Chess Cardinals Team

Founder and Tournament Director

Gaaya is a senior at Parkway Central High in Chesterfield, MO. Her biggest passion is chess, and she has been competing in USCF tournaments since November 2016. Gaaya holds the title of 2022 Missouri Girls Chess State Champion. She is the recipient of the ‘2023 Scholastic Ambassador Award’ from the US Chess Federation (USCF) and the US Chess Trust and also the recipient of the ‘2023 Call For Kindness (C4K) fellowship’ from Riley’s Way Foundation. She has taught chess at River Bend Elementary School’s After School Program and enjoys tutoring scholastic chess players.

Chess is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds, teaching strategic thinking, problem-solving, and perseverance. It is also an excellent way to make new friends and meet new people. Chess Cardinals aims to provide an easily accessible platform for all chess enthusiasts, adults, and scholastic players alike, to come together, play competitive chess, and share their love for the game. Our goal is to promote chess and build a strong and vibrant chess community. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check our website for weekly updates and the club calendar, which includes all nearby chess tournaments within driving distance! All these big goals are possible only because of the hard work and relentless efforts by our Chess Cardinals Team. We want to thank our team members and all our volunteers for their continuous support!