Grand Knights Chess Dominates the WA Chess Championship

The Washington State Chess Championship brought together more than 1500 of young players from across the state — and Grand Knights Chess students reminded everyone exactly why we are one of the top chess programs in Washington. With multiple division winners, podium finishes, and perfect 5-from-5 scores across both the Championship and Premier sections, this was a day to remember.

Our Champions — Perfect 5 from 5!

Seven Grand Knights students went through the entire championship without dropping a single point — finishing 1st in their divisions against fields of up to 195 players:

Player	Section	Field Size
Ren, Easton	2nd Grade Champs	58 players
Liang, Dangdang	2nd Grade Premier	116 players
Wang, Shirley	2nd Grade Premier	116 players
Xie, Nolan	3rd Grade Premier	164 players
Ramana, Vihaan	3rd Grade Premier	164 players
Margetan, Alston	4th Grade Premier	195 players
Deshmukh, Dhruv	5th Grade Premier	79 players

Player	Section	Rank	Field Size
Li, Leo	1st Grade	Champs 2nd	21 players
Pande, Aryan	2nd Grade	Champs 2nd	58 players
Li, Bryan	2nd Grade	Champs 3rd	58 players
Ma, Lewis	4th Grade	Champs 3rd	58 players
Bravenboer, Jake	5th Grade	Champs 4th	58 players
Hsiao, Aaron	Middle School U1500	Premier 4th	39 players

Seeing our students at the board — calm, focused, competing with confidence against hundreds of players from across the state — is what every coach lives for. The handshakes, the clock presses, the quiet moments of deep thought. This is the culture we build at Grand Knights every single week.

The Grand Knights Difference

Behind every perfect score and every podium finish is a community that shows up. Our coaches, our training programs, our Nationals prep groups, and most importantly — especially our families. None of this happens without you.

To every student who competed: we couldn’t be more proud of our student. Whether you finished 1st or were playing in your very first tournament, every game you played was a step forward.
We are already looking forward to the next one.

Got photos from the event? Send them our way — we love celebrating every moment with our community!

A coach standing beside a chessboard talking to a student at a booth in a large convention center window hall

A coach chats with a student near the Grand Knights table at a tournament

Two girls hold tall trophies and a plaque reading '2026 WSSCC Premier Sections' while standing with their coach in front of a Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships banner

Two young chess players celebrate their 1st place team trophies and plaque with their coach at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

Gelareh Golanbar of Grand Knights Chess Academy standing with her arms around two young girls at a convention center tournament venue

Gelareh Golanbar poses with two young Grand Knights Chess Academy students

A boy holding a diamond-shaped trophy stands with his father in front of a welcome sign for the WA State Elementary Chess Championships at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center

A young chess champion poses with his father in front of the welcome sign at the WA State Elementary Chess Championships

Gelareh Golanbar kneeling beside a young boy holding a tall trophy at a convention center tournament venue

Gelareh Golanbar celebrates with a young Grand Knights Chess Academy trophy winner

Two Grand Knights Chess Academy coaches and another man pose with two young boys holding trophies in front of a Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships 2026 banner

Two young chess players celebrate their trophies with coaches at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

Two Grand Knights Chess Academy coaches kneel beside a young trophy winner in front of a Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships 2026 banner with colorful chess piece silhouettes

Two Grand Knights Chess Academy coaches celebrate with a young trophy winner at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

A woman kneeling beside a young boy holding a trophy and making a peace sign at a chess tournament hotel venue

A young Grand Knights Chess Academy student celebrates his trophy with a coach

A boy wearing glasses and a gray 'Champion' hoodie holds a gold diamond-shaped trophy in a crowded exhibition hall lobby

A young chess champion proudly displays his diamond-shaped trophy in the tournament hall lobby

A boy wearing glasses rests his chin on his folded hands behind a chess board set up for the WA State Elementary Chess Championships, with a crowded tournament hall behind him

A young chess player smiles behind his board before a round at the WA State Elementary Chess Championships

A young chess player poses with his trophy outside the National K-12 Grade Championships venue

A young girl stands with a tournament organizer holding a large trophy in front of a banner reading 'WA State Scholastic Chess Championships,' with rows of trophies displayed behind them

A young student receives her trophy on the awards stage at the WA State Scholastic Chess Championships

A young boy wearing a medal and a shirt reading 'Never Lose, Either I Win or I Learn' stands with a woman kneeling beside him, with a trophy visible on a table behind them

A young chess player poses with his medal and coach after a tournament

A man and a young boy sit on a windowsill giving a thumbs up, with the boy holding a trophy

A proud moment as a parent and young chess player give a thumbs up with the tournament trophy

A coach stands behind two smiling girls who hold a plaque reading '2026 WSSCC Premier Sections 1st Place Team'

Two young chess players celebrate their 1st Place Team win at the 2026 Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships Premier Sections

A Grand Knights Chess Academy coach poses with his arm around a young student holding a trophy, standing beside the Grand Knights Chess Academy banner

A coach and student pose together with a tournament trophy beside the academy’s banner

A Grand Knights Chess Academy coach kneels and presents a trophy to a young student in front of the Grand Knights Chess Academy banner

A Grand Knights Chess Academy coach presents a trophy to a student in front of the academy’s banner

A girl and a boy hold their trophies while standing in front of the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships banner

Two young chess players proudly display their trophies at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

A coach sits with three young chess tournament winners holding their trophies, seated on the floor against an orange wall

Three young chess players celebrate their trophies with their coach after a tournament

A young boy wearing a medal and a shirt reading 'I Never Lose, Either I Win or I Learn' reacts with excitement while another boy holds him from behind near an escalator at a convention center

A joyful moment between two young chess players at a state championship event

A coach sitting on the floor with his arms around two young students beneath a WA State Elementary Chess Championships welcome sign

A coach relaxes with two Grand Knights Chess Academy students at the WA State Elementary Chess Championships

Two young boys wearing matching tie-dye shirts and medals standing beneath a WA State Elementary Chess Championships welcome sign at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center

Two young Grand Knights Chess Academy students show off their medals at the WA State Elementary Chess Championships

Two coaches standing behind a young boy wearing a Grand Knights jacket holding a large trophy in front of the Grand Knights Chess Academy backdrop

Grand Knights Chess Academy coaches celebrate with a trophy-winning student

A young boy smiling with his hands resting behind a set chessboard in a large tournament hall

A young Grand Knights Chess Academy student smiles before his tournament game

A young boy wearing a McAuliffe Chess Club shirt standing with a large trophy in front of the 2026 Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships banner

A young student stands with his large trophy at the 2026 Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

A young boy receiving a large trophy from officials on stage while an announcer speaks at the podium at the WA State Scholastic Chess Championships

A Grand Knights Chess Academy student receives a large trophy as the announcer calls his name

A coach standing between two young girls holding tall trophies and a team placement plaque in front of the 2026 Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships banner

Grand Knights Chess Academy students celebrate their team result at the 2026 Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

A young boy leaning across the table to move a chess piece while playing against a young girl at a tournament

A young student leans in to consider his move during a tournament game

A boy wearing glasses holds a trophy while standing in front of a partially visible state chess championship banner against an orange wall

A young chess player poses with his trophy at the state championship

A young chess player poses with his trophy outside the 2025 National K-12 Grade Championships in Spokane, WA

A young girl in a black dress and white cardigan holds a small gold trophy in front of a banner reading 'Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships 2026'

A young chess player poses with her trophy at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championships

A boy jumps in the air with arms outstretched in the lobby of the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, beneath the venue's sign and a welcome screen

A student leaps for joy in the lobby of the Greater Tacoma Convention Center during the chess championships

Our Champions — Perfect 5 from 5!

The Grand Knights Difference

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