City of Glendale, CA

09/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/10/2026 18:05

Southern California Open Chess Tournament Brings Hundreds of Players from Around the World to Glendale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 10, 2026
City Media Contact: Communications and Community Relations
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 548-3342

Southern California Open Chess Tournament Brings Hundreds of Players from Around the World to Glendale

Glendale, CA - More than 380 participants gathered in Glendale September 4-7 for the 2026 Southern California Open Chess Tournament, bringing together players from across the United States and around the world for four days of competition. The tournament, now in its second year in Glendale, featured 12 grandmasters and a $60,000 guaranteed prize fund, building on the strong turnout of its Glendale debut in 2025.
Grandmaster Aditya Sachin Samant of India and International Master Sebastian Lukas Kostolansky shared top honors in the Open section, each earning $4,500. Across seven competitive sections, players competed for prizes ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for first-place finishes.
"What stood out to me was the incredible range of people brought together through chess," said Mayor Ardy Kassakhian. "We welcomed grandmasters from around the world, young players just beginning their journey in chess, and college competitors. It was especially great to see women make up half of the University of Texas at Dallas team that took the top college team honor. That range is what makes this tournament so special and shows how chess can bring people together across ages, backgrounds, and cultures."
The tournament's youngest participant was six-year-old Raphael Aghajanyan, who earned two points during the competition. The University of Texas at Dallas was recognized as the top college team, earning a $1,000 prize and cup, with women making up three of the team's six players.

Tournament Results
In addition to the Open section champions, winners across the tournament's competitive sections included:
  • U2300: Woman International Master Davaakhuu Munkhzul of Mongolia, first place, $5,000; Glenn Zhang of the United States, second place, $2,500
  • U2100: Jean Piere Dish Ramos of Peru, first place, $4,000
  • U1900: Jessica Utley of the United States, first place, $3,000
  • U1700: Alexander Beglaryan of the United States, first place, $3,000
  • U1500: Joseph Vaysman of the United States, first place, $3,000
  • U1300: Rafael Nersesyan of the United States, first place, $2,000
An additional 72 players participated in the Southern California Blitz Tournament on September 7, adding another competition to the four-day event.
Organized by the American Chess Academy and dot818, the Southern California Open Chess Tournament was held at the Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale. The tournament has a history spanning more than three decades and returned to Glendale for its second year following its 2025 debut.
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About the Southern California Open Chess Tournament: This Tournament has been a premier event for competitive chess players for over three decades, drawing top talent from across the country, and is known for its rigorous competition, high-caliber participants, and strong tradition of fostering chess excellence.

About Glendale: Known as the "Jewel City," Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of almost 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks & facilities, with easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking. Visit GlendaleCA.gov for more information and follow us on social media @MyGlendale.
City of Glendale, CA published this content on September 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 11, 2026 at 00:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]