Lower Bucks Chess Academy

08/09/2026

U1000 Section

1st Place Rahul Thaker 1063
2nd Place Aarav Ravi 970
3rd Place Jay Reddy 900

U 600 Section

1st Place Parker Bowman 680
2nd Place Jake Freidman 550
3rd Place Blake Thompson 525
https://ratings.uschess.org/event/202608080003?section=0

08/08/2026

45 players are pre registered for 2nd Saturday Chess Fest starting Saturday August 8. Still looking for 1 more scholastic player…

07/12/2026

https://ratings.uschess.org/event/202607110003?section=0
https://www.youtube.com/live/_zkubSc86yU?si=fCA4394iJEgN2Eib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205cGdzLywQ

07/09/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Evan Meyers! 🎉

Last night’s LBCA Advanced Class welcomed 28 players, and before the chess began, everyone joined together to sing Happy Birthday to Evan Meyers!
Evan has been an invaluable part of the academy since 2019—first as a player, then as a coach, and now as our Chief Tournament Director. Watching his journey from Pennsylvania Scholastic State Champion to one of the leaders of Lower Bucks Chess Academy has been incredible. Thank you, Evan, for your dedication, professionalism, and everything you do for our chess community. We are grateful to have you on our team!

♟️ The highlight of the evening came when Ibrahim Shakarim (1850) held NM Roman Ryhkov (2250) to an impressive draw. You can rewatch the entire game on our YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/live/F8GE6t8oEqg
The instructional game of the night featured Evan Meyers (1700) vs. Ephraim Schafli (1400). NM Bela Kis (2200) guided the students through the fascinating strategic battle, explaining how the King’s Indian Defense evolved into the Four Pawns Attack before transposing into a Benoni Defense. The lesson showcased dynamic piece play, timely sacrifices, the power of the initiative, and the importance of active pieces in unbalanced positions.

Wednesday nights at LBCA continue to bring together strong players, inspiring instruction, and an amazing chess community. See you next week! ♟️🔥

06/16/2026

☀️ Summer Chess Camp – Day 2! ♟️⚽

Another exciting day at LBCA Summer Camp!

We started the morning with outdoor warm-up activities, including one-touch soccer passing drills, penalty shots, the always-popular crossbar challenge, and our daily soccer game. ⚽

As usual, every water break quickly turned into fast-paced 5-minute blitz games and bughouse battles! ♟️

Today’s big surprise was our 4-Way Chess and two Giant Chess Sets, where campers enjoyed giant bughouse and giant blitz games. The creativity, teamwork, and excitement were off the charts!

The highlight of the day came from Filip Kawa, who stepped into the role of teacher and delivered an excellent lesson on the sharp and aggressive Sicilian Dragon. Our students learned key attacking ideas, tactical patterns, and why this opening remains one of the most exciting weapons in chess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBR8ZiQ4BY0

We are proud to see our young players not only improving their chess skills but also developing the confidence to teach and inspire others.

🎥 Rewatch Filip’s Sicilian Dragon lesson and follow all the camp action on our LBCA YouTube Channel!

06/15/2026

☀️♟️⚽ Day 1 of LBCA Summer Chess Camp was a huge success!
We kicked off the morning at 8 AM with soccer, keeping the energy high while taking short water breaks that quickly turned into exciting 5-minute blitz games and bughouse battles. The combination of sports and chess kept our campers active, focused, and having fun all morning long.

The highlight of the day came from our 7-year-old future Grandmaster, Frederyk Kawa, who stepped into the role of teacher! Frederyk impressed campers and coaches alike as he explained how to respond to the Italian Game with the Two Knights Defense, confidently sharing his opening knowledge and ideas with the group.
https://youtube.com/shorts/TwVxdUP8ts0?si=CkEndhcSbYXDpPGX
Seeing young players not only learn chess but also teach and inspire others is what makes our camp so special. The future of chess is bright at LBCA!

06/14/2026

06/13/2026

Our next 2nd Saturday Chess Fest tournament has officially begun! Tune in to watch an action packed open section with four titled players, including IM Christian Pedersen and NM Bela Kis! Also playing are the next generation of chess players in our U1000 and U600 sections!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjWS-yCsNMQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csC2ukf5h9E

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

06/13/2026

♟️ 2nd Saturday Chess Fest is Ready to Go! ♟️

We are excited to announce that 52 players are already pre-registered for this weekend’s 2nd Saturday Chess Fest!

Our event will feature 4 competitive sections, expertly directed by our Tournament Directors Evan Meyers and Thomas O’Neal, providing a smooth and professional playing experience for everyone.

🏆 Record Scholastic Turnout!

A fantastic 28 young players have signed up, our biggest scholastic field yet! They will compete in two sections:
🔹 U600
🔹 U1000

⚔️ Our U1600 Section will showcase ambitious club players battling for rating points, prizes, and the chance to move up to the Open ranks.

🔥 All eyes will be on the Open Section, headlined by International Master Christian Pedersen (2520), who will face a strong field of challengers in what promises to be an exciting competition.

📺 Can’t make it to the tournament? Follow the action live on our two YouTube channels!
♟️ LBCA Scholastic – featuring our U600 and U1000 sections.
https://www.youtube.com//streams
♟️ LBCA – featuring the U1600 and Open sections, including the games of IM Christian Pedersen.
https://www.youtube.com/-bel537/streams

It is wonderful to see so many new and returning players supporting over-the-board chess and helping the Lower Bucks Chess Academy community continue to grow.

Good luck to all 52 competitors, and we look forward to an unforgettable day of chess! ♟️🏅