Who Plays For Bushwick Chess?

By Micah Jameson

In September 2023, I tried to do what I became known for in the nyc chess world, organize an event while also playing in it. I played for board eight in the first ever NYC Chess Club Olympiad, at the time hosted in the esports bar known as BrookLAN (2026 gentrifiers won’t get the nuanced reference). Notably my number one contribution that year, outside of inventing the Chess Club Olympiad, was to do a king takes against Prospect Park’s Karan Iyer, but ultimately learning the ropes.

Attention! Tonight is Club Night at Bushwick Chess. Come out to Nook 45 Irving from 7-11pm for free play all night.

I had never thrown on a tournament of this size as it was a sixty-four player eight team affair, and so the muddled waters of three time formats, accumulative scoring and lost recordings all made for an extremely exciting story to be told across bars, cafes and chess clubs for years to come.

In 2023, chess was already starting to boom. Our club went from ten or so players a week to 20-30 quickly, and stories from Prospect Park Chess sounded off similar success. Their 2023 victory against Bushwick Chess in tiebreaks made for the type of story you like to tell, even if it meant losing the crown. I became closer friends with almost everyone in that tournament and our little community of 64 players has almost doubled as we near the fourth annual event.

2024 saw a total of nine teams of eight, two more than the year before with 2025 moving into a huge two section event with 12 teams. Each year has seen at least two teams joining the fray and with a third section in 2026 we’re looking at a potential 120+ player tournament.

Board 1 2023-Present

Our top board in 2023 was Alan Morris-Suzuki, a high school senior who genuinely could not be beaten over the board. The one time I saw him facing Grandmaster Aleksander Lenderman, he declined a draw offer with 17 seconds on the clock and decided to push for the win anyways, but didn’t have enough time to convert. He has also the honor of somehow scoring 3-1 against IM Kassa Korley over three years of NYC Chess Club Olympiads. Alan went on to play for Astoria Chess in 2024 and 2025 with college and life moving him back towards his home turf. In 2024 ICN’s NM Alexis Paredes took over the mantle after moving from North Brooklyn Chess and establishing himself as the to-beat player, with FM Juan Pereyra taking the reigns of Bushwick Chess board one in 2025.

Board 2

As the years went by, stronger players took the mantle our team. Board 2 in 2023 went to NM Danny Vulis, a continued titan at Bushwick Chess from the very early days. Danny is one of New York’s top chess tutors in the city, and still frequents the club regularly. 2024 saw NM Michael Finneran take over board 2, with three time Bushwick Chess Olympiad player NM Aakaash Meduri scooping up board 2 in 2025.

Board 3

NM Aakaash Meduri begins the tradition to play on Bushwick Chess’ Olympiad team three years in a row, with his first appearance as Board 3 in 2023. In 2024 NM Danny Vulis played Board 3 but couldn’t make 2025, so newcomer and Australian expert Simon Schmidt took the spot.

Board 4

Board four has always been tricky as the club evolved and the tournament became stronger. Kirill Agishev, the forever u1800 at the club took Board 4 in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, it was Adi Kumar who found his way to our coveted Board 4 with a 1937 NYCR taking precedent at the time.

Board 5

Nick Marino, the sweet prince who was lost. Bushwick Chess has a retention problem. Marino took Board 5 in 2023, but it was 1773 rated Najee-Ana Walthrust who thrust into the position in 2024. By 2025, Nick Marino transferred to Prospect Park Chess after falling in love with the enemy (and his future wife) so it was Atharva Washimkar in the seat rated 1862.

Board 6

Our second three-year player started out as board 6 in 2023. Najee-Ana Walthrust’s growth as a chess player is absolutely terrifying if you’ve been paying attention. Nick Marino swapped spots with her by 2024, but Najee returned to board 6 in 2025 rated 1855 at the time. She’s now in talks to form her own team in 2026 but more news about that later…

Board 7

“A thousand years of Bushwick Chess” say’s our Bundesliga Captain and 2023 Board 7 player George Rodnikov, who became a close friend over the years and our housing benefactor for the epic 2025 Reykjavik Open. But by 2024 the average rating of the seat soared with 1732 rated Atharva Washimkar taking the seat. 2025 saw an even bigger boost when 1856 rated WFM Nino Jalagonia took board 7, noted as maybe an improper spot for the Georgian Woman FIDE Master who went 7-1 that year.

Board 8

And now we get to me, Micah Jameson. My role as a player has only extended to that first year in 2023 though I remained a substitute, with Jimmy Barroso snagging the spot in 2024. Wildly, 2025 saw 1809 rated (at the time) Kirill Agishev, board four in 2023 take over Board 8, putting him as the third and final three time Bushwick Chess player and becoming a looming sign that the gates of an average rating were finally starting to crack as we entered our senior year of 2026…

Final thoughts: God I Love Chess Players. It’s been an honor serving the community of New York Chess since 2021, watching each and every one of you grow into something bigger than an individual. A dear friend recently said “I don’t care about winning, I’m doing it for the love of chess.” I counter this sentiment to say I have always been doing it for the love of chess players like you. Thanks to two time champs Prospect Park Chess, Astoria Chess, Williamsburg Chess, North Brooklyn Chess Club, Chess Meet, Ridgewick Chess, Queers Gambit, Renegades, Park Slope Chess, Daily Press Chess, NYU Chess Club, Bishops Pair, GP Chess Club, Chess Chat, Sapphics For The Bush and all our second teams from 2023-25.

With even more clubs joining this year and 24 seats to fill for our club alone, we welcome everyone with open arms. Much love chess players.

And that’s it for this week chess players! Join us tonight for more chess and be sure to check our socials HERE. Much love chess players, see you over the board soon. You can find your updated NYC Rating HERE.