23rd Annual Southern Class Championship - Expert
Open SwissStandard
40 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 13 Mar 2026 to 15 Mar 2026 in Kissimmee, FL, United States. 3 titled players from 7 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1960, and top seed was Miguel Fonseca (🇺🇸 USA, 2026).
Yang Yu (🇺🇸 USA, 1903) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Miguel Fonseca (4.0) and Yi Sha (3.5). Yu won solo starting round 3.
The biggest upset came in round 5: Kanishk Mahesh (1718) beat Kevin Luis Penton Cruz (1966), a +248-point gap.
Location
🇺🇸Kissimmee, FL, United States
Dates
13 Mar 2026 → 15 Mar 2026
Time control
Standard: 40 Moves in 80 Min. Del. 30 Sec. / / 30 Min. Del. 30 Sec.
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Titled players · 3
CM×1
WCM×2
Federations · 7 represented
🇺🇸United States of America×31
🇨🇺Cuba×3
🇹🇼Chinese Taipei×1
🇮🇳India×1
FIDE (no federation)×1
🇻🇪Venezuela×1
🇨🇦Canada×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsYang Yu led from R3; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
8
3
1
1
1
R3–R5 · LEAD HELD
Yang Yu held the sole lead from R3 through R5 without losing it.
R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
Yang Yu drew with Miguel Fonseca (Black).
R1–R4 · WIN STREAK
Yang Yu won 4 in a row (R1–R4).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yang Yu | * | ½ | — | — |
| 2Miguel Fonseca | ½ | * | — | 1 |
| 3CMYi Sha | — | — | * | 1 |
| 4Aldo F Lopez | — | 0 | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yu, Yang | 1903 | USA | +26B | +6N | +18B | +22B | =2N | 4.5 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 9.50 | 2252 | +75.6 |
| 2 | Fonseca, Miguel | 2026 | USA | +17B | +4N | =14B | +7N | =1B | 4.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 | 11.25 | 2106 | +9.2 |
| 3 | Sha, YiCM | 2024 | USA | F | +8N | =12B | +27B | +4N | 3.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 8.50 | 2228 | +32.0 |
| 4 | Lopez, Aldo F | 1891 | USA | +9B | −2B | +25N | +5N | −3B | 3.0 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 7.00 | 1963 | +9.8 |
| 5 | Gao, Vincent | 1814 | USA | +11B | =10N | =33N | −4B | +19N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 6.75 | 1941 | +35.2 |
| 6 | Godlaveti, Pracheth | 1756 | USA | +14B | −1B | =15N | +21B | =28N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 5.00 | 1959 | +21.4 |
| 7 | Warekar, Aarna Nitin | 1816 | USA | F | +21B | +16N | −2B | +15N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 5.50 | 2123 | +64.4 |
| 8 | Hardison, William K | 1858 | USA | =21N | −3B | +39B | +31N | =10N | 3.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 3.25 | 2017 | +44.8 |
| 9 | Bello Diaz, Juan Jose | 1796 | VEN | −4N | +17N | +36B | −16B | +21N | 3.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 3.50 | 1982 | +25.4 |
| 10 | Shen, Edward | 1920 | USA | +38N | =5B | =27B | =28N | =8B | 3.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 4.00 | 1937 | +3.6 |
| 11 | Devarsh Kinra | 1801 | IND | −5N | F | +30N | +19B | +29N | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 4.00 | 2036 | +49.6 |
| 12 | Jani, Aakash | 1821 | USA | =25N | +37B | =3N | +33B | −16N | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 2.75 | 1974 | +41.6 |
| 13 | Sahai, Neel | 1808 | USA | =15N | =25B | +23N | −29B | +30N | 3.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 4.00 | 1911 | +14.4 |
| 14 | Meadors, Landon | 1786 | USA | −6N | F | =2N | +18B | =22N | 2.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 4.75 | 1894 | +22.4 |
| 15 | Wang, Stone | 1806 | USA | =13B | F | =6B | +34N | −7B | 2.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 3.50 | 1816 | +1.0 |
| 16 | Siddeley, Hugh | 1928 | CAN | F | F | −7B | +9N | +12B | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 6.00 | 1935 | +0.4 |
| 17 | Valido Barroso, Melissa | 1936 | CUB | −2N | −9B | =35N | =26B | +32N | 2.0 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 1.25 | 1799 | -18.8 |
| 18 | Long, Rick | 1866 | USA | +36N | +19B | −1N | −14N | F | 2.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 2.00 | 1838 | -6.0 |
| 19 | Roy, Ayush | 1831 | USA | +32B | −18N | +40B | −11N | −5B | 2.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.50 | 1740 | -25.2 |
| 20 | Wang, Eric | 1800 | USA | F | F | +32N | +25B | F | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 2606 | +40.8 |
| 21 | Garcia Garcia, Marlon | 1961 | CUB | =8B | −7N | +26B | −6N | −9B | 1.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 2.50 | 1666 | -39.6 |
| 22 | Harrison, Joshua | 1929 | USA | F | F | +28B | −1N | =14B | 1.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 2.00 | 1652 | -14.6 |
| 23 | Tabor, Kai | 1871 | USA | F | F | −13B | +24N | =27N | 1.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 2.00 | 1843 | -2.2 |
| 24 | Mahesh, Kanishk | 1718 | USA | F | F | =34N | −23B | +31N | 1.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.25 | 1907 | +29.2 |
| 25 | Sivaji, Hariharan | 1795 | FID | =12B | =13N | −4B | −20N | F | 1.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.00 | 1637 | -16.0 |
| 26 | Elvers, Tristan | 1854 | USA | −1N | =32B | −21N | =17N | F | 1.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1.25 | 1712 | -28.8 |
| 27 | Weber, MadelineWCM | 2003 | USA | F | F | =10N | −3N | =23B | 1.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 2.25 | 1814 | -15.2 |
| 28 | FIDE 566009014 | 0 | — | F | F | −22N | =10B | =6B | 1.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 3.00 | 1744 | 0.0 |
| 29 | Guan, Michael X | 1902 | USA | F | F | F | +13N | −11B | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 3.00 | 1804 | -10.8 |
| 30 | Pharel, Pharoah | 1825 | USA | F | F | −11B | +36N | −13B | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 1689 | -22.0 |
| 31 | Penton Cruz, Kevin Luis | 1966 | CUB | F | F | +37N | −8B | −24B | 1.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 1687 | -22.0 |
| 32 | Firestone, Jack | 1822 | USA | −19N | =26N | −20B | F | −17B | 0.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.50 | 1533 | -26.0 |
| 33 | Barnes, Maxwell | 1902 | USA | F | F | =5B | −12N | F | 0.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.50 | 1624 | -14.6 |
| 34 | Stengelin, Martin | 1887 | USA | F | F | =24B | −15B | F | 0.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.75 | 1570 | -16.6 |
| 35 | Tanksley, Quan | 1863 | USA | F | F | =17B | F | F | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 1936 | +2.0 |
| 36 | Murphy, Liam | 1834 | USA | −18B | F | −9N | −30B | F | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 1029 | -60.8 |
| 37 | Ganta, Srijan | 1865 | USA | F | −12N | −31B | F | F | 0.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.00 | 1093 | -18.4 |
| 38 | Berenson, Archer D | 1697 | USA | −10B | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.00 | 1121 | -8.8 |
| 39 | Chovanec, AliceWCM | 1855 | USA | F | F | −8N | F | F | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.00 | 1053 | -20.0 |
| 40 | Shih, Lu-Chung | 1761 | TPE | F | F | −19N | F | F | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 1030 | -8.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Yu, YangUSA+75.64.5 pts · #1
- 2Warekar, Aarna NitinUSA+64.43.0 pts · #11
- 3Devarsh KinraIND+49.63.0 pts · #10
Top rating losers
- 1Murphy, LiamUSA-60.80.0 pts · #38
- 2Garcia Garcia, MarlonCUB-39.61.5 pts · #21
- 3Elvers, TristanUSA-28.81.0 pts · #30
Biggest upsets
- R5+248 Elo gap
- R4+205 Elo gap
- R5+165 Elo gap