SLU Chess Team Player Profiles

Varuzhan Akobian, Head Coach

Title: Grandmaster
Peak rating: 2673
Email: varuzhan.akobian@slu.edu 

Varuzhan was the U.S. Junior Champion in 2003, and the winner of the World Open in 2002, 2004, and 2007. He also played for the U.S. in the 2009 World Team Championship and helped earn the silver medal. He played on the bronze-medal-winning U.S. team in the 2006 and 2008 Chess Olympiads. He was the 2014 US Championship Runner Up. Please email the head coach for any team or scholarship questions! 

Dariusz Świercz, Assistant Coach

Title: Grandmaster
Peak rating: 2670

Dariusz Świercz is an American chess Grandmaster. He earned his grandmaster title at the age of 14 years and seven months in 2009. In 2011, Świercz won the World Junior Chess Championship and in 2016 he won the 3rd Millionaire Chess. In 2018, he will represent the United States. He was a part of the US National Team in World Team Championships 2019 and Online Olympiad in 2021, contributing in the latter to the US Team winning a silver medal. 

Aryan Chopra

Title: Grandmaster
Freshman, Business
Peak rating: 2641 
Home country: India 

Viktor Gazik

Title: Grandmaster
Graduate Student, MBA 
Peak rating: 2585 
Home country: Slovakia

Emin Ohanyan

Title: Grandmaster 
Freshman, Business Technology Management 
Peak rating: 2519
Home country: Armenia 

Robby Kevlishvili

Title: Grandmaster
Graduate student, Finance and mathematics
Peak rating: 2541
Home country: The Netherlands 

Born in the Netherlands in a Georgian family, Robby Kevlishvili started playing chess at age 4. His father taught him the rules, and Kevlishvili joined a local chess club at age 6. Soon after, he started competing in national championships, with many European and world youth championships to follow. Now at SLU, Kevlishvili is an graduate student studying finance and mathematics. 

Accomplishments 

• World Blitz Champion U12 (2013)
• Dutch U20 Champion at age 16 (2017)
• Silver medalist European U18 Team Chess Championship with The Netherlands (2019)
• Winner of the Open Vandoeuvre tournament in France (2018)
• U7, U8, U9, U12, U14 Dutch champion
• Current World Rapid No. 3 U20 and current World Blitz No. 10 U20 (February 2021)
• 2022 Collegiate National Champion with SLU 

Dambasuren Batsuren

Title: Grandmaster
Sophomore, Psychology
Peak rating: 2525
Home country: Mongolia

He was Candidate Master (CM) in 2014, FIDE Master (FM) in 2015, International Master (IM) 2017. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 2020. As of July 2021, he is the second-highest ranked player in Mongolia. 

Accomplishments 

• Won Mongolian Chess Championship 2022 

Nikolozi Kacharava

Title: Grandmaster
Freshman, Economics
Peak rating: 2550
Home country: Georgia

Tianqi Wang

Title: International master 
Graduate Student, Public Health 
Peak rating: 2431
Home country: United States 

Shelev Oberoi

Title: International Master-elect 
Freshman, Neuroscience 
Peak rating: 2328
Home country: United States 

Nicholas Ladan

Title: National Master
Sophomore, Neuroscience
Peak rating: 2273
Home country: United States 

Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Ladan has long been a formidable opponent in the Illinois chess scene. With strong performances at the 30th Chicago Open and 5th Carolinas Classic, he achieved his National Master title in 2021. Ladan is pursuing a major in neuroscience with a passion for research. 

Accomplishments

• First place, 2023 U.S Junior Open
• Two-time Illinois High School Chess Champion 

Ralph Tan

Title: National Master
Junior, Computer science and finance 
Peak rating: 2016 
Home country: United States 

A Cleveland native, Tan has been one of the top players in his native state of Ohio. His strong performances include 7/9 at the 2023 U.S. Open and 3/5 at the 2019 Ohio Chess Congress, where he gained his National Master title. When he is not pursuing his double-major, Tan directs tournaments and teaches classes at the St. Louis Chess Club. 

Accomplishments

• 2019 Ohio High School Chess Champion
• First place, 2023 Memphis Open 

Hemachandra Rambha

Title: National Master
Freshman, Health Sciences 
Peak rating: 1988 
Home country: United States 

Matthew Kent Pikus

Title: Expert
Sophomore, Biochemistry 
Peak rating: 1930
Home country: United States 

Mariam Mkrtchyan

Title: Woman International Master
Freshman, Psychology 
Peak rating: 2381 
Home country: Armenia

Gabriela Antova

Title: Woman Grandmaster
Graduate student, International business
Peak rating: 2335
Home country: Bulgaria

Antova started playing chess at the age of 6, and her passion for the game has stayed with her ever since. Growing up, she traveled the world competing in both prestigious youth events and open tournaments where she had the opportunity to show her talent. She achieved early success at the world and European championships, which inspired her to train and dedicate even more time to chess. Currently, Antova is pursuing her final woman grandmaster norm and aiming to further advance her position on the women’s rank list.

“For me, chess has always been more than just a game: I believe it is really a way of life and a chance to show what I am capable of," she said. "I am grateful to be part of one of the nation’s greatest chess teams and hope to achieve new career heights with SLU.” 

Accomplishments 

• Multiple Bulgarian National Champion
• Five-time medalist of the European Youth Chess championship
• Third place at the World Youth Chess Championship
• European Youth Team Champion (2019)
• Member of the Bulgarian national team for the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2020
• Fifth place on Board 4, 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India 

Thalia Cervantes

Title: Woman Grandmaster
Senior, Sports business
Peak rating: 2338
Home country: United States

Cervantes was born in the chess-rich country of Cuba. She has always been a leading junior player representing Cuba and continued winning tournaments after transferring to the U.S. Federation in 2014. Cervantes is pursuing a degree in sports business, which ideally combines with her ambition in chess. 

Accomplishments

• Second place, US Girls Junior Championship 2022
• Silver Medalist with Team USA in the 2021 Chess Olympiads
• First place, 2018 Pan-American Girls U20

Sila Çağlar

Title: Woman International Master
Junior, Neuroscience
Peak rating: 2306
Home country: Turkey

Accomplishments

In 2013, Çağlar won the European School Chess Championship in the girls U09 age group. In 2016, she won the Turkish Youth Chess Championship in the girls U12 age group. Caglar repeatedly represented Turkey at the European Youth Chess Championships and World Youth Chess Championships in different age groups. In 2016, in Prague she won European Youth Chess Championship in the girls U12 age group and received Women FIDE Master (WFM) title. Çağlar two times played Cervantes for Turkey team in the European Girls' U18 Team Chess Championships (2016-2017). Also she participated in European Individual Women Chess Championships 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2020, she was awarded the FIDE Women International Master (WIM) title.

Dhyana Patel

Title: Woman FIDE Master
Sophomore, Data science
Peak rating: 2155
Home country: India

Inspired by her brother, Patel started playing chess at the age of 7. With the endless victories and still going on she claimed the WCM, WFM title. In her journey her family, friends played a major role along with the sponsorships of PSP Pvt. Ltd and SAG.

Accomplishments

• Western Asia Youth Championship, 2018 U18 Girls
• AICF National Under 16 Girls Online Chess Championship 2021
• AICF National Under 18 Girls Online Chess Championship 2021 

Gabriela Luisa Vicente Feller 

Sophomore, Nutrition and dietetics
Peak rating: 1920
Home country: Brazil 

Feller is a National Master from Brazil who holds the distinction of being one of the top female chess players in Brazil. Besides playing chess, Feller records lessons and content for Chess.com Portugal. She is studying nutrition and dietetics with the goal of pursuing a career in nutrition. 

Accomplishments

• Second place, 2021 U20 Brazilian Youth Championship - Women