Chess in Colorado refers to competitive chess played within the state of Colorado. As of August 2025, Colorado has 868 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation.[1] The current USCF Colorado state affiliate is the Colorado State Chess Association.[2][3]
| Chess in Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Top Player | Michael Mulyar (2464 USCF) |
| Champion | Griffin Thomas McConnell |
| USCF Affiliate | Colorado State Chess Association |
| Active Players | 868 |
History
editIn 1968, the 69th annual U.S. Open Chess Championship was held in Aspen.
At the 1995 Colorado Open, David Lucky and Todd Bardwick played the longest continuous chess game between masters in U.S. history.[4][5][6] In total, the game lasted for 12 hours with 143 moves.
In 2023, Kevin McConnell and his family took over PALs Chess Academy, one of Colorado’s largest chess enrichment programs.[7] To encourage greater chess participation among girls, PALs hosted the Rocky Mountain All-Girls Chess Camp in July 2025.[8] Helping teach the camp were WFM Mairebis Castillo and WGM Sabina Foisor.
On October 8, 2024, Garry Kasparov spoke at the University of Colorado Boulder.[9] The event took place inside of the Macky Auditorium.
The coronavirus lockdowns led to increased interest to chess across the state, especially among youth.[10] An October 2023 article in the The Gazette noted strong turnout at a tournament that took place at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Colorado Springs.
The Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs hosts free chess tournaments for participants of all ages at its library.[11]
Competitors
editAs of August 2025, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from Colorado:[1]
| Position | Name | USCF Rating | USCF Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael A Mulyar | 2464 | Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based) |
| 2 | Isaak Parpiev | 2439 | National Master |
| 3 | Gunnar Andersen | 2381 | Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
| 4 | Sullivan Mac McConnell | 2355 | Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
| 5 | Philipp Ponomarev | 2328 | National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
| 6 | Paul Richter | 2324 | National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
| 7 | Noel Hernandez Marques | 2268 | |
| 8 | Jesse Cohen | 2228 | National Master, Candidate Master (norms-based) |
| 9 | Richard Shtivelband | 2218 | Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
| 10 | Brian D Wall | 2200 | Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based) |
Other top Idaho chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include IM Steven M Odendahl (2507 Rating), GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj (2502 Rating), and Alexei Novikov (2459 Rating).[12]
State championship
editThe 2025 state champion is Griffin Thomas McConnell.[13] In 2024, the state champion was Eamon Curchin Montgomery.[14]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Top Rated Players in CO". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Club Search and Affiliate Directory". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Colorado State Chess Association". coloradochess.com. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "David Lucky vs. Todd Bardwick")". www.chessgames.com.
- ^ "Colorado Hall of Fame Special Issue")" (PDF). www.coloradochess.com.
- ^ "Longest Chess Game in US History")". coloradomasterchess.com.
- ^ Taweel, Sanonna Al (July 2025). "Fresh Mindset: Kevin McConnell". Colorado Parent. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ "Rocky Mountain All-Girls Chess Camps | PALS Chess Academy". Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ "Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov to speak Oct. 8". www.colorado.edu. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Isaac, O'Dell (2023-10-23). "Chess surge in Colorado Springs?". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "All about the free chess tournaments on Peterson Space Force Base". KKTV11. 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Top Rated Players in CO (includes non-active players)". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "US Chess MSA - Cross Table for 2025 COLORADO CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS (Event 202503098182)". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "US Chess MSA - Cross Table for 2024 COLORADO CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS (Event 202403105932)". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-08-11.