Allison Tranmission reclaims title in thrilling 4th annual Corporate chess challenge!

Indy Chess

Oct 5

4 min read

Updated: Oct 7

There is a new (and returning!) titan at the top of Indianapolis’ corporate chess circuit.

In a drama-filled final round that came down to split-second clock scrambles and tactical heroics, Allison Transmission reclaimed the crown as "Indy's Smartest Company" at the 4th Annual Indy Chess Corporate Chess Challenge, presented by CohenMalad, LLP.

Beyond the intense over-the-board rivalries, the evening was a historic success for our community: the event raised $8,828 to support free chess programs in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and local Title I institutions!

Here is how the action unfolded at Ivy Tech’s downtown campus...

A Rivalry Renewed

The stage was set for a classic showdown. Allison Transmission won the inaugural challenge in 2023 and defended their title in 2024. However, in 2025, Eli Lilly & Company brought in a National Master (NM) to level up their squad and take home the trophy.

Entering this year as the second seed, Allison’s core roster was hungry for a rematch. They received a huge boost after discovering a hidden gem within their company: Daymion "Quinn" Phillips, a 1600+ player who had never played in the tournament before.

Meanwhile, defending champion Eli Lilly & Company loaded up on talent. Captain Brad King selflessly stepped down to Lilly’s second team to make room for Tom Crawford, a 2000-level online player, who joined NM David Airey, Robert Mesa, and Ryan Borys on Lilly's top squad.

       HISTORICAL HEAD-TO-HEAD
┌──────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ 2023 │ Allison Transmission (1st)   │
│ 2024 │ Allison Transmission (1st)   │
│ 2025 │ Eli Lilly & Company (1st)    │
│ 2026 │ Allison Transmission (1st)   │
└──────┴──────────────────────────────┘

Early Rounds & Dark Horses

Both powerhouses swept through Round 1 with matching 3–1 victories, though not without drama. Allison’s top board, Logan Cross (1900+), suffered an early wake-up call when Roche Diagnostics' Connor Brooks (1300+) pulled off a massive upset. Logan’s teammates rallied to secure the team win, but the message was clear: no board would be easy.

Round 2 brought a tough test for Lilly against tournament dark horse OneAmerica, led by strong 1800-rated players Todd Kennedy and Albert Moore. Lilly proved resilient, grinding out a hard-fought 4–0 sweep to set up a winner-take-all final round against Allison.

The Decisive Battle: Allison vs. LillY

Both teams entered the final round with perfect 2.0/2.0 match scores.

Board 4: Allison’s Alex Huffine punched above his weight class, securing a somewhat quick draw against Ryan Borys (Lilly) to put the first half-point on the board.
Board 2: Allison’s Sam Baker struck next, maneuvering his connected Black Rooks to the 2nd rank to trap Tom Crawford’s King in the open and capture a crucial win for Allison.
Board 3: Lilly’s Robert Mesa pushed two passed pawns into a late rook endgame against Quinn Phillips, putting Lilly in position to equalize the match score to 1.5–1.5.

Everything rested on Board 1: Logan Cross (Allison) versus NM David Airey (Lilly).

Time Scramble on Board 1

With under 30 seconds on his clock, Logan faced David (who had under 20 seconds) in an intense tactical battle. Positionally, Logan’s g2 Bishop severed the board, denying David’s Rook a clean defense of the Queen-side.

After a series of high-speed piece trades, David’s Queen-side pawns fell, granting Logan a dangerous outside passed "a" pawn. David counterattacked in the center, but Logan’s centralized Knight threatened forks from every angle. Forced to defend against the central assault and stop the outside passer simultaneously, David’s clock ran out.

Logan's victory secured the match for Allison Transmission! While Robert Mesa finished out his win on Board 3 for Lilly, the final score stood at 2.5–1.5, handing Allison Transmission the 2026 trophy.

Final Standings & Community Impact

While the rivalry on the top boards was fierce, the atmosphere throughout the room was incredibly gracious and collaborative.

Podium Finishers

1st Place: Allison Transmission 1 (3.0 / 3.0)
Tied 2nd Place (Tiebreak order): Eli Lilly & Company 1, OneAmerica, Eli Lilly & Company 2 (2.0 / 3.0)
Team Spirit Award: Roche Diagnostics (representing in bright blue team shirts!)

                 FINAL PODIUM
┌──────┬─────────────────────────────┬──────────┐
│ Place│ Team                        │ Score    │
├──────┼─────────────────────────────┼──────────┤
│ 1st  │ Allison Transmission 1      │ 3.0 / 3.0│
│ 2nd  │ Eli Lilly & Company 1       │ 2.0 / 3.0│
│ 3rd  │ OneAmerica                  │ 2.0 / 3.0│
│ 4th  │ Eli Lilly & Company 2       │ 2.0 / 3.0│
└──────┴─────────────────────────────┴──────────┘

Supporting Indy's Youth

The real winners of the day are the students in our local schools. Thanks to our corporate partners, this year's event raised $8,828, directly funding free chess instruction and equipment for Indianapolis Public Schools.

A heartfelt thank you to our event sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: CohenMalad, LLP (featuring a TRIPLE semester sponsorship!)
School Sponsors: Eli Lilly & Company, Allison Transmission, and Milliman

Special thanks to tournament director Jerika Eppel and our Indy Chess volunteer house players: Vaughn Laptiste, FM Lester VanMeter, Bob Broughton, and Alex Sprague.

What's Next?

Our mission to bring chess to every student in Indianapolis continues! Keep an eye out for our upcoming End-of-Year Campaign and Silent Auction, which will directly fund scholarships across our 14 other school programs.