Alimzhan Amirkul '26 Ranked #1 Chess Player in Maine

Alimzhan Amirkul ’26 claimed first place at the Maine Chess Championship tournament held in Waterville from April 25–27. Since 1942, the Maine State Chess Championship Tournament has brought together top players of all ages from across the state of Maine. Each player played one match on Friday, two games on Saturday, and two games on Sunday. Alimzhan had one draw and four winning matches, and won with a score of 4.5.

Alimzhan is currently ranked #1 chess player in Maine. He has also earned the National Master title and is ranked in the 99.8th percentile among more than 78,000 chess players nationwide by the U.S. Chess Federation.

On March 22, 2025, top scholastic chess players from across Maine competed in the 2025 Maine Scholastic Individual Player Chess Championship, hosted at the University of Maine at Orono. Fryeburg Academy’s Alimzhan Amirkul captured first place overall, becoming the state's top scholastic player. Hao Thien Do also earned first place in the U1400 Rating Category.

In addition to their individual successes, Fryeburg Academy’s team - composed of Alimzhan Amirkul, Simon Hung Xuan Ngo, Hao Thien Do, and Quang Duong – won first place at the 2025 Maine Scholastic Chess Team Championship. The four students traveled to Hampden Academy on Saturday, March 8, 2025, where they competed against the strongest high school teams from throughout Maine.