Chess Team Sweeps Top 3 Spots in Texas Women’s Championship

Players from The University of Texas at Dallas chess team claimed the top three places at the Texas State Women’s Championship on Oct. 4-5 in Plano, Texas, with the newest Comet among them earning top honors.

Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Maili-Jade Ouellet, who is from Canada, joined the team this fall. She won all five of her matches to finish in first place at the tournament, jointly hosted by UT Dallas and Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL).

“Winning the tournament was my goal, and I am happy with my play,” said Ouellet, who is pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare leadership and management from the Naveen Jindal School of Management. “The introduction of prize money, thanks to Tech Mahindra GCL, is a great development for women’s chess in Texas. It offers real support, and it encourages more women to compete at a high level. I am thankful for the opportunity and am proud of myself for this perfect performance.”

In August, Ouellet boosted her rating with a fourth-place finish at the Quebec Invitational Championship, taking six points from nine matches to carry momentum into her first year at UT Dallas.

The Texas event featured players from 13 nations on five continents, highlighting a global chess community that has been drawn to the Lone Star State. Established Comet players Woman International Master Gergana Peycheva and WGM Anastasia Paramzina placed second and third, respectively. Peycheva was the reigning champion.

Chess program director Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra BS’13 announced a partnership with Tech Mahindra in organizing community-building events. The GCL is a professional, franchise-based team league endorsed by the International Chess Federation that aims to globalize chess as a professional sport.

“It’s a big win for our chess program to have organized this year’s Texas Women’s State Championship in partnership with the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League,” Sadorra said. “One of our shared missions is to shine a brighter spotlight on women’s chess.

“After forming a full women’s team last year, we’re now taking the next step: elevating women’s chess and creating more opportunities for both competitive and aspiring female players across Texas. We hope this championship will mark the beginning of many opportunities to come for women in chess.”