TEMPLE TERRACE — For years, Tampa’s chess scene had a quiet problem: plenty of casual meetups, but no true competitive club where players could train, compete in rated tournaments and build a lasting community.
National master Truman Hoàng decided to change that.
Hoàng, who is also a two-time national scholastic champion, top-10 U.S. Open finisher and a player rated 2180 — placing him in the top 1.5% of chess competitors — launched Tampa Champions Chess, a chess academy now serving more than 85 students.
The 25-year-old Tampa Palms resident and Middleton High School graduate started the club with Daniel Mendoza, a 26-year-old South Tampa resident and one of the club’s coaches, about two years ago after realizing the region lacked a consistent, tournament-focused space.
While nearby St. Petersburg has a long-established club, Hoàng said Tampa’s competitive scene faded as older, well-known organizers retired, stepped away or died. Now, through weekly lessons, rated tournaments and school partnerships reaching dozens of students, he is working to rebuild a pipeline for local players — and revive a community he said once thrived.
“There were big pillars of the community who kind of faded out,” he said. “I feel like we’re taking on the torch.”
The club draws players of all ages, from young, experienced competitors sharpening their skills to older adults eager to learn the game for the first time.
Hoàng coaches one of those experienced younger players: seven-year-old Ali Tazabekov.
Ali first started playing chess when he was five years old. Since then, he has competed in multiple tournaments, earning several first-place finishes. He is ranked 1300 in rapid chess, an intermediate level, although advanced for kids, he said.
His mother, Kamilla Tazabekova, said finding serious chess opportunities locally in Odessa was difficult. That challenge is what eventually led them to the club in Tampa, even though the weekly drive takes nearly an hour.
However, it is all worth it for Ali, who loves the thrill of competition and the possibility of how far the game could take him.
His long-term goal is already clear.
“Grandmaster,” Ali said, the highest title a chess player can achieve.
Alongside young prodigies like Ali, the club also welcomes players who are just beginning their chess journeys. Mendoza — one of the club’s coaches and Hoàng’s business partner — teaches an unexpected student.
One of Mendoza’s most memorable students, he said, is an 80-year-old woman who only speaks Spanish and had never played chess before. Because she couldn’t find a teacher who could instruct her in her native language, Mendoza took her on individually.
For Mendoza, teaching has become one of the most fulfilling parts of running the academy. He enjoys introducing students to chess history, famous games and legendary players, and seeing that excitement spread as they learn.
The club also functions as a space for social connection. Mendoza said tournaments provide younger players with a way to build focus, critical thinking, memory and sportsmanship, while adult players can unwind, meet others and engage in a shared passion.
For Mendoza, the mix of ages and abilities is exactly what makes Tampa Champions Chess special: from children dreaming of grandmaster titles to newcomers rediscovering the joy of the game later in life.
The success of the program at local schools reflects this approach.
After a year of running the chess program at Carrollwood Day School, students competed in their first local tournament in September 2025.
By their second tournament in October, the school clinched first place in the beginner division of the monthly Altons 4 Chess Tournament, Hoàng said. Around that same time, he also began working at Peninsular Prep, where students continued their success — winning first place at a subsequent Altons 4 tournament and finishing just half a point shy of first in the Advanced Section.
Hoàng also emphasizes the importance of philanthropy and community engagement.
He has volunteered at Academy Prep Tampa Chess Fest in 2024, 2025 and 2026, mentoring and playing with disadvantaged youth. In spring 2025, he organized a community chess teaching event at Joshua House in Lutz, where volunteers introduced foster children to the game.
That same year, students also participated in Academy Prep’s Chess Fest, an event that helps raise tuition funds by having students play and teach community members.
For Hoàng, these experiences exemplify his vision for chess in Tampa: combining excellence with community.
"What distinguishes chess from other games is the history, strategy and the fact that anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or background, can achieve excellence,” Hoàng said.
Tampa Champions Chess is open to all community members on Saturdays, with group lessons from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for $15, followed by casual community play from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 5035 E. Busch Blvd., Suite 7.
