Inside the August 2026 USCF Supplement: The 'Chess.com Effect', Meteoric Rises & Master Crossings
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By Travis Carney | August 3, 2026
The August 2026 USCF Supplement is officially out, and it captures one of the most fascinating phenomena in modern American chess: the "Chess.com Effect".
Over the past few years, thousands of players have honed their skills online—building 1800+ tactical sharp sight on Chess.com and Lichess before ever stepping foot in an over-the-board (OTB) tournament hall. When these online-trained players play their first couple of USCF events, the rating algorithm undergoes a violent calibration phase: jumping over +1,000 points in a single month as their provisional rating catches up to their real strength.
At the same time, established tournament veterans (26+ rated games) fought through grueling summer opens like the World Open and Chicago Open to cross major career milestones.
In this edition of our USCF Ratings Report, we separate and analyze both sides of the coin: Meteoric Provisional Breakouts and Established Master-Class Climbs.
📊 August 2026 Overview: By The Numbers
- Total Rated Players Tracked: 882,319
- Total Active Rating Gainers: 13,155 players increased their regular rating from July to August.
- The Provisional Surge: Players with under 26 games posted gains as high as +1,234 rating points in 30 days as USCF provisional math rapidly adjusts.
🏛️ The Tournament Engine: 54th World Open (Washington, DC) & Summer Circuit Surge
What powered the massive rating swings in this August supplement? The primary engine was the 54th Annual World Open, held from July 1–5, 2026, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Featuring 9 grueling rounds of high-stakes classical chess, the World Open attracted over 1,000 players nationwide.
Because the DC venue served as a geographic nexus for the mid-Atlantic and East Coast, it was the exact battleground where online improvers met seasoned tournament veterans. Players like Arvin Sarsazi (VA), who surged +385 points from 1621 to cross the 2000 Expert barrier, and Maxim Novik (NY), who climbed +315 points to reach 2421 Senior Master, capitalized on the deep prize pools and high K-factor opportunities of the July 4th weekend.
Following the World Open, additional regional powerhouses—such as the Southern Open (July 24–26) and state championship qualifiers in California and Texas—maintained high game volume throughout the month. When high game counts meet intense 9-round classical conditions, ratings don't just creep up—they explode.
⚡ The 'Chess.com Effect': Meteoric Provisional Breakouts (Under 26 Games)
When strong online players transition to OTB play, their initial provisional rating (often set after just 4 games) can severely underestimate them. As they log another 5-10 games against established club players, their ratings explode upwards:
| Rank | Name | State | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain | Activity / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIBONA, JAMES CHASE | NM | 33144144 | 682/4 | 1916/10 | +1234 | Prov (4 → 10, +6) |
| 2 | BHARADWAJ, REYAN | CA | 30538841 | 356/5 | 994/15 | +638 | Prov (5 → 15, +10) |
| 3 | VELLORI, RAHUL NAIDU | TX | 33156144 | 646/4 | 1216/13 | +570 | Prov (4 → 13, +9) |
| 4 | ARDELEAN, ALAN | OH | 32874385 | 422/4 | 910/11 | +488 | Prov (4 → 11, +7) |
| 5 | SARGUNAN, SARVESH | TX | 30038206 | 848/11 | 1317 | +469 | Prov (11) → Est (≥ +15) |
| 6 | WESTIN, MASON | WI | 32640791 | 567/5 | 1031/10 | +464 | Prov (5 → 10, +5) |
| 7 | KUMBHOJKAR, HRIDHAAN | 32369760 | 169/11 | 612/22 | +443 | Prov (11 → 22, +11) | |
| 8 | CANTWELL, ADAM RICHARD | DC | 14636085 | 659/24 | 1091 | +432 | Prov (24) → Est (≥ +2) |
| 9 | SCHEINBERG, MICHELLE | OR | 33086790 | 416/13 | 842 | +426 | Prov (13) → Est (≥ +13) |
| 10 | VERDUGO, EMMANUEL | MI | 32803517 | 268/16 | 690/20 | +422 | Prov (16 → 20, +4) |
| 11 | FONGER, LUKE | FL | 32789203 | 102/8 | 522/21 | +420 | Prov (8 → 21, +13) |
| 12 | GREENWOOD, MILES | TX | 17184950 | 747/10 | 1166/18 | +419 | Prov (10 → 18, +8) |
| 13 | DESOTO, VICTOR ANTHONY | KY | 16593597 | 1224/22 | 1642 | +418 | Prov (22) → Est (≥ +4) |
| 14 | HARNEY, PRESTON | CA | 17226425 | 766/19 | 1184 | +418 | Prov (19) → Est (≥ +7) |
| 15 | SIMPSON, GAGE | KS | 30396023 | 625/8 | 1043/16 | +418 | Prov (8 → 16, +8) |
682 based on just 4 games. After playing 6 more rated games in July events, his provisional rating calibrated to 1916—a massive +1,234 point adjustment!
⚔️ Top Established Player Gains (26+ Games, July Rating ≥ 1600)
For players with established ratings (26+ games), rating points are earned the hard way—game by game against experienced opponents. Here are the top established class gainers:
| Rank | Name | State | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TAN, JOHN ALVAREZ | CA | 16988404 | 1900 | 2175 | +275 |
| 2 | PADALA, ARAV | TX | 30289070 | 1907 | 2144 | +237 |
| 3 | TICHY, DEAN CLARK | NY | 31329150 | 1751 | 1945 | +194 |
| 4 | KHUDABUKHSH, ASHIQUR RAHMAN | PA | 32439316 | 1604 | 1794 | +190 |
| 5 | HUNTER, JACOB CARL | IL | 32288064 | 1621 | 1804 | +183 |
| 6 | JENSEN, SILAS CONRAD | CA | 30315116 | 1615 | 1789 | +174 |
| 7 | KANDI, PRANAV | TX | 31493287 | 1758 | 1931 | +173 |
| 8 | SHARMA, AARIKA | NJ | 30613138 | 1660 | 1830 | +170 |
| 9 | MOTT, LINCOLN | CO | 32084246 | 1638 | 1807 | +169 |
| 10 | LONG, ETHAN | CA | 31450577 | 1780 | 1947 | +167 |
| 11 | HANNA, JOHN | NC | 12877028 | 1730 | 1891 | +161 |
| 12 | DARACK, ADAM SAMUEL | NJ | 31645016 | 1838 | 1999 | +161 |
| 13 | PATIL, ADITI SUDARSHAN | CA | 30724876 | 1602 | 1762 | +160 |
| 14 | SARAVANAN, PUGAZHENDHI | TX | 15055891 | 1611 | 1770 | +159 |
| 15 | LIU, YUNTAO | WA | 16731492 | 1611 | 1770 | +159 |
👑 New National Master Crossings (Crossed 2200)
Crossing 2200 USCF is one of the most prestigious milestones in American chess, earning the official title of National Master (NM). Here are the active players who crossed the 2200 threshold in the August supplement:
| Rank | Name | State | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FEDOROV, SVETOSLAV BORISOVICH | MD | 31479603 | 2158 | 2255 | +97 |
| 2 | XU, ZHIHAN | FL | 30744208 | 2116 | 2209 | +93 |
| 3 | ZHANG, ROYCE | RI | 30154455 | 2132 | 2221 | +89 |
| 4 | QIAO, CADEN | GA | 15912240 | 2147 | 2207 | +60 |
| 5 | RAMESH, NEHANRAJ | IA | 31163791 | 2160 | 2215 | +55 |
| 6 | SAXENA, VIHAAN | NJ | 16458708 | 2157 | 2211 | +54 |
| 7 | LEVINE, OWEN | VA | 16024663 | 2172 | 2217 | +45 |
| 8 | MURATOV, SERGEI | 17073492 | 2180 | 2219 | +39 | |
| 9 | IRANIAN PRABHU KUMAR, ASHWIN | OH | 17193472 | 2175 | 2213 | +38 |
| 10 | LIU, LIAM | CA | 30390852 | 2176 | 2213 | +37 |
| 11 | BHOOPATHI, RISHITH | NJ | 30394882 | 2190 | 2222 | +32 |
| 12 | SANE, SHREYUS | CA | 16548501 | 2175 | 2204 | +29 |
| 13 | JIANG, JASON | NY | 16724055 | 2188 | 2216 | +28 |
| 14 | GU, HARDY | IL | 30826774 | 2184 | 2210 | +26 |
| 15 | PATEL, MAAHIR MINESH | NJ | 17093186 | 2198 | 2222 | +24 |
🛡️ New Expert Crossings (Crossed 2000)
Reaching USCF 2000 awards the title of USCF Candidate Master / Expert. Here are the top established players who crossed 2000 in August:
| Rank | Name | State | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TAN, JOHN ALVAREZ | CA | 16988404 | 1900 | 2175 | +275 |
| 2 | PADALA, ARAV | TX | 30289070 | 1907 | 2144 | +237 |
| 3 | MURTHY, AYUSH | NC | 16944315 | 1883 | 2040 | +157 |
| 4 | NALLAPPA, VIJAY | WA | 17221696 | 1849 | 2005 | +156 |
| 5 | GALE, LIAM STORM | FL | 16845608 | 1893 | 2035 | +142 |
| 6 | MONTALTI, GIANLUCA | NJ | 12659954 | 1889 | 2007 | +118 |
| 7 | RULLMAN, WESLEY | CA | 15213275 | 1908 | 2026 | +118 |
| 8 | PARTHIV, KAVIN | KY | 15909843 | 1916 | 2027 | +111 |
| 9 | MILSTEIN, DAVID WOLF | NJ | 15780704 | 1960 | 2056 | +96 |
| 10 | PONNALURI, NAGA ABHIRAM | CA | 17010328 | 1929 | 2024 | +95 |
| 11 | PUGH, LAWRENCE | PA | 11490271 | 1910 | 2004 | +94 |
| 12 | KOTHAPALLI, ESHWAR | NC | 30246438 | 1952 | 2041 | +89 |
| 13 | KAILASH, VAIBHAV | WI | 15185182 | 1980 | 2066 | +86 |
| 14 | SUN, YI | TN | 30257133 | 1916 | 2002 | +86 |
| 15 | JAGAN, ARJUN | CA | 16720637 | 1945 | 2027 | +82 |
🌟 Top Master-Level Gains (July Rating ≥ 2200)
Even at the highest levels, masters are pushing for Senior Master (2400+) and Grandmaster norms. Highlighted by Maxim Novik (NY) who gained +315 points to cross 2421 Senior Master:
| Rank | Name | State | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GHAZARYAN, RAFFI DAVID | CA | 15325867 | 2223 | 2312 | +89 |
| 2 | DUSHYANT, SHARMA | 15819272 | 2233 | 2307 | +74 | |
| 3 | LIN, BRYAN ENMING | NY | 30020975 | 2465 | 2522 | +57 |
| 4 | HILBY, CRAIG | TX | 13744720 | 2502 | 2553 | +51 |
| 5 | JAMMALAMADAKA, VIHAAN | WA | 16624387 | 2210 | 2261 | +51 |
| 6 | WANG, TED | WA | 17187840 | 2323 | 2373 | +50 |
| 7 | BONIN, JAY RICHARD | NY | 10098327 | 2222 | 2268 | +46 |
| 8 | HUSTON, GUS | NY | 14921551 | 2435 | 2479 | +44 |
| 9 | VAIDYANATHAN, KANNAN | NY | 17107282 | 2300 | 2341 | +41 |
| 10 | JAGIRAPU, HARSHIN REDDY | NM | 17201452 | 2370 | 2410 | +40 |
| 11 | PYRIH, ROMAN | TX | 32521438 | 2473 | 2509 | +36 |
| 12 | SHVARTS, TIM | NY | 16156007 | 2212 | 2247 | +35 |
| 13 | GIRSH, DANIEL | PA | 14833734 | 2436 | 2470 | +34 |
| 14 | SHAFER, LOGAN C | TX | 16019966 | 2341 | 2370 | +29 |
| 15 | PARK, EVAN | PA | 15748464 | 2535 | 2563 | +28 |
🏙️ Regional Spotlights: NY, CA & TX Leaders
Top New York (NY) Gainers
| Rank | Name | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain | Activity / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADAMS, XAVIER | 31247073 | 637 | 1100 | +463 | Established |
| 2 | DUQUE, LUCA | 33146582 | 147/9 | 544/19 | +397 | Prov (9 → 19, +10) |
| 3 | CHANDOK, ISHANN | 32029661 | 800 | 1190 | +390 | Established |
| 4 | PATEL, NAVIA | 32927194 | 269/24 | 647 | +378 | Prov (24) → Est (≥ +2) |
| 5 | HUSAIN, DECLAN | 32535936 | 480 | 821 | +341 | Established |
| 6 | NGAI, AMELIE | 32616023 | 287 | 614 | +327 | Established |
| 7 | KRAEGER, THEODORE | 30851393 | 766 | 1086 | +320 | Established |
| 8 | GOGO YMERAJ, DION | 32851911 | 1023 | 1342 | +319 | Established |
| 9 | KUNG-BARTHEL, ROBIN | 31876226 | 117/9 | 434/19 | +317 | Prov (9 → 19, +10) |
| 10 | NOVIK, MAXIM | 12779013 | 2106/7 | 2421 | +315 | Prov (7) → Est (≥ +19) |
| 11 | GERBER, PAUL | 32865255 | 531/6 | 846/13 | +315 | Prov (6 → 13, +7) |
| 12 | MASRI, JONATHAN | 32287249 | 1202/10 | 1514/13 | +312 | Prov (10 → 13, +3) |
| 13 | TAM, CONSTANTINE YY | 17201562 | 415/9 | 722/17 | +307 | Prov (9 → 17, +8) |
| 14 | CAMPBELL, KURTIS MALEEK, KAVANII | 32900363 | 381 | 679 | +298 | Established |
| 15 | ROVINSKY, ENEY | 32038681 | 129/19 | 422/23 | +293 | Prov (19 → 23, +4) |
Top California (CA) Gainers
| Rank | Name | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain | Activity / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BHARADWAJ, REYAN | 30538841 | 356/5 | 994/15 | +638 | Prov (5 → 15, +10) |
| 2 | HARNEY, PRESTON | 17226425 | 766/19 | 1184 | +418 | Prov (19) → Est (≥ +7) |
| 3 | CHEN, HUEY | 33096338 | 1048/14 | 1402 | +354 | Prov (14) → Est (≥ +12) |
| 4 | RACHURI, AKHIL | 33049581 | 437 | 775 | +338 | Established |
| 5 | ANANDAKUMAR, ARNAV | 32553866 | 403/24 | 736 | +333 | Prov (24) → Est (≥ +2) |
| 6 | ANUPOJU, RITHVI KANTH | 32590287 | 267 | 555 | +288 | Established |
| 7 | MUSE SINEK, JAMES | 17174225 | 380 | 659 | +279 | Established |
| 8 | LAM, ETHAN | 30150899 | 1273 | 1551 | +278 | Established |
| 9 | LIU, ALBERT | 32802730 | 347 | 624 | +277 | Established |
| 10 | TAN, JOHN ALVAREZ | 16988404 | 1900 | 2175 | +275 | Established |
| 11 | AGRAWAL, RIAAN | 33052271 | 499/11 | 767/20 | +268 | Prov (11 → 20, +9) |
| 12 | DAVIS, ALFRED WADE | 31939241 | 385 | 648 | +263 | Established |
| 13 | MARCAL, ARTHUR MATHIAS | 16460667 | 1470 | 1732 | +262 | Established |
| 14 | CHOW, ETHAN | 32011319 | 540 | 796 | +256 | Established |
| 15 | MILLSPAUGH, LIAM JAMES | 33066480 | 244/10 | 500 | +256 | Prov (10) → Est (≥ +16) |
Top Texas (TX) Gainers
| Rank | Name | USCF ID | July Rating | August Rating | Gain | Activity / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VELLORI, RAHUL NAIDU | 33156144 | 646/4 | 1216/13 | +570 | Prov (4 → 13, +9) |
| 2 | SARGUNAN, SARVESH | 30038206 | 848/11 | 1317 | +469 | Prov (11) → Est (≥ +15) |
| 3 | GREENWOOD, MILES | 17184950 | 747/10 | 1166/18 | +419 | Prov (10 → 18, +8) |
| 4 | HUMMEL, CHARLES | 33123027 | 546/14 | 963 | +417 | Prov (14) → Est (≥ +12) |
| 5 | SINGH, AARUSH | 32843351 | 246/21 | 661 | +415 | Prov (21) → Est (≥ +5) |
| 6 | JIM GONZALEZ, JOSE LUIS | 32785375 | 538/7 | 940/12 | +402 | Prov (7 → 12, +5) |
| 7 | YALLA, RISHVIK | 32690666 | 537/21 | 936 | +399 | Prov (21) → Est (≥ +5) |
| 8 | FARLEY, ALEXANDER B | 32531734 | 1194 | 1581 | +387 | Established |
| 9 | GUPTA, VYAAN DEV | 32408209 | 305/18 | 664 | +359 | Prov (18) → Est (≥ +8) |
| 10 | KAPOOR, NIKHIL | 32540175 | 431 | 777 | +346 | Established |
| 11 | ALNASSER, MARWAN | 32379752 | 1285/5 | 1626/20 | +341 | Prov (5 → 20, +15) |
| 12 | RANA, VEER | 31658960 | 293/4 | 614/11 | +321 | Prov (4 → 11, +7) |
| 13 | PATTNAIK, SHAGUN | 33155698 | 262/7 | 578/13 | +316 | Prov (7 → 13, +6) |
| 14 | KILICARSLAN, MEHMET BATIHAN | 31332086 | 1127/4 | 1441/14 | +314 | Prov (4 → 14, +10) |
| 15 | PEREZ, DEREK ORLANDO | 32367364 | 1138 | 1448 | +310 | Established |
Written for Control The Center (CTC).
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