Leaders Emerge on Day 2 of National Elementary

Day two is in the books at the 2024 National Elementary Championship. With a final total of 1,586 players — up nearly 50% over the 2022 NES, also held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center — the chess has been fast and furious, with a number of storylines clarifying as we enter the third and final day.

K-6 Championship

There will be no “seven-for-seven” run in the K-6 section this year. Entering the fifth round, only three players remained on a perfect 4/4. On the top board, Tariq Yue and Vihaan Jammalamadaka took a quick draw, while Austin Zhao (1852) was unable to win his game against top-seeded Jashith Karthi (2188). Zhao, Yue, and Jammalamadaka all enter the final day with 4½/5 scores, while Karthi leads the pack of players trailing with 4/5.

Below are the leaders’ highlights from earlier in the day. It’s no coincidence that all three of these games reached endgames with mutual chances. Winning round after round in an event like this is often an endurance test as much as anything else, and familiarity with endgame struggles is a key skill:

K-5 Championship

Just like in the K-6 section, three players entered Saturday night’s round with perfect 4/4 scores. But, unlike the K-6 section, two emerged with victories.

Ted Wang (photo Caroline King for US Chess)

On the top board, Ted Wang defeated Harvey Hanke in a tense, hypermodern struggle where a blossoming attack got tactical very quickly.

Vivan Prakash Mulay had the unenviable task of playing the top-rated player on 3½/4, who happened to be CM Ethan Guo (2291).

Vivan Prakash Mulay (photo Caroline King for US Chess)

But Mulay persevered in a tense, pawn-up knight endgame to set up a date with Wang in round six.

Two players are hot on the leaders’ tails with 4½/5 scores, as both Sharath Radhakrishnan and Sivavishnu Srinivasan won their games with the black pieces, and will square off this morning to set up a critical last-round bid for the championship.

K-3 Championship

A whopping six players entered Saturday night’s round with 4/4 scores, but only two players made it to Sunday unblemished.

Hardy Gu (L) and Sasha Milo Schaefer (R) (photo Caroline King for US Chess)

Hardy Gu and Sasha Milo Schaefer both won their fifth-round encounters on the top two boards, and are facing off this morning on the top board:

The final battle of the unbeatens ended peacefully in a prolonged, very accurate game between Darren Wu and Ian Avery Singh.

Darren Wu vs Ian Avery Singh (photo Caroline King for US Chess)

Of note was Wu’s path to the top of the standings: in the fourth round, he defeated second-seeded Aakash Jani in a stunning twist:

So who will take home the titles? Players have two more games to make their cases. Round six is currently underway, and the seventh and final round begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Be sure to follow the live commentary on our Twitch channel with GM Kayden Troff and WGM Sabina Foisor.

Girls Club and Bughouse!

A note for those onsite and chaperoning a female player -- be sure to check out the Girls Club in the Franklin room at the Hyatt!

And if you want one more chance to take on a grandmaster, GMs Mesgen Amanov and Irina Krush are taking on all comers in BUGHOUSE! Get to Exhibit Hall A from 2:30 through 4:30 if you want to drop mate on a former U.S. Women's Champion!

Quick Links

Official website

Results and pairings

Full schedule of events

Top boards on Chess.com

Follow rounds five through seven on Twitch

All Chess Life Online coverage of the 2024 National Scholastics

Use the hashtag #ElemChessChamps on social media to follow the action