After 4 intense days of competition, 12 year old Thalia Cervantes became the youngest SPFGI champion in history! One year ago, Thalia competed at the 2014 SPF Girls’ Invitational as a representative from Cuba. Her family was so impressed with the chess scene in St. Louis, particularly at Webster University, they decided to stay. Her compatriot from Cuba, GM Fidel Corrales, helped train her on behalf of Webster – SPICE. One year later, she made history by winning the most prestigious all-girls event in the U.S.

In addition, for the first time, 2 players from the same state, Missouri, finished 1st – 2nd. 2nd place finisher on tiebreaks was Nozima Aripova of Webster Groves. Her Mom works for Webster University and her brother Iskandar trains at SPICE.

Thalia Cervantes

Final standings: https://chessdailynews.com/12-year-old-thalia-cervantes-became-youngest-ever-winner-of-spf-girls-invitational/

More photos from 2015 SPF Girls’ Invitational 2015: https://picasaweb.google.com/116302832360230031699/SPFGirlsInvitational2015

2015 SPF Girls’ Invitational Event Schedule at Webster University

Round 1 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-round-1/

Round 2 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-round-2-pairings-3/

Round 3 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-round-3-pairings-2/

Round 4 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-round-4-pairings/

Round 5 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-round-5-pairings-2/

Round 6 pairings: https://chessdailynews.com/spf-girls-invitational-final-round-pairings-2/

Saturday, July 25

Arrival Day

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Game Analyses with SPICE students
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Swimming – University Center Indoor Pool

Sunday, July 26

9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Training
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: City Tour
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Puzzle Solving Championship
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Game Analyses with SPICE students
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Bughouse Championship

Monday, July 27

9:45 am Campus Tour
1:00 pm Opening Ceremony
2:00 pm Tournament Round 1
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Blitz Championship

Tuesday, July 28

9:30 am Tournament Round 2
& Friends & Family Event starts
3:00 pm Tournament Round 3
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Swimming – University Center Indoor Pool

Wednesday, July 29

9:30 am Tournament Round 4
3:00 pm Tournament Round 5

Thursday, July 30

9:30 am Tournament Round 6
3:00 pm Closing Ceremony
4:00 pm Departure

All events held in the SPICE Office at Luhr Library Building

SPF Girls Invitational 2015
Chess Hall of Fame

SPF Girls Invitational 2015 (2)
Downtown St Louis

SPFGI Puzzle Solving Championship 2015
SPF Girl’s Invitational Puzzle Solving Championship at Webster University

SPFGI Bughouse 2015
SPF Girl’s Invitational Bughouse Championship at Webster University

SPFGI 2015

12th annual SPF Girls’ Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls event in the US! 60+ girls, 10+ countries, 30+ states, at Webster University!

SPFGI Puzzle Solving Championship 2015

Last Name First Name State/Country Correct Time
Konovalenko Sasha MI 20/20 13:40
Poteat Lilia NY 17:50
Matus Nastassja MN 18:30
Ehsani Yassi NY 21:30
Zhou Iris MO 22:05
Vazquez Danitza Puerto Rico 19.5 8:45
Cervantes Thalia MO/Cuba 15:45
Botez Andrea Oregon/Canada 16:00
Cancio Aiya AZ 19 20:00
Paxton Shimera TN 21:20
Parent Cassie IL 25:00
Yang Yan Rui CA 26:00
Meiyappan Annapoorni CA 30:00
Bashkansky Naomi Washington 18.5 14:00
Castillo Morales Thais Costa Rica 30:00
Hajiarbabi Kiana KS – Iran 18 21:35
Show Serafina CA 22:35
Tapp Ashley Canada 25:25
Chatterjee Trina CA 28:10
Arnold Peishanika Indiana 30:00
Chen Evelyn Georgia 30:00
Provine Shayna IL 30:00
Luo Maggie VA 30:00
Eng Rachael AZ 17.5 17:30
Lopez Sanchez Anastacia Mexico 18:50
Papanek Ella NY 25:16
Avirneni Saithanusri Georgia 16.5 19:00
Zilajeva Veronika OK/Latvia 22:55
Velidandla Sarvagna Alabama 30:00
Natareno Beltran Elvia del Rosario Guatemala 30:00
Abdus-Shakoor Diamond Ohio 15 29:29
Venkataraja Triyakshari NC 13 30:00
Hsu Skyler MD 12.5 30:00
Cheng Emma Ohio 30:00
Hajiarbabi Shahrzad KS/Iran 12 30:00
Aderogba Temiloluwa Idaho 30:00
Carson Charity Iowa 30:00
Carson Bethany Iowa 30:00
Salzgeber Karen Mississippi 11.5 30:00
Dias Neha SC 30:00
Lima Aine Brazil 30:00
Wong Allyson CA 11 22:00
Allen Elena Oregon 29:28
Murgulet Ioana TX 10.5 30:00
Low Beatrice CT 10 30:00
Carson Sarah Faith Iowa 30:00
LeTard Willow New Mexico 30:00
Hogue Emily Utah 9.5 30:00
Thomas Kathryn KY 30:00
Kancharla Meghana NH 6 30:00
Farell Charity OK 4 29:50
Kimball Giselle NV 2.5 30:00

—————————————————————————————-

SPFGI Bughouse Championship 2015

1st Place

ARIZONA: Aiya Canco  (AZ) & Rachael Eng (AZ), 10-0

2nd Place

CHOCOLATE: Danitza Vasquez (Puerto Rico) & Serafina Show (CA), 7-3
MINIONS: Diamond Abdus-Shakoor (OH) & Lilia Poteat (NY), 7-3
NOBODY: Thalia Cervantes (MO) & Ashley Tapp (Canada), 7-3
CASSANDREA: Andrea Botez (Canada) & Cassie Parent (IL), 7-3

3rd Place

CIA: Ella Papanek (NY) & Yassi Eshani (NY), 6-4
NOTHING: Sasha Konovalenko (MI) & Chloe Wong (WI), 6-4
MAGIC: Nastassja Matus (MN) & Iris Zhou (MO), 6-4
HAJIBARBIS: Kiani Hajibarbi (KS) and Shahrzad (KS), 6-4
DIAMONDS: Neha Dias (SC) & Peishanika Arnold (IN), 6-4
CV: Veronika Zilajeva (OK) & Charity Farell (OK), 6-4

4th Place

TEX MEX: Anastacia Lopez (Mexico) & Ioana Murgulet, 5-5
CARSONS: Sarah Faith Carson (IA) & Bethany Carson (IA), 5-5
CALIFORNIA: Evelyn Chen (GA) & Trina Chatterjee (CA), 5-5

6th Place

BUBBLES: Willow Letard (NM) & Maggie Luo (VA), 4-6
OREGON: Elena Allen (OR) & Thais Castillo Morales (Costa Rica), 4-6
MUSTANGS: Allyson Wong (CA) & Annapoorni Meiyappan (CA), 4-6
LUCKY: Skyler Hsu (MD) & Emma Cheng (OH), 4-6
MARVEL: Shayna Provine (IL) & Giselle Kimball (NV), 4-6
CHAMPIONS: Sarvagna Velidanda (AL) & Meghana Kancharla (NH), 4-6

7th Place

PEPPERMINT: Beatrice Low (CT) & Rui Yang Yan (CA), 3-7

8th Place

438ERS: Katie Thomas (KY) & Karen Salzgeber (MS), 2-8
SPARK: Emily Hogue (UT) & Aine Lima (Brazil), 2-8

9th Place

ELEPHANT-MONKEYS: Temi Aderogba (ID) & Triya Venkataraja (NC), 0-10

—————————————————————————————-

SPFGI Blitz Championship 2015

# Name Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Tot
1 Veronika Zilajeva W23 D11 W24 W17 W15 W2 W4 6.5
2 Danitza Vazquez W19 W9 W3 W5 W4 L1 W11 6.0
3 Naomi Bashkansky W39 W34 L2 W19 W7 W10 W5 6.0
4 Thalia Cervantes W12 W22 W6 W26 L2 W14 L1 5.0
5 Ella Papanek W31 W29 W16 L2 W6 W12 L3 5.0
6 Andrea Botez W40 W47 L4 W28 L5 W19 W12 5.0
7 Rachael Eng W30 L13 W23 W8 L3 W21 W14 5.0
8 Anastacia Lopez Sanchez W48 W25 L26 L7 W31 W18 W15 5.0
9 Sasha Konovalenko W38 L2 W32 L14 W23 W20 W16 5.0
10 Sarvagna Vlidandla L18 W36 W41 W16 W17 L3 D13 4.5
11 Kiana Hajiarbabi W42 D1 L15 W25 W27 W13 L2 4.5
12 Cassie Parent L4 W33 W25 W20 W18 L5 L6 4.0
13 Yassi Ehsani W44 W7 D17 L15 W24 L11 D10 4.0
14 Thais Castillo Morales L15 W35 W47 W9 W26 L4 L7 4.0
15 Lilia Poteat W14 L16 W11 W13 L1 W22 L8 4.0
16 Nastassja Matus W35 W15 L5 L10 W30 W26 L9 4.0
17 Saithanusri Avireni W28 W21 D13 L1 L10 W27 D25 4.0
18 Shayna Provine W10 L24 W30 W21 L12 L8 W28 4.0
19 Bethany Carson L2 W38 W34 L3 W33 L6 W32 4.0
20 Elvia Natareno L24 W39 W29 L12 W28 L9 W31 4.0
21 Diamond Abdus-Shakoor W43 L17 W46 L18 W35 L7 W29 4.0
22 Trina Chatterjee W33 L4 L28 W40 W29 L15 W30 4.0
23 Emma Cheng L1 W42 L7 W39 L9 W40 W26 4.0
24 Elena Allen W20 W18 L1 D27 L13 L25 W41 3.5
25 Serafina Show W32 L8 L12 L11 W38 W24 D17 3.5
26 Aiya Cancio W37 W46 W8 L4 L14 L16 L23 3.0
27 Annapoorni Meiyappan L34 W37 W31 D24 L11 L17 D36 3.0
28 Karen Salzgeber L17 W45 W22 L6 L20 W35 L18 3.0
29 Skylar Hsu W36 L5 L20 W48 L22 W34 L21 3.0
30 Evelyn Chen L7 W44 L18 W34 L16 W39 L22 3.0
31 Peishanika Arnold L5 W43 L27 W46 L8 W33 L20 3.0
32 Neha Dias L25 W48 L9 L33 W46 W42 L19 3.0
33 Rui Yang Yan L22 L12 W36 W32 L19 L31 W39 3.0
34 Allyson Wong W27 L3 L19 L30 W37 L29 W40 3.0
35 Triya Venkatarraja L16 L14 W45 W41 L21 L28 W44 3.0
36 Maggie Luo L29 L10 L33 D43 W45 W38 D27 3.0
37 Sarah Faith Carson L26 L27 L48 W44 L34 W43 W42 3.0
38 Charity Carson L9 L19 D43 W47 L25 L36 W46 2.5
39 Beatrice Low L3 L20 W42 L23 W43 L30 L33 2.0
40 Willow Katrina Letard L6 L41 W44 L22 W48 L23 L34 2.0
41 Aine Lima L47 W40 L10 L35 L42 W46 L24 2.0
42 Ioana Murgulet L11 L23 L39 W45 W41 L32 L37 2.0
43 Charity Farell L21 L31 D38 D36 L39 L37 W47 2.0
44 Meghana Kancharla L13 L30 L40 L37 W47 W48 L35 2.0
45 Giselle Kimball L46 L28 L35 L42 L36 W47 W48 2.0
46 Temi Aderogba W45 L26 L21 L31 L32 L41 L38 1.0
47 Emily Hogue W41 L6 L14 L38 L44 L45 L43 1.0
48 Shahrzad Hajiarbabi L8 L32 W37 L29 L40 L44 L45 1.0
Tags: , , , ,