Notate
Chess Renaissance in DC
- by Chess Center
The U.S. Chess Center left its last location in Washington, DC, where we could run regular chess events in 2016. Since then, we and other groups have run occasional events in the city, but people in the city have had to travel to the suburbs for most significant competitions.
Recently, however, the Big Chair Chess Club (“Think b4U move”) and Live Chess have begun filling in the gaps. The Big Chair Club offers classes for kids in addition to occasional tournaments at such sites as Anacostia’s Busboys and Poets.

Malcolm Wooten, who managed the chess club at Howard University when he was an undergraduate there, has created Live Chess and is now running regular events at Potter’s House Bookstore and Café in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.
These events have attracted dozens of players, both casual and serious, and continue on a regular basis.

The two groups collaborate on successful events. They are coming along more frequently now, and it is a wonderful trend that will benefit the local scene. We look forward to continuing to feature their events in our Play Calendar.


Another Large Crowd for Chess in the Park at Eastern Market Metro
- by Chess Center
There was some rain in the forecast for Saturday morning, but luckily the raindrops stopped in time for our latest edition of Chess in the Park. This is the third of the three tournaments we held at Eastern Market Metro Park this spring, and we are grateful to Barracks Row Main Street for sponsoring all three.
We were happy to see that the tournament was well-attended in spite of the variable forecast. 58 students from around the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland showed up to play. Most of the students who turned up were able to play at least six tournament games, with some playing as many as nine.
Washington Yu Ying brought back the prize for the best scoring team. In addition to awards for the top performing schools, there were also trophies for the best scores for individual players. Both our Chess Kids class (three students) and our after-school programs (two students) were well-represented among the individual trophy winners.









2024-25 Metro Area Chess League Concludes With Playoffs
- by Chess Center
We closed out another great season of the Metro Area Chess League on June 1. After eight rounds of online play across five months of competition, four schools qualified for the in-person playoffs held in-person at our Silver Spring office this past weekend.
Montgomery Blair (Silver Spring, MD), Jackson-Reed (Washington, DC), Langley (McLean, VA), and West Springfield (Springfield, VA) were the high schools who made up the final four. Congratulations to Langley, who won all three of their playoff matches to take home the season championship for the first time, having also gone unbeaten in their regular season matchups as well.

In the four seasons since we revived the league in the autumn of 2021, the quality of the competition has improved year after year, and that was the case again this year. Over a hundred students from twenty different schools across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia took part in the 2024-25 season, and we hope to draw even more when the next season begins in fall 2025.





Playoff Standings:
Authoritarians Ban Chess
- by David Mehler
When the Taliban announced that chess was a forbidden activity in Afghanistan, it justified the prohibition by stating that the Game of Kings might serve as a platform for gambling. In Washington, DC, many years ago the police vice squad arrested chess players who were playing for stakes on Dupont Circle. The criminal cases were dismissed when the court ruled that chess is a game of skill and the outcome of each game is not based on chance, but on conditions wholly under the control of the participants.


For chess to be gambling, there needs to be at least one element of the activity that the people at risk of losing money do not control. However, placing bets on games that others are playing is gambling. It does not seem likely that the Taliban is concerned that people are betting on chess games played in Kabul tea rooms. There must be another factor to attract the interest of the authoritarian rulers of Afghanistan.
The explanation might be found in the history of other totalitarian governments that have banned chess. Those bans did not last long. Louis IX was the first absolute leader, as far as we know, to ban chess from the territory under his jurisdiction. His edict was honored in its breach, and whether it was formally withdrawn or just ignored is not clear. Similarly, Mao Zedong banned chess in 1966 as part of his effort to remove western thought from China. At the same time, he banned Einsteinian physics, and relativity was not acknowledged in the world’s most populated country. Mao’s ban on chess was enforced more effectively than was his ban on relativity, shown by China’s successful testing of nuclear weapons. When China decided to join the rest of the world, its new leaders promoted chess and its talented players became some of the best in the world.
Authoritarian leaders commonly discourage creative thought among their subjects. Chess teaches its players to engage in critical thinking, discerning the differences between good ideas and bad ones. Another common thread of authoritarian leaders is their desire to concentrate wealth in the hands of a small number of people, and to discourage their populations from rebelling against those who keep them impoverished. Chess teaches its players to create plans to improve their circumstances in a rules-based structure, so it is understandable that the Taliban would not want their subjects to learn the skills chess promotes.
U.S. Chess Center Exhibits at Kensington Day of the Book Festival
- by Chess Center
Dozens of chess players – children, teens, and adults – took on two of the Chess Center’s young masters during Kensington’s Day of the Book Festival. On a beautiful April Sunday, thousands of book-lovers came to Kensington, Maryland, to meet authors, hear discussions, and play chess.


The book festival is now an 18 year tradition. FIDE Master Allan Savage (pictured below) volunteered for many years to play chess against all comers during the festival, giving a book to anyone who could beat him. When he passed away during the pandemic, the festival asked the U.S. Chess Center to continue the activity, and we were proud to honor his legacy.
Mr. Savage was a former Maryland Champion. A librarian by profession, he was a prolific chess author and player. He spread his love of the Royal Game from his roots in the Midwest to Maryland, where he lived for nearly five decades.

David Sherman, a chess master, and former Maryland and DC Champion, as well as being a great friend (and former employee) of the Center hosted the chess tent twice, and this year two of our teen students got together to play festival participants. Anyone they couldn’t beat received a book, and two skilled players held our masters to draws and received their prizes.
Near the same spot, Kensington will host a free open-air chess tournament for kids in grades 2 – 8 this fall. Details will come this summer.
Photos from Chess in the Park on May 10
- by Chess Center
The U.S. Chess Center, in continued partnership with Barracks Row Main Street, was pleased to be able to stage another edition of Chess in the Park this past Saturday, May 10, at Eastern Market Metro. The 54 students who played enjoyed some lovely weather, made new friends and played some exciting games of chess.
A total of 32 schools were represented at the tournament: 15 from the District of Columbia, 10 from Maryland and 7 from Virginia. Washington Latin’s team took home the trophy for the best-performing DC team, while Yu Ying PCS was the runner-up in that category.
Eastern Market Metro will play host to one more Chess in the Park event this summer, on June 7, and any student in grades 2-8 who knows the rules of tournament chess may register to play.















Chess in the (Rain) Park returned on Saturday, April 26th
More than thirty chess players and their families came out to Eastern Market Metro Park Plaza this past Saturday, April 26th to play in the first of three Chess in the Park tournaments this spring. We had some light rain for about 20 minutes in the middle of the event, which did not phase the children who were happy to continue playing chess rain or shine.










We have two more FREE Chess in the Park tournaments planned for Eastern Market Metro Park this spring, on May 10th and June 7th, so bring your friends and help your school win the Top DC School trophy. Any student in grades 2-8 who knows the real rules of chess and understands tournament etiquette is welcome to play. However, space is limited, so we recommend you pre-register online.
Hopefully, we will have sunny weather next time!

Chess in the Park Returns To Eastern Market Metro
- by Chess Center
Our popular series of free Saturday children’s tournaments at Eastern Market Metro Park will be back for three more editions in 2025. The U.S. Chess Center, in tandem with Barracks Row Main Street, is happy to announce April 27, May 10, and June 7 as the scheduled dates for this year’s events.


Chess in the Park is a drop-in event open to all students in grades 2-8 that know the rules and etiquette of chess. Online registration is now available. No membership in any organization is required to participate; however, there is a limited amount of table space so we strongly suggest that interested students register in advance.
Come play Chess at the Kensington Day of the Book Festival on April 27, 2025


The U.S. Chess Center is pleased to join the Kensington Day of the Book Festival again this year. On Sunday, April 27, two of our ambassadors (pictured above), Lang (on left) and Kyle (on right), will play all-comers from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. Both of these young players are National Masters.
This will be the third year we have joined the festivities and we hope that many chess players will come for the books and chess.
Ambassadors Lang and Kyle have volunteered with us before. Lang performed two simultaneous exhibitions in Silver Spring earlier this school year, and Kyle helped us with a camp in Oakton this past summer.
Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 8 Results
- by Chess Center
We finished up another great season of the Elementary Team League last weekend. Spring Hill took the season title ahead of Haycock and Kent Gardens. Congratulations to all the participating schools and students!




Round 15:
Haycock 4-0 Orange Hunt
Colvin Run 3-1 White Oaks
Kent Gardens 4-0 Willow Springs
Cleveland Park Library 0-1 Greenbriar West
Churchill Road 2-2 Oakton
Ravensworth 1-3 Spring Hill
Round 16:
White Oaks 0.5-2.5 Churchill Road
Spring Hill 3-1 Haycock
Oakton 2-2 Kent Gardens
Willow Springs 2-0 Cleveland Park Library
Orange Hunt 2-2 Colvin Run
Greenbriar West 0-3 Ravensworth
Standings after Matchday 8 of 8:
Spring Hill 211
Haycock 189
Kent Gardens 182
Oakton 155
Churchill Road 170
White Oaks 115
Colvin Run 114
Willow Springs 98
Cleveland Park 89
Greenbriar West 80
Orange Hunt 78
Ravensworth 72








2025 Virginia State Scholastic Championships
- by David Mehler
For our Virginia students, there is nothing bigger than the annual State Scholastic Championships, this year held in Charlottesville. About 350 kids came to play, enough to make the championships fun and challenging without being overwhelming.

The U.S. Chess Center was happy that a few dozen of our students played. It was a wonderful experience for all of them, whether they won trophies or not. Seeing students from all parts of the state reinforced the knowledge that there is no typical chess player. Kindergartners and college students all played (in different sections) and, of course, the demographics were as varied as befits a state as large as Virginia.
New friends were made, and students made plans to see each other in upcoming chess tournaments.



Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 7 Results
- by Chess Center
We have entered the homestretch of this year’s Elementary Team League season. After last Saturday’s matches, there is only one round remaining. Spring Hill and Haycock will battle it out for the season title on the last day of League matches on March 22.
Round 13:
Ravensworth 1-2 White Oaks
Willow Springs 0-4 Churchill Road
Haycock 4-0 Orange Hunt
Spring Hill 3-1 Kent Gardens
Cleveland Park Library 0-4 Oakton
Colvin Run 2.5-0.5 Greenbriar West
Round 14:
Oakton 4-0 Willow Springs
Churchill Road 3-1 Colvin Run
Greenbriar West 0.5-3.5 Haycock
Orange Hunt 0-4 Ravensworth
White Oaks 1-3 Spring Hill
Kent Gardens 4-0 Cleveland Park Library
Standings after Matchday 7 of 8:
Spring Hill 183
Haycock 167
Kent Gardens 156
Oakton 155
Churchill Road 148
White Oaks 106
Colvin Run 90
Cleveland Park 89
Willow Springs 88
Greenbriar West 76
Orange Hunt 68
Ravensworth 54




Any student who is a part of our after-school clubs can register to play in the Elementary Team League, and participating is a great way for students to build up skills and confidence for prestigious competitions like the state and national championships. Please contact your child’s chess club instructor if your son or daughter is interested in taking part.




U.S. Chess Center Students Compete at World Amateur Team Championship
- by Chess Center
Two teams of our students had a wonderful time at the World Amateur Team Championships over Presidents Day weekend in Parsippany, New Jersey. Unlike events like the scholastic championships, this event is a fixed team tournament, meaning that the four players on one team sit together to play the four players of the opposing team.
Cooper Middle School, consisting of players who had been in our Spring Hill Elementary club and half of them now in the Theophilus Thompson Club on Sundays, won the award for the top middle school in the competition. Spring Hill Elementary tied for first place among elementary schools but lost out on tie-breaks for the championship plaque this year. (Spring Hill took clear first place last year.)


Every student returned talking about making plans to return to event next year. Leo, of Spring Hill, notched his first score against a National Master, a source of great pride. Emily, a Spring Hill fourth grader, gushed about how much fun it was to beat adults.
Bryan, from Cooper, liked being seated with his teammates, so that he could watch his friends play without having to look for them in a huge tournament hall. With about 1,500 players in the championships, the event could have been overwhelming for the young players, but because they were seated with their teams, everyone was comfortable throughout. The players also enjoyed the unique aspects of this event, such as playing teams that were all female, or all senior citizens, or other teams of students from other parts of the country. Some teams came in costume, and many had interesting names.
The fixed team format provides additional benefits. Nobody feels bad at the end of a game. When a player wins and the team wins, the player is happy. When a player loses but the team wins, the player is happy. When a player wins but the team loses, the player is happy. When a player loses and the team loses, the player knows that the whole team is the same boat, and the player is happy. Fixed team events are great for promoting the best of chess, and we are glad that our teams participated.



Councilmember Evan Glass visits Saturday Chess Kids
We were pleased to welcome Councilmember Evan Glass to observe our Chess Kids class on Saturday morning earlier this month.
Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 6 Results
- by Chess Center
This year’s Elementary Team League season at the three-quarter point after yesterday’s two rounds of matches at St. Luke’s. Spring Hill continues to hold a handy lead in the overall standings, with Haycock and Kent Gardens in a tight battle for second place. White Oaks were the major movers this past Saturday, scoring two 4-0 match sweeps to move up four spots in the overall standings.
Round 11:
Orange Hunt 1-3 Spring Hill
Greenbriar West 0-3 Willow Springs
Oakton 2-1 Ravensworth
Haycock 2-2 Kent Gardens
Churchill Road 3-0 Cleveland Park Library
Colvin Run 0-4 White Oaks
Round 12:
White Oaks 4-0 Oakton
Kent Gardens 3-1 Colvin Run
Ravensworth 0.5-3.5 Haycock
Willow Springs 0-4 Orange Hunt
Spring Hill 3-1 Churchill Road
Cleveland Park Library 3-0 Greenbriar West
Standings after Matchday 6 of 8:
Spring Hill 155
Haycock 136
Kent Gardens 134
Oakton 123
Churchill Road 118
White Oaks 92
Cleveland Park 89
Willow Springs 82
Colvin Run 73
Greenbriar West 68
Orange Hunt 68
Ravensworth 42





Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 5 Results
- by Chess Center
Only six teams were able to field teams this past Saturday in the Elementary Team League. With the League scoring system weighted to incentivize participation, those schools that did send the full complement of four students to play gained ground on the rest of the field.
Round 9:
Spring Hill 3-1 Ravensworth
Churchill Road 1-3 Kent Gardens
Haycock 3-1 Oakton
Round 10:
Kent Gardens 2-1 Oakton
Haycock 3-1 Spring Hill
Ravensworth 1-3 Churchill Road
Standings after Matchday 5 of 8:
Spring Hill 127
Haycock 111
Oakton 110
Kent Gardens 110
Churchill Road 100
Cleveland Park 73
Greenbriar West 68
Willow Springs 66
Colvin Run 64
White Oaks 60
Orange Hunt 46
Ravensworth 34



Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 4 Results
- by Chess Center
The current season of the Elementary Team League has reached the halfway point with the conclusion of the latest afternoon of match play this past Saturday at St. Luke’s. We are happy to continue to see new faces among the students turning up to represent their schools.
At the top of the leaderboard, Spring Hill continues to set a brisk pace, defeating their closest rivals Oakton in Saturday’s second match to extend their lead in the overall standings.






Round 7:
Spring Hill 4-0 Greenbriar West
Ravensworth 0-2 White Oaks
Orange Hunt 1-3 Oakton
Willow Springs 1-3 Haycock
Kent Gardens 2-2 Cleveland Park Library
Churchill Road 2-1 Colvin Run
Round 8:
White Oaks 0-3 Kent Gardens
Oakton 1-3 Spring Hill
Haycock 2-2 Churchill Road
Colvin Run 1-3 Orange Hunt
Cleveland Park Library 2 – 2 Willow Springs
Greenbriar West 4-0 Ravensworth
Standings after Matchday 4 of 8:
Spring Hill 113
Oakton 100
Haycock 93
Kent Gardens 88
Churchill Road 80
Cleveland Park 73
Greenbriar West 68
Willow Springs 66
Colvin Run 62
White Oaks 60
Orange Hunt 46
Ravensworth 34
Open a Hand to Your Mistakes
“Chess is not for timid souls.” – Wilhelm Steinitz
I recently played for the first time in historic Washington, D.C. It was a 4-round Swiss tournament hosted at Capital Pool Checkers, in the vibrant Adams Morgan district. Next time, I will definitely snap a picture, because wow what a cool place! I had the opportunity to play players much higher rated than myself and finished with 2 points. I returned home pleased with the diverse set of games I had played, a lesson in each one, and I met many interesting people there that made the experience even more enjoyable.

Every tournament game I record in my notation book. When I have time, I sit down and go over my games alone.

This is an exercise not just in critical thinking or puzzle solving but it is a meditation on both my own and my opponent’s mistakes. It’s important to stay relaxed and objective. Sometimes, my own mistakes feel like they hit my soul, and I just want to tear my heart out. Rather than condemning myself, I choose to help myself, by showing a better move. After my own reflection, I store my games in the Stockfish app, making it easy to review them later with a peer or mentor for deeper insights. I don’t suggest delving deep into Stockfish. Imagine if there was a +/- on every decision we made. How could we live with ourselves?
Separate from my own games, I also spend time over the board in preparation for the next tournament with chess books. I used to focus on learning openings but I’ve realized that practicing tactics and fundamentals is more important for becoming a real chess player, not a mechanical one.

I keep this old chess openings tome around because it represents an illustrious history of chess. It’s neat but it won’t help me become a better chess player when I fill my mind with rote moves and memorized lines, training myself to play a pattern-matching game rather than real chess.
While my posts so far have been introspective and personal in nature, expect my next one to be quite different! I hope these have encouraged readers to develop good habits and be more conscientious about their chess. “Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.” – Tarrasch
Potomac Youth Chess League New Season is Underway
- by Chess Center
The 2025 season of the Potomac Youth Chess League, the online competition we run for middle schools in the greater Washington D.C. area, began on January 11. Matches take place on lichess.com on Saturday afternoons.
Two Rivers 0-8 Cooper
DCI 7-1 BASIS DC
San Miguel 0.5 – 7.5 Longfellow
Washington Latin 5-3 Avalon
Sligo 7.5-0.5 Ingenuity Prep
Cooper – Sligo (match postponed)
Longfellow 7-1 DCI
Avalon 8-0 San Miguel
Ingenuity Prep 0.5 – 7.5 Washington Latin
BASIS DC 8-0 Two Rivers
San Miguel – Ingenuity Prep (match postponed)
Two Rivers 0-8 Longfellow
DCI – Avalon (match postponed)
Washington Latin 5-3 Sligo
BASIS DC 4-4 Cooper
Sligo 8-0 San Miguel
Longfellow 8-0 BASIS DC
Ingenuity Prep 0-8 DCI
Cooper 4-4 Washington Latin
Avalon 2-2 Two Rivers
Sligo 6.5-1.5 Longfellow
Ingenuity Prep 8-0 Avalon
Washington Latin 3.5-4.5 BASIS DC
Cooper 7-1 DCI
San Miguel 2-2 Two Rivers
Cooper 8-0 Longfellow
Two Rivers 1-7 Ingenuity Prep
BASIS DC 8-0 Avalon
DCI 2-6 Sligo
San Miguel 0-8 Washington Latin
School | Match Points | Board Points (tiebreaker) |
---|---|---|
Sligo | 7 | 43 |
Longfellow | 6 | 39 |
Cooper | 5.5 | 40 |
Washington Latin | 5 | 36 |
BASIS DC | 3.5 | 25.5 |
DCI | 3 | 27 |
Ingenuity Prep | 3 | 24 |
Avalon | 1 | 13 |
Two Rivers | 0 | 5 |
San Miguel | 0 | 2.5 |
Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 3 Results
- by Chess Center
Back from the winter break, the Elementary Team League resumed this past Saturday at St. Luke’s. In the middle of a snowy, cold Saturday, we still had a decent turnout of students showing up to represent their schools.
We’ve now entered the heart of the League season, this latest matchday being the first of six matchdays in the next twelve weeks. Participation in the League is free and open to students in our after-school clubs, and there’s still time to sign up with your instructor to participate later on in the season.


Round 5:
White Oaks 2.5-0.5 Greenbriar West
Kent Gardens 1-3 Ravensworth
Oakton 4-0 Haycock
Willow Springs 2-2 Colvin Run
Spring Hill 3.5-0.5 Cleveland Park Library
Orange Hunt 0-4 Churchill Road
Round 6:
Greenbriar West 1-2 Kent Gardens
Churchill Road 0-4 Oakton
Haycock 3-1 White Oaks
Cleveland Park Library 3-0 Orange Hunt
Ravensworth 1.5 – 2.5 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 1.5 – 2.5 Spring Hill
Standings after Matchday 3 of 8:
Spring Hill 83
Oakton 80
Churchill Road 66
Haycock 65
Kent Gardens 64
Cleveland Park 53
Colvin Run 52
Willow Springs 52
White Oaks 50
Greenbriar West 48
Ravensworth 34
Orange Hunt 26







Chess is Universal
- by David Mehler
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, is only 90 minutes from the District of Columbia, but as a town of 750 residents it can feel like a world away. Chess provides common ground between our communities.
High School Spanish teacher Pedro Miguel, an experienced tournament player from Spain, has created a successful chess team that finished second in their state last year. They have higher ambitions for this year.
To help them, we donated more than 20 books to help them start a chess library in their community. We also plan to stage a virtual match between their students and ours. Because they are not so far away from us, they will try to come to DC for an in-person tournament.
Chess is universal and can bridge cultures. Whether opponents are rural, small town, suburban, or urban, no matter their politics, without regard to their native languages, we can all enjoy playing the game together.

Sr. Miguel (with the help of his daughter Itaca) accepts chess books to start a library
Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 2 Results
- by Chess Center

This past Saturday afternoon was the second matchday for this year’s Elementary Team League. In the middle of the hectic holiday season, we still had around 40 students show up at St. Luke’s to play.






Round 1:
Greenbriar West 2.5-1.5 Orange Hunt
Kent Gardens 1.5-2.5 Willow Springs
Spring Hill 4-0 White Oaks
Colvin Run 1-3 Oakton
Haycock 2-2 Cleveland Park Library
Churchill Road 3-0 Ravensworth
Round 2:
Orange Hunt 0.5-3.5 Kent Gardens
Oakton 3-1 Greenbriar West
White Oaks 0.5-3.5 Churchill Road
Cleveland Park Library 2-2 Colvin Run
Ravensworth 0-4 Haycock
Willow Springs 1.5 – 2.5 Spring Hill
Standings after Matchday 2 of 8:
Spring Hill 55
Kent Gardens 50
Oakton 48
Haycock 47
Churchill Road 46
Greenbriar West 39
Cleveland Park 36
Colvin Run 35
White Oaks 33
Willow Springs 30
Orange Hunt 22
Ravensworth 13

Support Local Youth – Shop for a Christmas Tree With National Capital Optimist Club
- by Chess Center
For nearly a century, National Capital Optimist Club has been a positive presence for youth throughout the greater D.C. area. NCOC has enlisted financial support for countless children’s charitable initiatives, including, for the past 20 years, the U.S. Chess Center.

National Capital Optimist Club’s annual Christmas tree sale is now in progress at Kensington Baptist Church. Each tree sold helps provide funds for local youth enrichment initiatives. If you are shopping for a tree for the festive season, we strongly urge you to consider coming to Kensington to support NCOC and the work they do.
Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 1 Results
- by Chess Center






Round 1:
Colvin Run 1-3 Haycock
White Oaks 3-1 Willow Springs
Spring Hill 2.5 – 1.5 Churchill Road
Oakton 1-3 Kent Gardens
Greenbriar West 3-1 Mixed Team
Ravensworth 1-2 Mixed Team
Orange Hunt 0-3 Mixed Team
Round 2:
Greenbriar West 1-3 Churchill Road
Spring Hill 2.5-1.5 Haycock
Orange Hunt 1-3 White Oaks
Colvin Run 2.5-1.5 Ravensworth
Mixed Team 1-3 Kent Gardens
Mixed Team 4-0 Willow Springs
Standings after Matchday 1 of 8:
Kent Gardens 28
White Oaks 28
Spring Hill 26
Churchill Road 21
Haycock 21
Greenbriar West 20
Oakton 20
Colvin Run 19
Cleveland Park 16
Orange Hunt 12
Ravensworth 11
Willow Springs 10
Early Days
“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – Tony Robbins
Only a little over a month ago I had no USCF membership and had never played in a rated chess tournament. What’s funny is that one of the reasons I avoided this for so long is I did not want to make mistakes yet I find myself making plenty. In my first action tournament, I accidentally touched my queen from this position and so moved it even though there is no good queen move. Re5 is a move I had considered for some time and wanted to play before blundering the position. Re5 puts white in a position to either force a draw with Nh6+ or play out a very dangerous game in time trouble!

Even though I did not finish well in the tournament which included the above game (2.5/6) I received a second-place finish (4/5) in my latest one. Here are a few of my favorite positions I found from those games.

In this first game my opponent and I both got caught up in the moment and quickly played 17…Rxg3?? 18 fxg3 Qxg3+ and my opponent resigned. A very strange ending!

In this game I was permitted to achieve a very satisfying mate after pinning the black pawns to their king. The position arose after my opponent played two knight moves …Nb4 attacking my queen that had been on c2 and then retreating back …Nc6, letting me move my bishop in from c1 for the ensuing checkmate.

In this position my opponent blundered in an attempt to protect their pawn structure with …Rac8 ignoring the powerful mating threat of Bd3. Realizing their oversight, my opponent attempted to block mate with …g6 but I simply strengthened the threat with Rg1. At this point, my opponent wished to trade queens on …Qf5 but it’s too late because Rxg6 is crushing and my opponent is soon to blunder their way into my checkmate after …Qxf6+

Here I have just played Bd2+ and my opponent will play Kf3 because they do not want to lose their rook. Would you have played differently with the black pieces? My bishop had been under threat on b4 and I had ideas like Bc4+ or f5 as well.

This was the final position I recorded from the last game of my night in the open action portion of the tournament. It was just before midnight, but there is no excuse for what I allowed! With both of us in time trouble, my opponent played Kxc3 and lifted my c-pawn off the board. Eager to trounce my opponent with Ne4 I flinched forward, causing my opponent to lift their finger and replace the pieces on the board before changing their move and hitting the clock. Of course, this was only allowed because I did not stop the clock and call an arbiter over – as I was caught up in the moment. Despite the loss I suffered, this game served as a valuable lesson for me.
It was great to see some of our students at the tournament as well! You all get to make your mistakes much earlier than me, and will become much stronger chess players if you want to!
Never Give Up
“Never Regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful… If it’s bad, it’s experience.” – Victoria Holt
This sentiment resonates well with my recent tournament experience. I finished with 2/5 points. Here is one of the wins I managed to take in the tournament with the black pieces from a losing position. No one ever won a game by resigning, said Saviely Tartakower.

In the 2nd round of my first-ever USCF rated tournament, I faced a tough position. Having already lost the first game, I could have been disheartened by my situation. However, I chose to adopt a fighter’s spirit instead. My opponent held two passed pawns and a material advantage, making my position dire. If White managed to simplify, the game would be over for me. Despite my earlier miscalculations and my opponent’s superior play, I decided to play on.
29. g3 may seem OK. However, my opponent seemed reluctant to remove their rook from the a-file. 29… Qb2 and my opponent missed trying to force their win condition with 30. a5, I followed with 30… Nd2 and the position quickly changed in my favor from here.

31. Qc1 is a blunder. The only non-losing move for white is Qa6, which with accurate play, white can force a draw.
31… Ne2+
32. Kg2
32… NxC1 and white resigned.
We all make mistakes. Even if I should have lost this game against a more accurate player – I made my opponent have to earn their win from me. It was a satisfying victory and one I fought hard for.
Pictures from DCPL Battle of the Branches
- by Chess Center
Dozens of Washington chess enthusiasts turned out this past Saturday for D.C. Public Libraries’ Battle of the Branches. Hosted at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library near the National Portrait Gallery in Northwest, the event had chess players from all over the city turning out to represent their favorite library branch.



The event had separate categories for children (ages 5-12), teens (ages 13-19), adults, and seniors, and all four age groups were well represented. In the final standings, the host branch, MLK, came out on top, with Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library placing second and Petworth Neighborhood Library taking third.



Rep. Raskin Recognizes the Chess Center in Congressional Remarks for National Chess Week
- by Chess Center
This past Friday, the U.S. Chess Center was proud to be named in U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08)’s congressional remarks for National Chess Week.
In a statement celebrating the double medal-winning performances of the two American teams at September’s Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, Congressman Raskin also highlighted the value of chess as an educational and social tool for young people, a belief that has animated the work of the U.S. Chess Center since our founding.
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-170/issue-155/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E1025-3
Photos From a Great Season of Summer Camps
- by Chess Center
Our last week at Alpha STEM in Chantilly brought the curtain down on a fun summer of chess camps, during which we had around 150 kids enrolled with us. We spent time teaching students in Springfield, Chevy Chase, McLean (two weeks) and Vienna (two weeks) prior to the aforementioned camp in Chantilly.


Some of our summer students we knew already from our after-school chess programs, while there were others we were happy to meet for the first time. As usual during our camps, we had all ability levels represented; some of the kids were beginners who learned the rules and strategy of chess over the course of camp. Other students used the time to build on the basic knowledge of the game that they already had. All of our lessons were structured and stratified so that everybody was challenged to learn something new.




In between the lessons, the kids relieved some tension in the school gymnasium and made new friendships over skittles games. Each Friday of camp finished up with a tournament, during which the students got to put what they’d learned during the week on full display.


Chess helped us all make a lot of great memories this summer, and with the new school year nearly upon us, we are already looking eagerly ahead to the start of our after school clubs in just a few short weeks.