Priyadharshan Kannappan won the Open Section at the annual Thanksgiving Open, hosted by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis November 30 and December 1 in St. Louis, Mo. The Lindenwood sophomore celebrated his birthday by scoring 4.5 out of a possible 5 to earn the top spot.

He was aided by a key win from teammate Anna Sharevich, who defeated GM Fidel Corralles from Webster University, leaving him with a total of only four points. Sharevich and Corralles were part of a three way tie for second place that also included IM David Recuero Guerra from the Lions squad.

Other Lindenwood highlights included the first draw against a master for Micah Losee as he continues his climb towards expert status. He finished the day with a total of 2.5 points.

The Lions will have the rest of the month to prepare for the Pan-Am Collegiate Championship, hosted by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas December 27-30.