Ajay Subramanian
Ajay is a first-year student at Babson College who comes from Solon, Ohio; he is deeply passionate about chess and has been competing in tournaments since sixth grade. Having served as the Captain and President of his high school’s chess club, he led the chess team to multiple honors, including the State Championship in 2018. Individually, Ajay is a premier “Class A” chess player. Outside of playing chess, Ajay is an avid sports fan who likes to watch basketball and American football. Ajay also enjoys playing basketball and video games.
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Darcy Linde
Darcy, a recent University of Chicago graduate (who majored in Statistics), has been playing chess passionately from the age of 5. Previously, he was the President of the Chess Club at the University of Chicago. Along with sharing his enjoyment of learning and his love for the game, Darcy enjoys competing in a variety of sports, playing music, and drawing.
Gabriel Baznik
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Gabriel is a recent graduate of American University in Washington DC, where he is studied International Relations. He always loved chess, and joined his school’s chess club in kindergarten. He began to play competitively in high school, and ultimately became his high school’s team captain, leading his club to numerous victories. Despite the apparent differences between chess and international relations, Gabriel has been able to apply the skills in analyzing and strategical thinking that he developed from playing chess to international relations. On top of playing chess and other mind-games, Gabriel loves to memorize maps and demographic information about foreign nations, as well as read novels, travel, in addition to turning everything into a political debate (including chess).
Joe Fennessey
From Chicago, Illinois, Joe is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, where he majored in Mathematics, Economics, and Statistics. He picked up chess later in life, starting during his first year of high school, but quickly became passionate about the game and has reached a peak rating of 2045 and achieved the USCF title of Chess “Expert”. He believes that chess has helped him improve in the classroom and that being a good student has also helped him to improve his chess. Joe enjoys teaching chess, and in his free time also likes running and watching football, especially the Chicago Bears.
Pablo Balsinde
Pablo is a junior at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Philosophy. He is from Madrid (where he is state champion) and has been playing chess ever since he can remember. Besides chess, he participates in many other mind-engaging activities, such as reading, writing, or idly thinking.
Sharan Subramanian
Hailing from Solon, Ohio, Sharan is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago who majored in Public Policy Studies and Economics. He began playing chess in middle school and was immediately hooked on the sport after his first tournament; Sharan is a “Class A” chess player and is currently ranked in the top 3% of all junior players in the USA. Chess has helped him in many ways, and he started Invest in Chess because is passionate about teaching chess to others and spreading its benefits. In his free time, Sharan likes to play the piano, run, and watch Cleveland sports.
Steven Cooklev
Steven is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago who majored in Economics. In 2010, he became the youngest-ever Indiana State Chess Champion. In 2013, he earned the National Master (NM) title, and most recently, he won his first open tournament at the 2015 Chicago Class Championship.
Vijay Subramanian
Raised in Solon, Ohio, Vijay is a first-year student at Babson College. He began playing chess in sixth grade and has played in many tournaments since then. Most notably, Vijay is a State Champion, having won the Ohio 10th Grade State Championship. The competitive nature of chess (as well as the thrill of winning) is what makes him so interested in the game. Vijay also enjoys spreading his knowledge and love for chess to as many children as possible. Besides chess, he likes to watch and play basketball, football, and soccer.
Yuta Kakutani
Born and raised in New York City, Yuta is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago who majored in Mathematics and Statistics. He began playing chess when he was only five years old, and he has become a three-time national champion since then. Chess, he believes, has improved his analytic thinking, creativity, and discipline. On top of teaching chess, Yuta enjoys rollerblading in the park, playing tower defense games, and watching shows on Comedy Central.