Hoosier Chess Academy

Chess camp, week 2, days 1-3: A little rain and cloudiness can’t stop the fun! 🎉😎🤓

Can you guess the activity based on the slightly cryptic gestures in a few photos?!

Hi families!

Just a quick reminder that our next Hoosier Chess Circuit competition is next Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church!

📅 Date: Next Sunday, June 21
⏰ Time: 1:15–5:00pm (first round at 1:30pm)
📍 Faith Lutheran Church, 2200 S High St
🚗 Please park in the upper lot and enter by the playground doors.

The Circuit is open to all PK–12 players, from beginners to experienced tournament kids. Everyone plays four games, earns HCA points, and can medal in their section.

See you next Sunday!

Join HCA Director Ben Foley’s uncle, CM Mike Herron, at Michigantown this Saturday and celebrate his comeback after a three-year hiatus! 😎

Michigantown Madness V is just one week away!

All details and registration can be found at indianachess.org

♟️ HCA Leaderboard Update - June 12, 2026

Summer camp season has already shaken up the standings! Several students made major leaps up the leaderboard after earning 1,000 bonus points through their participation in HCA camp programming.

A special shoutout to Radi Bagheri, Erinayo Akinbode, Ibrahim Syed, Jacob Johnson, and Camden Miller for their impressive climbs this week. At HCA, students earn points not through pure chess achievement, but rather through participation, learning, and community involvement.

Current Top 10: (USCF ratings are the latest regular ratings for each kid)

🥇 Chukbok Kim (UES) – USCF 591

🥈 Ramir Khamitov (TNMS) – USCF 939

🥉 Radi Bagheri (UES) – USCF 599

4️⃣ Erinayo Akinbode (SOCS) – USCF 103

5️⃣ Pax LaFlower (UES) – USCF 587

6️⃣ Jacob Johnson (EPS) – USCF 265

7️⃣ Eric Guo (UES) – USCF 663

8️⃣ Ibrahim Syed (UES) – USCF 743 (a peak by far! 🎉)

9️⃣ Albert Tran (BES) – USCF 668

🔟 Camden Miller (homeschool) – USCF 142

Congratulations to all of our students for their hard work and dedication. The race is far from over, and every point counts. Who will make the next big move up the leaderboard? 5000 is approaching!♟️

Calling all adult chess players in the Bloomington community!

Looking for a new chess hangout? Join us for our biweekly Wednesday night chess gatherings—a relaxed opportunity to play, learn, socialize, and connect with fellow chess enthusiasts.

And yes, that includes tonight.

🕕 6:00 PM

Contact John Valdez with any questions and to receive the specific address. Whether you’re a seasoned tournament player or just getting back into the game, we’d love to see you there. ♟️

Bloomington summers are naturally pretty chill, but not if you’re talkin’ about scholastic chess! Thanks to the 18 chess Apprentices who made that double-exclam (!!) move in their chess learning by practicing with us this afternoon.

See you on Sunday the 21st for our June Circuit competition! 🤓

We worked with a joyful group of chess kids at camp this week! All of them received 1000 extra points on the HCA Leaderboard for their participation, and on Friday they gained valuable tournament experience in the afternoon. And some are returning in two weeks for Week 2! Can’t wait to see what more they’ll learn and practice next.♟️💚

Notice: Our June PIT Meet is located at First United Church, 2420 E 3rd St. This is a location change, only for June! Thanks for understanding, and see you tomorrow at 1:30!

Chess camp, week 1, days 2-4: simultaneous exhibition, blitz, tactical chairs, hand & brain, Chess960, and lots more!

Chess camp, week 1, day 1: tornado, bughouse, chess composition, tactical sharades, collaborative learning, and plenty of blood flow!

There’s still room in our other weeks throughout the summer if you’d like to sign up and join the fun!