), CFCC 2025 Autumn Open & Scholastic weekend tournament
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2025 Autumn Open
With a final score of 4.5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate FM Jorge Leon Oquendo (2506) for his 3rd consecutive clear 1st place win at our CFCC 2025 Autumn Open this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista!
Prior to winning our 2025 Autumn Open this past weekend, Jorge won clear 1st Place at both our 2025 Winter Open in January and our 2025 Sunshine Open in June!
2025 Autumn Open Scholastic (U1200)
With a perfect score of 5/5 points, CFCC wishes to congratulate Moksh M. (1075) for his clear 1st place win in our 2025 Autumn Open Scholastic!
2025 Autumn Open (BLITZ)
In a 3-way tie with 7/8 points each, CFCC wishes to congratulate NM Raghav Venkat (2360), NM Brayan Amaya (2253), and CM Neil Sahai (2068) for winning our Autumn Open Blitz tournament on Saturday night!
We also wish to thank all the players who participated and congratulate those who placed in their respective sections!
Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC)
TOURNAMENT RATING REPORTS
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2025 Autumn Open
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2025 Autumn Open & Scholastic Tournament Recap
By Scholastic Chief TD Alex Dshalalow
This year’s Autumn Open was a blast. Players of all ages and backgrounds came together for a weekend of chess, laughs, and a little bit of friendly rivalry. With both two-day and three-day schedules, we had six sections, including two FIDE-rated divisions—the tough Master & Expert and the competitive Class A. And as a special treat, National and Life Master Larry Storch was there signing copies of his new book, My Life in Chess: Mastering the Sunshine State.
Enjoy my recaps below for each competitive section!
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Oquendo’s Wire-to-Wire Surge, Maddikonda’s Breakout, and a Field Full of Fighting Chances
The top board was on fire from the get-go. In this FIDE-rated section, FM Jorge Oquendo (2506) came in as the favorite and lived up to the hype, but the weekend wasn’t just about him. Ayush Maddikonda (2040) made a big push, Yi Sha (2070) rallied late, and a bunch of seasoned competitors made sure every round counted. There were some re-entries, a few forfeits, and plenty of drama—just what you’d expect from a strong field.
Round 1 — The Gauntlet Drops
Oquendo started strong, taking down Aakash Jani (2056). Nearby, Raghav Venkat (2372) got the better of Ayush Roy (2019), and Theodore Slade (2317) handled Jolie Huang (1939).
Stone Wang (1946) held Maddikonda to a draw, and Lyubomir Gospodinov (2176) split the point with Andrew Rea (2000).
Round 2 — Movers Emerge
The leaders started to pull away. Oquendo beat Jerry Yao (2115), Maddikonda picked up steam against Analaya Muneeperakul (1925), and Wang backed up his draw with a win over Narciso Victoria (2125). Antony Gospodinov (2214) held Diego Leyva (2162) to a draw.
Round 3 — Top Board Tests
Oquendo faced Theodore Slade and came out on top, keeping his perfect score. Maddikonda kept climbing with a win over Diego Leyva, and Yi Sha, now fully in the mix, beat Pharoah Pharel (1930).
Round 4 — The Leader Meets Fire
A few big matchups happened here. Abhiram Pothuri (2173) gave Oquendo a run for his money, but the FM held firm and took the win, moving to 4/4. Maddikonda stayed close by beating Brandon Vila (2076).
Round 5 — A Title on the Line
All eyes were on the top board. Oquendo only needed a draw against Maddikonda, and he got it—cool and collected, locking up first place with 4.5/5.
Yi Sha (2070) upset Slade to reach 4.0, tying Maddikonda for second. Venkat and Xu drew, both finishing strong on 3.5, and Wang grabbed a last-round win over Vila.
Final Scores
1st Place: FM Jorge Oquendo (2506) – 4.5/5
2nd-3rd: Ayush Maddikonda (2040), Yi Sha (2070) – 4.0/5
4th-6th: Raghav Venkat (2372), Zhihan Xu (2084), Stone Wang (1946) – 3.5/5
Notable Performances & Rating Gains
Maddikonda (2040 → 2108, +68): Tied for second with wins over Muneeperakul, Leyva, and Vila, plus a clutch draw with Oquendo.
Wang (1946 → 2036, +90): Big rating jump thanks to tough games and key wins.
Sha (2070 → 2107, +37): Solid 4.0, including a last-round win over Slade.
Xu (2084 → 2113, +29): Recovered from an early loss and finished strong.
The Takeaway
The Master & Expert section had it all: a clear winner in Oquendo, a gutsy run from Maddikonda, and a strong finish from Sha. Add in some hard-fought games from Venkat, Slade, and Amaya, and you’ve got a tournament that kept everyone on their toes.
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The Class A section was FIDE-rated and packed with tough games. Varshith Gone (1758) really made his mark, finishing with 4.5 out of 5. He took down some strong opponents and only gave up a single draw. His last-round win over Juan Bello (1840) sealed first place and gave his rating a big boost (+142).
Alexander Kristjansson (1853) had a solid tournament too, ending up with 4.0 points. He bounced back after a tough loss to Bello and kept fighting all the way. Right behind them, Rui Sha (1940), Hariharan Sivaji (1878), Bello, and Joseph Toth (1723) all finished with 3.5. Toth picked up almost 100 rating points, which is always nice to see.
Gone’s performance was the highlight—he played steady, didn’t take unnecessary risks, and got the job done. If you want a section with drama, comebacks, and a few surprises, Class A delivered.
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Class B was a real toss-up this year. Three players—Diego Prats (1744), Addison Baumstark (1647), and Ridhaan Dande (1578)—all finished with 4.0 out of 5, and it felt like any one of them could have taken first. They traded wins and kept the leaderboard interesting all weekend.
Just behind the leaders, David Ketchum (1769), Anay Bhargava (1584), and Andrew Kan (1600) ended up with 3.5 points each. There were some tough games and a few upsets, which is always fun to see.
A couple of folks made big rating jumps: Dande picked up 116 points, Bhargava gained 109, and Baumstark added 52. Overall, this section was full of hard-fought games, a few surprises, and plenty of grit.
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Class C was a real battle from start to finish. Allan Grifin (1349) and Coco Yao (1380) both ended up with 4.5 out of 5, and it was close all the way. Grifin clinched first on tiebreaks after beating Gus Bleakley (1374) in the last round, while Yao picked up wins over some tough opponents like Stuart Elvers and John Jankowsky.
Daniel Padgett (1448) and Sree Harsha Siliveri (1452) were right behind with 4.0 points each, and Bleakley finished with 3.5 after a strong start. There were some big rating jumps too—Grifin gained 173 points, Yao picked up 117, and Padgett added 90.
This section had a little bit of everything: bold attacks, a few surprises, and plenty of players fighting hard for every point. If you like games where nobody gives up easily, Class C was the place to watch.
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Class D was close all the way through. Three players—Asher Austin (1291), Brody Lin (1215), and Javier Arocha (1289)—each finished with 4.0 out of 5. It felt like anyone could have taken first, and the games were competitive right up to the end. Austin clinched his spot with a final-round win over Charles Callender (1291), but Lin and Arocha were right there with him.
Just behind, Arhan Bandaru (1254) ended up with 3.5 points, and a handful of others— Callender, Rajib Chowdhury (1109), Ananya Hariharan (1005), and Shivbhagat Hegde (1251)—finished with 3.0. There were some nice rating gains too: Lin picked up 122 points, Austin gained 66, and Arocha added 21.
If you like sections where everyone’s fighting for every half-point and nobody gives up, Class D was definitely worth watching.
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The Scholastic section was the biggest and probably the most energetic part of the tournament. Kids from all over showed up ready to play, and you could feel the excitement in the room. Moksh Maru (1075) was unstoppable—he went 5 for 5, beating everyone in his path, including a tough final-round game against George Junkin (1129). That perfect score gave Moksh a huge rating boost, almost 200 points, and he definitely earned it.
Aituar Anuarov (1262) was right behind with 4.5 points, only dropping a half-point in round two. Junkin finished third with 4.0, and had some impressive wins along the way. Anton Vassiliev (970), Sanjivsai Saravanan (862), and Nathan Sing (587) also scored 4.0, with Nathan making a massive jump of 343 rating points—pretty wild for one event!
There were upsets, wild tactics, and a lot of kids playing their hearts out. Whether it was a newcomer making a splash or a seasoned scholastic player showing off their skills, this section was a reminder that the future of chess in Central Florida looks bright.
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The Blitz section was a whirlwind—eight games, four double rounds, and barely a moment to catch your breath. It was fast, it was fun, and it was unpredictable. At the top, three players—Raghav Venkat (2202), Brayan Amaya (2190), and Neel Sahai (1886)—all finished with 7.0 out of 8, splitting the prize money. Venkat wrapped up his night with a 1½–½ win over Antony Gospodinov (2053) in the last double round, while Amaya and Sahai battled to a 1–1 draw after both came into the final round with perfect scores.
Just behind, Abhiram Pothuri (1955) scored 6.5, and Gospodinov, Adele Abdullina (1594), and Ayush Roy (1829) each finished with 6.0. There were some wild swings—Sahai picked up 72 rating points after winning his first six games, Amaya kept attacking every round, and Venkat stayed steady when it mattered most.
Blitz always brings a little chaos, a lot of excitement, and some bragging rights for the fastest thinkers in the room.
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The Autumn Open & Scholastic weekend tournament was organized by the Central Florida Chess Club (CFCC), under the leadership of NM Larry Storch and Kevin Sibbitt. CFCC’s Chief Tournament Director was Steven Vigil, whose extensive experience and strategic oversight ensured the tournament ran smoothly and efficiently.
In addition to my role as Assistant Floor TD, Vigil was assisted by CFCC’s National Tournament Director & FIDE International Arbiter Charles Hatherill, who seamlessly administered the dual-rated Master/Expert & Class A sections as well as serving as Senior Floor TD. Hatherill’s expertise in international events and attention to detail were instrumental in maintaining the integrity and fairness of the games.
Together, their combined efforts contributed significantly to the tournament's success, fostering a competitive yet respectful vibe for all participants.
The visual storytelling of the chess tournament was provided by Event Photographer Kevin Sibbitt. His keen eye and artistic approach brings each of our tournaments to life by capturing the essence of the tournament’s match-ups.
Sibbitt's work not only captures the intense moments of competition but also highlights the camaraderie and energy of the players, parents, and guests in attendance. The numerous photos he provides below offer a vivid and engaging glimpse into the tournament’s atmosphere.
Thanks to everyone who played, helped, or just stopped by to watch a few games. Special thanks to Larry for sharing his stories and signing copies of his new book, My Life in Chess: Mastering the Sunshine State.
Hope to see you all at our 2026 Winter Open & Scholastic tournament!
2025 Autumn Open Slideshow Gallery
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