It has been a pleasure to serve Mass Chess members as VP from May-September 2025, then as President since October, taking over for NM Rob King (details here). Since then, we've overcome major challenges and realized major achievements:

• The Westford Regency, the venue for nearly all Mass Chess events for years, closed last December. After a months-long scramble, we secured new venues in Framingham, Marlborough and Wakefield at excellent rates, with no delays to our 2026 event schedule!
• Until recently, the board was very short-handed. I personally recruited four excellent new members: Jamie Williams, Charles Recchia, Mark Gruman, and Ray Xue, creating a full board for the first time since May 2025!
• We gave the Massachusetts Open Championship trophy a major "glow up"! Our tired, old trophy with a broken-off topper and mismatched engraved plates has been beautifully restored and renamed in honor of the legendary champion John Curdo. (See photos here!)
• In 2025, we live-streamed the exciting Masters vs Challengers event, Mass Open and Greater Boston Open, with more to come!
• As Living Memorial Chess Fund administrator, I expanded the distribution of tournament chess sets to schools and community groups throughout Massachusetts.
• Finally, I have served as the Mass Chess Webmaster since 2024, keeping the site fully functional and engaging for everyone. And YES... we WILL have a new, modern website this year!

We have much more to accomplish, and we have an exceptional board that is more than up to the task. I sincerely hope you will vote for me as well as all incumbent members running for re-election-Kateryna Odnorozhenko, Colin Scheriff (running for Treasurer), Nick Sterling, Bob Messenger (running for Board Member after serving 25 years as Treasurer!), Elsie Smits, Dima Barash, Jamie Williams, Charles Recchia, Mark Gruman, Ray Xue and Mark Gruman - and Venkat "Rishi" Devata, who has done excellent work as assistant TD. Thank you!

Last election I, Robert (Robby) King, got 3 write-in votes to be on the MACA board, and 2 write-in votes for MACA President. Unfortunately, any number of votes under 10 no longer counts in MACA elections because of a bylaw change that occurred in December of 2010. I voted against that bylaw amendment in the annual election of 2011 because it is undemocratic. I would have been elected to the MACA Board because there were not enough candidates running, under the rules prior to December 2010. The MACA Board refused to include my name on the ballot because it was a day past the extended deadline which was on March 14 instead of March 15. I was unaware of the open seats, until after the election. There was never any public announcement or email notification about open seats by MACA to the membership. And the MACA election did not take place at the annual meeting where it is legally supposed to take place because of the non profit status of MACA, according to Massachusetts law. At an annual meeting everything would have been transparent and the membership would have the option to fix it. That is why I stated that last year's election was illegal and undemocratic in email messages to the board. I was told that I would not be invited to any board meetings by the MACA President and Vice President.

I have served as MACA's President for two nonconcurrent terms in the past. If I get elected as MACA President, then I will work on fixing MACA's bylaws regarding MACAs elections to make them fully democratic. Chess Horizons was great at promoting chess, magazines are still seen around from time to time; and so the board should consider publishing Chess Horizons again.

I am Kateryna Odnorozhenko, WIM, candidate for MACA Vice President. I've played chess my entire life and was lucky to have studied under Vladimir Savon, 1971 USSR Champion. I have been an active international player, competing in tournaments in Ukraine, post-Soviet countries, Europe and the Middle East, with my FIDE rating reaching 2214 at its peak. After becoming a mother and moving to the US, I'm seeking to make my experience work for the Massachusetts chess community. My top priorities are promoting women chess and facilitating clubs and organizers in conducting more events of all levels.

During my 1st year as a MACA director, I focused on girls' and women's chess, running the tournaments that were already on the calendar and, with USChess support, organizing a new series of all-female events, Queens Blitz Series, to provide a regular meeting point for girls and women to learn, play, and make friends. The second year was marked by another girls' and women's series - Boston Queens - as well as by my transition from a director's role to serving as MACA's Vice President.

My name is Colin Scheriff. I'm a chess player, tournament director, current board member, and candidate for Treasurer.

I'm running for Treasurer because I believe MassChess needs strong, practical financial leadership as it continues to grow and modernize. Our mission is important: supporting chess across Massachusetts, from scholastic players attending their first tournaments to experienced players competing in state championship events. To do that well, we need clear financial processes, reliable reporting, careful stewardship of funds, and systems that make it easier for future boards to understand and manage the organization's finances.

Professionally, I bring decades of experience in corporate finance, planning, and operations. Over the past year, I have also become increasingly involved in day-to-day work, including tournament operations, technology, communications, and board governance. That experience has given me a deeper appreciation for both the organization's strengths and the areas where better financial systems and documentation would help.

As Treasurer, my goal would be to preserve continuity while improving transparency, organization, and long-term sustainability. I would work to keep the board informed, make financial information easier to access and understand, support responsible budgeting for tournaments and programs, and help ensure MassChess remains financially healthy for years to come.

I care deeply about the future of chess in Massachusetts and would be honored to serve as Treasurer.

After serving as MACA's Treasurer for 25 years, I've decided to step aside. I'll continue to direct MACA tournaments. I look forward to working with Mike Urbonas as President and Colin Scheriff as MACA's new Treasurer.

I am the founder and president of JP Chess Foundation Inc., a free community chess club in Jamaica Plain, Boston (jpchess.org). I was responsible for running the free 3/5 days of chess events for Boston Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture the past 3 years, as well as several chess events as part of the Boston Open Streets initiative. I joined the MACA board in 2025 and am running for re-election.

I would like to begin by thanking you all for your support and confidence to be a member of the MACA Board of Directors for the 4th consecutive year. These years of experience have taught me how things get done, and what we need to keep it an ever growing and improving experience for all. I feel we have had a productive year. And look forward to continuing the slate of improvements we have planned if you entrust me another year to be one of your Board of Directors.

For those who don't know me: I am a parent, teacher, tournament director, and chess coach to the Funky Owls Chess Club. In 2017, in support of my daughter's love of chess, I started a chess club dedicated to children due to the lack of children's chess clubs in my area. I have created a fun, and supportive chess environment teaching good sportsmanship and personal growth through chess.

And as always, I will continue to be the eyes and ears on behalf of all members, passing along your feedback, making the case for your interests. Thank you for your support!

I am honored to submit my candidacy for the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chess Association. Chess has been a lifelong passion for me-not only as a game of strategy and skill, but as a tool for education, community building, and personal growth. Having run after school chess clubs in Northborough, Lowell and Burlington, and having played in many tournaments here in Massachusetts (and Rhode Island) I bring the "adult improver" (my USCF rating trend might beg to differ) enthusiasm along with my core nerd values from my physics doctorate (Ohio State 1996) and some organizational management chops from IEEE semiconductor industry and my Babson MBA. As a member of the MetroWest Chess Club and a blitz junkie on Lichess (Galactus3000), my passion for the game and proselytization of its beauty will help me guide the MACA to its next level of greatness. Vote for me and see.

My name is Rishi Devata, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to serve the MACA community. Currently, as a high school student and USCF expert, I aim to be a representative for the many rising chess players that lack representation on this prestigious board. To me, chess is not just a board game, but a lifelong pursuit where players can socialize, learn, acquire critical thinking skills, and foster connections that they otherwise would not have. As a homegrown Massachusetts chess player, I have played in MACA Scholastics and Adult MACA tournaments.

I am also a tournament director, having directed five tournaments so far. Logging over 40 hours of chess experience, I have been fortunate to learn from illustrious TDs such as Bob Messenger, Nicholas Sterling, Colin Scheriff, and Dmitry Barash. They helped me obtain valuable experience, and insight into the logistics of how MACA scholastics tournaments are directed, and also helped me attain knowledge on how to keep enthusiasm for younger players and potential talents.

If elected, I aspire to make chess more accessible and design events tailored to what modern players want. I will also aim to bring more creative ideas for tournaments, similar to the Master vs. Challengers, a brilliant tournament directed by Colin Scheriff. For example, I propose the Junior Round-Robin, which is a weekend event with 5-6 groups of 8 chess players with similar ratings will all play each other, with the time control potentially being G60 d/5. This is a highly competitive tournament adaptable for senior players as well.

As a new nominee for what would hopefully be my first term, I aim to gain experience as to how the MACA Board functions, while simultaneously making chess readily available to older veterans and younger players alike.

Signing off
Rishi Devata

I'm a Chess Player (2300), Parent of two actively playing Kids, Tutor (teaching kids for 30+ years), and Tournament Director.

I served as the Chair of MACA Scholastic Committee for the last several years. My main goal is to increase the popularity of scholastic tournaments, so that they gather more participants year by year. And this really works!

I update attendance statistics at

https://sites.google.com/site/scholasticchessinma/all-documents-here-are-related-to-chess-in-ma-mostly-to-scholastic-chess/maca-tournaments-attendance

My name is Mark Gruman, and I am pleased to submit my re-election candidacy for the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chess Association. Chess is more than a personal passion for me-it is a powerful tool for education, critical thinking, and community building. I am especially committed to making chess more accessible and exciting for the next generation of players.

My experience includes strong support for scholastic chess programs. This past September I founded and began running the Center School Chess Club in Stow, MA, where over 10% of the student body elected to participate. This role has given me practical insight into how to spark enthusiasm, sustain engagement, and create welcoming environments where young players, novice and experienced alike, can thrive and learn from one another.

If elected, I will focus on expanding access to chess, while also modernizing how we engage younger players. The current generation of chess players makes use of technology that we couldn't even dream of 20 years ago. I hope to leverage that new technology in ways that make chess exciting and "current" for today's budding chess superstars.

Additionally, as a technologist and entrepreneur, I bring a level of technical knowledge that could be helpful to MACA. From data analysis to website development, I am happy to lend my knowledge and expertise in helping MACA grow and serve as THE "GO-TO" resource for all things Chess in Massachusetts.

I bring a collaborative approach, strong organizational skills, and a genuine enthusiasm for growing the game. I am eager to help MACA inspire the next generation and build a vibrant, inclusive chess community across Massachusetts.

Thank you for your consideration.
Mark Gruman