For the first time in six years, the Virginia Scholastic & College Chess Championships have returned to the greater Washington D.C. area. Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria is the site of this year’s championships, to be held the weekend of March 6-8.
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The state championships are a wonderful experience for anyone who participates, no matter how many games they win. With the shorter than normal travel time, we hope a lot of the students from our after-school clubs decide to play in this year’s tournament. Pictured below, Mr. Mehler during last year’s championship with the Kent Gardens Elementary team, which won the K-5 section.
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\We recognize that the size of the championship field (these events always draw several hundred participants, and this year’s event is likely to be larger than usual due to the location) can be intimidating for first-time tournament participants. If your child has never played chess outside of their school club, there are events in the few weeks before the championships, such as the Elementary Team League and the McNair quads, that can help them become comfortable with competitive play.