Club Achievements

Club Achievements at State Championship

2026 – Of the 10 sections at PA State Scholastic Championship we won 6 First Place Club and 2 Second Place Club awards

2025 – Of the 10 sections at PA State Scholastic Championship we won 5 First Place Club and 1 Second Place Club awards

2024 – Of the 10 sections at PA State Scholastic Championship we won 5 Club awards

2014 – 2023 – Won at least 1 club trophy in all years that event was held

Only club in the country to have individuals who won the Herbert Jacklyn Scholarship 3 times:

2025 Herbert B. Jacklyn Program Recipients Announced | US Chess.org – Yajat Gupta

2024 Herbert B. Jacklyn Program Recipients Announced | US Chess.org – Vasishta Tumuluri

2023 Herbert B. Jacklyn Program Recipients Announced | US Chess.org – Yajat Gupta

Two winners of sections at national events and several other top 10 finishes

Champions

2025 – Super Nationals – K3 Under 1000 – Devansh Malhotra – 1st Place 

2023 – National High School Championships – Unrated Section – Mohit Maringanti – 1st Place

https://new.uschess.org/news/co-champions-2023-nhs
https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-national-high-school-championship/07/Mohit_Maringanti-Shahad_Rashid_Alketbi
https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-national-high-school-championship/06/Vivian_Millar_Kellner-Mohit_Maringanti

Top 10 Finishes

2025 – Super Nationals – K6 Under 1000 – Riaan Gandhi – 2nd place

2024 – National Elementary School Championships – K6 Under 1000 – Subhang Nettem – 4th

2024 – National Elementary School Championships – K6 Under 1000 – Tyler Wang  – 5th

2024 – National Elementary School Championships – K6 Under 1000 – John Zheng – 10th

2024 – National Middle School Championships – K9 Under 900 – Pranav Srinivasula – 6th

2024 – National Grade School Championships – 4th Grade – Under 800 – Sudiksha Kotha – 3rd

2024 – National High School Championships – K12 Under 800 – Venica Jain – 2nd

Top 100 Lists

        These change monthly, so it is a list of people who have gotten on them at various points in their chess playing. Currently, there are lists kept for all 6 event types, and several people have likely been on multiple ones. This list is in no particular order, but please note that several young ladies have consistently been on these lists for years!

Vahini Sadhu Venkata

Samika Nettem

Kalyani Puranikmath

Myra Nigam

Shyra Nigam

Subhang Nettem

Achu Puranikmath

Tyler Wang

Mohit Maringanti

Ram Singh

Vasishta Tumuluri

Jack Lieberman

Venica Jain

Ridhan Venkatesan

Sudiksha Kottha

Pranav Srinivasan

National Publications

Please note that we also have a club newsletter that numerous players write for.  Azim Julkipli edits the newsletter.

Photo credits on USChess.com

As part of a story on the National Chess Day Wrap-Up story – National Chess Day Wrap-Up | US Chess.org Samika Nettem had several photographs taken that US Chess used.

Colleges

Though of course our focus is chess, we are quite proud of members who go on to college and we also have a few professors who play with us.

Drexel – Professors

Temple – Professor

Penn State University – Honors Program

Cornell – student in doctoral program

University of North Carolina

Georgetown University

Iowa State University

Haverford College

Georgia Tech (starts in fall)

New York University

Testimony from the Perumalla’s

Tribridges Chess Club has been a wonderful find for our family and community. It’s a warm, encouraging space where kids of all ages love learning chess. For my son, the club played a huge role in his success. With their support, he earned a great rating and became a confident player. We love how Joshua makes every tournament fun. It’s great to see so many children building skills and friendships at the board. Tribridges brings out the best in every young player. We couldn’t be happier with the progress our son has made, all thanks to Joshua!
Shivam Wagh dad

Tribridges Chess Club has exceeded all our expectations. Joshua’s coaching has helped our son develop a stronger focus and love for the game. Every lesson feels meaningful, and every tournament brings new excitement. The sense of teamwork and encouragement among the players is incredible. It’s wonderful to see kids learning, competing, and having fun all at once.
Bhaskar Perumalla

Testimony from Jeff

Tribridges has provided my kids a sense of community to continue their chess. Ever since my 2 kids started around 3 years ago, Tribridges has been their favorite place to chess because of the friends they made through the opportunities at Tribridges. There’s an event almost every weekend and Josh actively mentors the older attendees into young TDs.
Jeff Zheng

Testimony from Karthikeyan

We’ve been part of Tribridges for four years now, and it has been incredible to watch the growth. My eldest has grown up with the club, and my youngest is just starting her journey. What I love most is the culture Josh has created—, he is creating an inspiring environment. It’s a place where kids don’t just play; they inspire each other to learn and lead.
Karthikeyan

Testimony from Sadhu

I’m incredibly grateful for the impact the Tribridges chess club has had on my kids! By empowering teens to teach younger kids, Josh has fostering a sense of leadership and community that’s truly inspiring. The club’s vast collection of chess books is amazing for young learners, and the atmosphere is so welcoming that it feels like a second home.😊 Josh isn’t just building chess players, he’s building future leaders and mentors. I’m grateful for the opportunities he’s created for these kids to grow, learn, and have a blast doing it.
Vanitha Sadhu

Testimony from Cindy

Tri-Bridges is a wonderful chess club. Not only does it offer all levels of players a chance to play and learn, the people are also friendly and welcoming. My kids are all beginners and during tournaments, the more experienced players often come by and ask how they did between rounds, offering words of encouragement or reviewing games. Every one celebrates each other’s successes and growth. We have had many fun afternoons and Friday nights at the club for a variety of tournaments and events that the club has organized. We are very happy to have found such a great community at Tri-Bridges!

May the Best Player Win by Kyla Zhao – Review by Akshaj Bodla

May the Best Player Win” is a novel by Kyla Zhao. This novel is about May Li, a young girl who is passionate and striving in chess. May is an awesome chess player and representative of her school team. There were many obstacles for her throughout the story, such as gender bias and overcoming the pressure of expectations from peers. She also struggled with doing this while still loving the game. The story reflects how she overcomes these obstacles and includes chess terms such as zugzwang, pins, and other tactics to explain her life scenario. May shows perseverance in every game of chess she plays and also never gives up in competing with her rival, one of her own teammates. She also builds long-lasting relationships with new friends. This is a great book for elementary and middle schoolers as it teaches many life lessons while also teaching you about chess!

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Thanks Nikki and Eva

Much thanks to Nikki Khmelnitsky and Eva Kennedy, who are helping to enhance the website and our marketing. Regarding the website, this will be achieved through the addition of more pictures, a more extensive social media presence, and other enhancements. If you are interested in assisting, please let me know.

Friday Exton Commons Tournament # 62

The 62nd Exton Commons Tournament was a thrilling end to this July 2024.

Joseph Mucerino won the Open section with a perfect score of 4-0. Saharsh Nannapaneni followed with a score of 3-1. Adhinanth Karthikeyan got third with a score of 2-2. Ryan Carr got the same score and received the Top Under 1200 trophy.

Cam Tsao finished first in the Under 1100 section with a score of 3-1. The second and third placers, Maheshwari Kodakandla and Shriya Chakravarthy scored similarly. Adhvaith Adav Vasudev, who scored 3-1 as well, received the Top Under 700 trophy. Shaurya Mathur and Shyra Nigam got the Top Under 600 trophy, scoring 1-3. 

Joel Seaman took first place in the Under 500 section with the only perfect score of 4-0. Vilohit Kodakandla followed with a score of 3.5-0.5. Lalith Krishna U ppu came third with a score of 3-0. Yashvi Natarajan won the Top Under 300 trophy scoring 2-2. Manasvi Makkena and Vivaan Bhardwaj, getting Top Under 200 and Top Unrated respectively, got the same score.

The full result can be found here. We hope to see you at our next tournament!

 

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Testimony from Himani Ghandi

Being part of TRB Chess Club has been an incredibly enriching experience for our family. What started as an interest in learning and playing chess has grown into so much more. TRB goes beyond teaching the game—it fosters a strong sense of community where children and families feel connected, supported, and inspired.

The club provides excellent opportunities for players to participate in tournaments and sharpen their skills, while also helping them understand their individual strengths and areas for growth. What truly sets TRB apart is its holistic approach—encouraging leadership, building confidence, and offering avenues for students to contribute through writing, mentoring, and supporting one another.

We especially appreciate the club’s efforts to encourage greater participation from girls, creating an inclusive and empowering environment for all players. The coaching and mentorship provided are thoughtful, personalized, and focused not just on winning, but on growth, resilience, and sportsmanship.

TRB Chess Club is not just about chess—it’s about building a community, nurturing young minds, and creating meaningful connections that go far beyond the board.
Himani Gandhi

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