By Victoria Brito Morales

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JULY 2, 2025 – The accolades continue to accumulate for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Chess Team.

For the third time since 2018, the UTRGV Chess Team has been named Chess College of the Year by the United States Chess Federation. This recognition follows their recent victory in the President’s Cup, where they claimed the national title for the fourth time since 2018, sharing the honor with Webster University on April 6. The team previously secured consecutive titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The U.S. Chess Federation’s Chess College of the Year award acknowledges the overall performance and engagement of a program throughout the year. In 2025, the UTRGV Chess Team also triumphed in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Championship, the Southwest Team Championship and the Southwest Women’s Team Championship, ultimately tying for first in the President’s.

In addition to the team’s achievements, Bartek Macieja, the UTRGV chess coach, has been honored as the inaugural Chess Coach of the Year by the U.S. Chess Federation. Macieja said both awards are highly prestigious in the chess community. 

Bartek Macieja, head coach of the UTRGV Chess Team. (UTRGV photo by David Pike)

“I must admit, I quietly hoped for this outcome as our results this academic year were outstanding,” Macieja said. “What is worth noting is that based on the individual chess ratings of our students, our team was not a favorite to win in any of the competitions they competed in, which made our successes even more spectacular.

As coach, Macieja prepares the students for competitions and keeps their sights set on victory.

“One of the key decisions I made was to wisely choose a set of training tournaments for our students to polish their form and maximize our chances during official collegiate championships,” he said. “I was glad to see the decisions I made in consultation with students worked out so well.”

Since taking the role in late 2012, Macieja has built a dynasty for the chess team, leading them to numerous national victories and recruiting top talent from around the globe. His efforts have been pivotal in promoting chess at UTRGV.

The members of the championship team include:

• Gleb Dudin, grandmaster, sophomore Psychology major,
• Jose Gabriel Cardoso Cardoso, grandmaster, freshman Business Administration major,
• Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, grandmaster, junior Biomedical Sciences major,
• Jakub Fus, international master, junior Psychology major,
• Ekin Baris Ozenir, international master, junior Computer Engineering major.

Since their national win, the team has been celebrated by the UTRGV community, the City of Brownsville, the Cameron County Commissioners Court, the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. They also participated in a meet-and-greet during the inaugural UTRGV Football Spring Game in Brownsville.

Pictured is the UTRGV Chess Team during a sendoff event hosted by UT System before their President’s Cup tournament April 4-6 in Richardson, Texas at the UT Dallas campus. (Courtesy photo)

UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the Chess Team exemplifies the university’s reputation, both in Texas and globally.

“Being named Chess College of the Year and celebrating Coach Macieja as the inaugural Coach of the Year is a proud moment for UTRGV,” Bailey said. “These honors recognize not only our students’ incredible talent but also the spirit of determination that defines our university. Their success echoes far beyond the game – it reflects the limitless potential of our institution and our region.”

Macieja and the Chess Team will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the U.S. Chess Federation’s annual meeting on Aug. 1 in Middleton, Wisconsin.

For more information on chess at UTRGV, visit www.utrgv.edu/chess. To view the team’s recognitions, watch here.