For Immediate Release                                                                                   

September 29, 2023                                                                             

Will Aepli Wins 2023 Wyoming State Chess Championship

Sheridan’s Ethan Hoopes wins Open Division and Earns Shot at 2024 Title

(Cheyenne, WY) The Wyoming Chess Association hosted the Wyoming Championship Chess Tournament on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24 in Sheridan, Wyoming. 42 players from around the state competed in two divisions at the Ramada Plaza. The “Championship” division consisted of the six highest rated players in Sheridan competing in a round-robin tournament to determine the 2023 State Championship. The thirty-four other players competed in the “Open Division.”

Will Aepli, a Princeton University student from Jackson Hole won the Championship Division with a score of 3.5/4 and earned the title of 2023 Wyoming State Chess Champion. In the Open Division, Sheridan’s Ethan Hoopes and Gillette’s Amber Lock each had a score of 4.5 after five rounds and thus competed in a three-round “blitz” playoff which Ethan won 2:1. As a result, Ethan Hoopes was declared the winner of the Open division and earned a shot at the 2024 state title with automatic entry into next year’s Championship section. Peter Brooks and Jacob Cooper tied for 3rd and 4th place in the Open Division.

“This was a great championship tournament,” said Brian Kuehl, Vice Chair of the Wyoming Chess Association. “We had a record number of players competing from all around Wyoming including 11 players who had never played in a chess tournament before. We had players as young as six competing against players in their 80s. There’s such enthusiasm for this game – you can really feel the energy for chess in Wyoming.”

This was the first year that the Wyoming Chess Association held the statewide tournament in Sheridan. Because of the high turnout and enthusiasm, the Wyoming Chess Association voted to hold the 2024 championship in Sheridan again next year. Brian Walker, President of the Wyoming Chess Association served as the Tournament Director for the 2023 State Championship.

For more information on chess in Wyoming, check out www.WyomingChess.com and www.SheridanChess.com

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2023 Wyoming State Champion Will Aepli and WCA Board Chair Brian Walker