News - ALHS Students Create Nonprofit Blending Love for Chess and Service
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Avon Lake High School students and sisters Olivia and Sophia Panciu have taken a passion for the game of chess and involved an opportunity for service to the community to form a unique combination of interest and a desire to help others. Through Checkmate4Cause, Olivia and Sophia have begun a sequence of camps and classes to inspire future chess players and train our community’s youth in the strategies for success. After developing their love for chess over many years, Olivia and Sophia have taken to creating affordable in-person chess camps and online chess classes, with the hope to expand their love and passion for chess to others. The fees they collect go toward local causes such as TBKidsCentral, which supports children affected by tuberculosis, and the Ronald McDonald House, among others.
The Panciu sisters are accomplished chess players in their own right. Olivia placed 1st in the Age 13 group at the 2025 US Junior Open and was selected as an alternate to represent the United States in the Girls U14 section at the 2025 World Youth Chess Championship in Albania. Additionally, she placed 1st in the U1900 section at the 2025 Ohio Chess Congress, placed 1st in the U1900 group at the 2026 D.C. Open, earned 1st Place Mixed Doubles at the 2025 Pittsburgh Open, and earned 1st Place Team at the 2026 Ohio All-Girls State Championship, representing ALHS. For these accomplishments, she has been recognized continuously on several USCF Top 100 lists for the past 34 months, including reaching as high as #10 in the country for Girls Age 14.
Sophia is equally accomplished, becoming the Ohio All-Girls State Chess Co-Champion in 2026, winning both the individual and team titles. Sophia has also qualified for the Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational as a representative of Ohio. In 2025, she placed 1st in the U1500 section at the George Washington Open and 1st in the U1600 section at the Princeton Open, a national-level competition. Throughout 2026, Sophia has also consistently ranked among the top 20 players nationally for girls in her age group on the USCF Top 100 list and was ranked #14 as of August 2026.
After graduation, Olivia plans to attend college and study a field such as biomedical engineering, biology, chemistry, or mathematics. She is interested in a career in medicine, biomedical research, or global health, which would provide the opportunity to combine her interests with work that directly benefits people. Sophia intends to attend college and pursue a career in STEM, with a particular interest in scientific research. She is considering majors such as biochemistry, physics, or mathematics. Sophia is also interested in a career in medicine, especially one that combines research with clinical applications.
Fantastic job, Olivia and Sophia, for blending your passion and love for chess with helping others!
