University of Missouri triumphs at Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship 2024
University of Missouri Team A wins Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship 2024. The winning team scored 5.5/6. GM Harshit Raja contributed a valuable unbeaten 3.5/5. This was the first time ever the school won this event. The chess team was founded in 2019. University of Texas at Dallas Team A secured second place, scoring 5/6. GM Koustav Chatterjee and IM Saksham Rautela scored 2.5/6 and 2/2 each respectively. Webster University Team A was placed third with a score 4.5/6. GM Harsha Bharathakoti scored 4.5/6. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Team A also scored 4.5/6 and they were placed fourth according to tie-breaks. The top four team qualified to the President's Cup. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club
Harshit Raja's team becomes the champion for the first time in school's history
Last year in December, GM Harshit Raja won Winter Chess Classic 2023 for Team A. A little over a fortnight later, Harshit once again won another team event. This time for his school - University of Missouri Team A. It was also the first time in the school's history that the team became Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship. They along with the next three teams have secured a place in the President's Cup.
A total of 173 players including 27 GMs, 22 IMs, 4 WGMs and 4 WIMs represented 40 teams all across the USA and Canada. The four-day six round Swiss League team tournament was held at McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Texas, USA from 4th to 7th January 2024. The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.
