Greater Peoria Chess Foundation


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The Greater Peoria Chess Foundation is a 501(c)3 non profit organization dedicated to encouraging chess in our community and school systems. Chess helps students to develop many life skills that will help them as they navigate with challenges that lay ahead.


Scholastic Chess Scholarship Tour The 2024-25 school schedule features our new Grand Prix Chess Tour program that offers scholarships for some lucky players to attend the USCF K-8 Championships in Bloomington or the Nationals in Orlando, Florida at the end of the chess season. Learn how you can paticipate and perhaps win a trip to the Nationals at Orlando, Click ==> here <== and get all the details.


Former Peoria player, Elbert Fang, has attatained the rating of USCF Master, 2200, at the Queen City Prairie Open in Fort Worth, Texas with a win over Sharvesh R Deviprasath (2545). See the game here.
Congratulations Elbert!!!



Peoria Speed Championship


The GPCF Speed Champion is determined over the course of 4 Monday nights. On the first Monday night 3 Game 20 games are played. On the second night the speed increases to Game 15 and 4 games are played. The third night goes to 5 rounds of Game 10. Then the time control goes to Game 5 with 6 rounds played.

In the event of a tie the tied players play a Sudden Death playoff Game 5 game until one of them wins.

The name of this tournament originally was the Beat Pete Speed Tournament in honor of Pete Karagianis the tournament’s designer. And since Pete won the first tournament the title remained the Beat Pete Speed Tournament. He defended his title once and Peter McConaghie seized the traveling trophy so for awhile it remained a Beat Pete Tournament. But when Michael Leali won it it became the Massacre Mike Tournament. When Drew won it became the Destroy, Decimate, Dump and Demolish Drew tournament.

No Speed Championship was held in 2020 & 2021 due to the Wuhan COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the years it was held at irrgeular intervals. We now plan to rename to the Peoria Speed Championship and make it a once a year event, starting January 17th.


Peoria Speed Championship Past Winners

The winner takes possession of the Traveling Speed Chess Trophy


DateWinner
03/25/2019Pete Karagianis
04/02/2018Pete Karagianis
08/29/2016David Sye
08/31/2015Daniel Garrett
10/27/2014Patrick Li
08/26/2013Michael Leali
03/18/2013Michael Leali
08/27/2012Peter McConaghie
03/12/2012Wayne Zimmerle
03/28/2011Michael Leali
04/05/2010Michael Leali
03/23/2009Murrel Rhodes
09/29/2008Michael Leali
03/03/2008Michael Leali
08/27/2007Michael Leali
DateWinner
11/06/2006Michael Leali.
03/06/2006Henry Getz
03/28/2005Michael Leali
09/27/2004Andy Voss
04/19/2004Drew Streitmatter
11/03/2003Michael Leali
06/30/2003Peter McConaghie
01/27/2003Michael Leali
10/28/2002Michael Leali
06/24/2002Pete Karagianis
03/11/2002Peter McConaghie
09/17/2001Michael Leali
05/21/2001Peter McConaghie
11/13/2000Pete Karagianis
07/31/2000Pete Karagianis