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Richard Montgomery Wins 2026 MACL Playoffs

After several closely contested rounds of online play during the 2025-26 Metro Area Chess League season, the top-finishing schools met in downtown McLean, VA this past Saturday to decide the champion.  Congratulations to the Richard Montgomery High School team that swept the play-offs, defeating Oakton High School and Gonzaga College High School to win their first title.  Oakton finished in second place.

Gonzaga’s Will Moorhouse won his games on first board, but Richard Montgomery’s third and fourth boards won their games with Makar Brazhnikov and Michael Chen respectively, and the lower boards made the difference.

We were disappointed that the fourth team to qualify for the playoffs did not show up, as that meant that four players had to sit out each round.  However, the students who did show up showed great skill and discipline and all three matches were played well.

The league for next year will begin in November. High schools that want to join should register before November 9, 2026.

Metro Area Chess League Concludes 2025-26 Regular Season

It has been another exciting season of the Metro Area Chess League, the competition we run for high schools throughout the greater Washington area.  A total of 22 schools from D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia registered to play this year.  Games take place online, on the lichess.org platform.

We grouped the schools into two separate divisions this year, Atlantic and Eastern, with the top two schools in each division qualifying for postseason play.  After eight rounds of tight matches, Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD) took first place in the Eastern ahead of Oakton High School (Vienna, VA).  In the Atlantic, Gonzaga College High School (northwest Washington, DC) won a close race ahead of Chantilly High School (Chantilly, VA).   All four schools earned berths in the playoffs this coming Saturday, April 11.

Eastern Division Standings

SchoolMatch PointsBoard Points (Tiebreaker)
Richard Montgomery624
Oakton5.520
Arlington Career Center4.517.5
Banneker415.5
South Lakes313.5
Langley27.5
BASIS DC14
McNamara01

 

Atlantic Division Standings

SchoolMatch PointsBoard Points (Tiebreaker)
Gonzaga College HS6.523.5
Chantilly620.5
Jackson-Reed5.522
West Springfield4.515
Poolesville3.516.5
DeMatha3.516
Don Bosco Cristo Rey2.511
McKinley Tech1.56.5
Georgetown Prep01
Richard Wright01

As a testament to the close, competitive nature of the League year after year, none of the four schools who made this year’s playoffs were there the previous year.  However, all four playoff teams regularly consisted of students with experience playing in prior MACL seasons, and those returning students put their competitive experience to good use.  With such difficult competition each year, just making the playoffs is an enormous achievement, so congratulations to all our final four on superb seasons. 

We are grateful to all the faculty sponsors and student captains who helped facilitate their teams’ participation and coordinate matches with the opposing schools.  The next season of the League begins next autumn, but we hope to see some of the students before then in other chess tournaments such as the Area-Wide Scholastic at the end of the month.  

Camaraderie with Cuban Players

On Sunday, March 22, nine young U.S. Chess Center students joined nine kids from the Caimito, Cuba, chess club for a friendly match.

Chess confers many benefits on its students: improving memory and concentration, learning that actions have consequences, and appreciating the value of patience, perseverance, and planning. However, we believe that making friendships is the most important benefit, and the match with Cuba was a step toward forming friendships that benefit society.

Photos courtesy of Rey Rodriguez

When we learned that children learning chess in a small town southwest of Havana, Cuba, wanted to expand their horizons, we challenged them to an internet match. As impoverished as all of Cuba is, the conditions in which these students participated were even more harsh. For more than a day, the entire electric grid of their nation had shut down.

The Cuban players, and their adult coaches, were as gracious as their reputation suggested. Cuba has perhaps the friendliest population in the world and their attitude towards chess is entirely compatible with ours. The club in Caimito, like the U.S. Chess Center, stresses that chess is a tool to teach children critical thinking skills and to develop friendships with people from other cultures.

It happened that the Cubans lost games because of difficulties with their internet connections. When their system froze and their games were forfeited, there was no complaint, just an expression of looking forward to the next opportunity to play.

We hope to meet them again when their conditions are better, and we think it would be wonderful to lead a delegation of American chess ambassadors to the island to meet over tangible boards.

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 8 Results

The Elementary Team League concluded its season on Saturday, March 21 with the final two rounds of matches.  Both the schools at the top of the leaderboard won both their matches, and that meant that Spring Hill Elementary maintained the points lead they had taken over two weeks ago, and won the season championship.  Congratulations to Spring Hill, to Kent Gardens who finished a close runner-up, and to Churchill Road who narrowly took over third place in the standings with a high-scoring final day.

Round 15:

Spring Hill 3-1 Willow Springs
White Oaks 1-0 Ravensworth
Greenbriar West 3.5-0.5 Churchill Road
Kent Gardens 4-0 Oakton
Colvin Run 2.5-1.5 Orange Hunt

Round 16:

Orange Hunt 1-3 Kent Gardens
Ravensworth 0-4 Churchill Road
Greenbriar West 1.5-2.5 Colvin Run
White Oaks 0-4 Spring Hill
Willow Springs 1-2 Oakton

Standings after Matchday 8 of 8:

 
Spring Hill 219
Kent Gardens 206
Churchill Road 187
Colvin Run 185
White Oaks 119
Greenbriar West 115
Orange Hunt 110
Oakton 97
Ravensworth 56
Willow Springs 55

Although we crown a season champion every year, the true purpose of the Elementary Team League is to help students gain practice in competitive play and give them the confidence to represent their schools in other chess tournaments.  The League’s scoring system incentivizes full participation, and it is no surprise that the schools who consistently fielded complete teams each Saturday of play all finished near the top of the standings.

The League was, for many of the students, their first time playing competitive chess outside of their school clubs, and we hope they will continue to build on the experience in the future.  There is an Area-Wide Scholastic Chess Tournament coming up at the end of April for those who want to take the next step and participate in nationally rated events.

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 7 Results

The penultimate round of the Elementary Team League is in the books and the leaderboard is finely poised going into the final day of matches.  This past Saturday, the students from the Spring Hill team took command by winning both of their matches by 4-0 scores to move into first place in the standings ahead of Kent Gardens.  The race for third place between Colvin Run and Churchill Road is also extremely close.   

Round 13:

Ravensworth 0-4 Spring Hill
Orange Hunt 3.5-0.5 Willow Springs
White Oaks 0-3 Greenbriar West 
Kent Gardens 1.5-2.5 Churchill Road 
Colvin Run 2-2 Oakton

Round 14:

Spring Hill 4-0 Kent Gardens
Greenbriar West 3-0 Ravensworth
Churchill Road 2.5-1.5 Orange Hunt
Oakton 3-0 White Oaks
Willow Springs 1-3 Colvin Run

Standings after Matchday 7 of 8:

 
Spring Hill 189
Kent Gardens 176
Colvin Run 159
Churchill Road 156
White Oaks 115
Greenbriar West 103
Orange Hunt 99
Oakton 88
Ravensworth 54
Willow Springs 45

Chess Center Students Shine at Virginia Scholastic Championships

More than 600 players participated in the 2026 Virginia Scholastic and College Championships March 7-8 at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria. The Center was well represented at the event, and we are very proud of all of the kids who came to play.

K-8 Champion Pinhang Gao (L) with Cooper MS student Leo Wang (R), his friend from the K-8 Section

The kids who brought back trophies are justifiably proud of themselves. Colvin Run fifth grader Pinhang Gao won the overall K-8 championship, the youngest student in memory to win that honor. Churchill Road won the K-3 team championship, with Vlad Inchin and Sieon Jeon both bringing home individual trophies that are close to their height (4th and 10th places), Spring Hill Elementary tied for first place in the K-5 Championship.

Kent Gardens brought back the K-5 Under 1000 first place trophy and Mr. Anderson won Coach of the Year

An impressive 10 members of the Kent Gardens club, plus others who are not in the club this semester, had a great time at the tournament, and brought back the K-5 Under 1000 first place trophy. The White Oaks team of five students brought back the second place trophy in the K-8 Under 1200 section.

White Oaks students Ziggy Asefi (L) and Gustavo Calero (R)
Churchill Road students Sieon Jeon (L) and Vlad Inchin (C), the K-3 Championship team, holding their trophies with Coach Albert Anderson (R)

Kyle Huang, who attended our camps as a small child and more recently volunteered as an assistant during the summer, is the K-12 co-champion. Too many of our students and former students won trophies and medals to list them all, but none of the prize-winning is as important as how many students showed up to play.

Participation in events is too often denigrated as less important than winning, but we disagree. By playing, students improve, and that improvement sometimes manifests by winning awards. Those who came to help their teams are just as important as those who scored a lot of points. About 70 players with strong connections to the Center played in the tournament, and we are pleased both with them and with our efforts to convey our enthusiasm for chess to the next generation.

We measure our students’ success in a variety of ways. The number of friends they make at competitions is our favorite way. Competing in formal competitions is the best way for kids to get better at chess. Towards that end, the Center is sponsoring a large, inexpensive event April 25 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade may register at this page.

DC Championships in March

Washington DC will determine its youth champions this month, starting this Sunday, March 8 with the K-5 championship for kids in elementary school.  The High School Championship for DC takes place two weeks later, on Saturday, March 21.  Both tournaments are open to students from the District of Columbia, and advanced registration is required for both.

In addition to determining DC’s youth champions, the tournaments also select the District’s representatives for the national Ashley (grades K-3), Rockefeller (grades K-5), Barber (grades 6-8) and Denker (grades 9-12) tournaments.  The top placed players within each age category will earn the right to represent Washington DC in the national tournament of champions held later this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In between the two student championship tournaments is the five-round Washington DC State Open Championship, scheduled for the weekend of March 14-15.  The event has an Under-1800 section as well as an Open section with cash prizes for the top 3 players in each section as well as a prize for the top senior (age 50+).

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 6 Results

After last Saturday’s games at St. Luke’s, just two days of play remain in the season for the 2025-26 Elementary Team League.  At the top of the standings, Kent Gardens continues to hold a slim lead over Spring Hill, while the battle for third has Colvin Run and Churchill Road also very close to one another.  March 8 and March 22 will be the final two Saturdays for matches this year.

League participation is free and open to any student enrolled in our after-school chess clubs, and if your child has never taken part in a chess competition before, the ETL is a great place to get started.  Several of the participating schools have openings for one or both Saturdays remaining.

Round 11:

Ravensworth 1-1 Greenbriar West
Orange Hunt 0.5-2.5 Willow Springs
White Oaks 0-3 Kent Gardens 
Spring Hill 2-2 Churchill Road 
Colvin Run 2-2 Oakton

Round 12:

Willow Springs 1-3 Spring Hill
Kent Gardens 3-0 Orange Hunt
Churchill Road 3-0 Ravensworth
Oakton 0-2 White Oaks
Greenbriar West 0-4 Colvin Run

Standings after Matchday 6 of 8:

 
Kent Gardens 165
Spring Hill 157
Colvin Run 135
Churchill Road 130
White Oaks 115
Greenbriar West 78
Orange Hunt 77
Oakton 66
Ravensworth 52
Willow Springs 38

State Championships Return to Northern Virginia Next Month

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.
 
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.
 
\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.

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 5 Results

After our most recent meeting at St. Luke’s this past Saturday, February 7, the Elementary Team League is past the halfway mark for the season.  Perhaps due to the cold, windy weather this weekend, a few of the team lineups were missing students, and those schools that did show with full teams took full advantage to gain ground in the standings.

Round 9:

White Oaks 4-0 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 2.5-1.5 Orange Hunt
Ravensworth 0-4 Kent Gardens 
Churchill Road 3-1 Greenbriar West
Spring Hill 3-0 Oakton

Round 10:

Willow Springs 0-4 Churchill Road
Kent Gardens 2.5-1.5 Colvin Run
Oakton 1-1 Ravensworth
Orange Hunt 0-4 White Oaks
Greenbriar West 0-3 Spring Hill

Standings after Matchday 5 of 8:
 
Kent Gardens 139
Spring Hill 133
Colvin Run 109
White Oaks 106
Churchill Road 105
Greenbriar West 74
Orange Hunt 72
Oakton 56
Ravensworth 46
Willow Springs 28

2026 Potomac Youth Chess League Results and Standings

The 2026 Potomac Youth Chess League, the ongoing competition open to all middle schools in the greater Washington D.C. area, got started with Round 1 on Saturday, January 24.  
 
The League continues to grow with 18 middle schools registering to participate this year.  In addition to more than a dozen schools within the D.C. city limits, we also have schools from Potomac, MD, Beltsville, MD, Glenn Dale, MD and McLean, VA taking part.  
 
Games are played online at lichess.com.  Matches consist of two school teams of four students each, sorted in board order.  Each student plays their opposite number twice during each match.
 
Round 1 Results - 1/24/2026

Ingenuity Prep 4-4 McFarland

Alice Deal 8-0 Maret

Two Rivers 3-3 Martin Luther King Jr. 

KIPP Valor 2-2 Eliot-Hine

Our Lady of Mercy 8-0 Sojourner Truth

Sidwell Friends 4-4 Washington Latin AJC

DCI 8-0 Holy Trinity Episcopal

Columbia Heights Education Campus 0-8 Longfellow

BASIS DC 8-0 KIPP Key

Round 2 Results - 1/31/2026

MacFarland 2-6 Sidwell Friends

Longfellow 2-6 Alice Deal 

Martin Luther King Jr. 2-6 BASIS

Maret 2-2 KIPP Valor 

DCI 7-1 Our Lady of Mercy 

Washington Latin AJC 7-1 Ingenuity Prep

Holy Trinity Episcopal 6-2 Eliot Hine

Sojourner Truth 0-6 Columbia Heights Education Campus

KIPP Key 0-4 Two Rivers

Round 3 Results - 2/14/2026

BASIS 3-5 Washington Latin

Alice Deal 2-6 DCI

Sidwell 5.5-2.5 Two Rivers

Our Lady of Mercy 2-6 Longfellow

Martin Luther King Jr. 6-2 MacFarland

Ingenuity Prep 0.5-7.5 KIPP Key

Eliot Hine 2-0 Maret

Columbia Heights Education Campus 1-3 Holy Trinity Episcopal

KIPP Valor (BYE)

Round 4 Results - 2/28/2026

Washington Latin 3-5 DCI

Alice Deal 7-1 Sidwell

Longfellow 5-3 BASIS

KIPP Key 2.5-5.5 Martin Luther King Jr.

Two Rivers 3-5 Our Lady of Mercy

KIPP Valor 3-5 Holy Trinity Episcopal

Columbia Heights Education Campus 4-4 Ingenuity Prep

MacFarland 7-1 Eliot-Hine

Maret (BYE)

Round 5 Results - 3/7/2026

DCI 7-1 Sidwell

Washington Latin 1-7 Alice Deal 

Martin Luther King Jr. 0-8 Longfellow

BASIS 8-0 Columbia Heights Education Campus

KIPP Key 4.5-1.5 MacFarland

KIPP Valor 3-5 Holy Trinity Episcopal

Eliot-Hine 2-6 Ingenuity Prep

Round 6 Results - 3/14/2026

Longfellow 7-1 DCI

Our Lady Of Mercy 1.5-6.5 Alice Deal

Sidwell 1-7 BASIS

Martin Luther King Jr. 6-0 Washington Latin

Ingenuity Prep 2-4 Two Rivers

Holy Trinity Episcopal 3- 5KIPP Key

MacFarland 3-3 Columbia Heights Education Campus 

Eliot-Hine 2-6 KIPP Valor

Standings After Round 6 of 6

SchoolMatch PointsBoard Points (Tiebreaker)
Alice Deal536.5
Longfellow536
DCI534
BASIS DC435
Martin Luther King Jr.321.5
KIPP Key320.5
Our Lady of Mercy2.521.5
Washington Latin AJC2.520
Sidwell Friends2.518.5
Holy Trinity Episcopal219
Ingenuity Prep217.5
MacFarland1.517.5
Two Rivers1.517.5
Columbia Heights Education Campus1.514
KIPP Valor113
Maret110
Eliot-Hine011

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 4 Results

Just before all the snow fell, the Elementary Team League with its ten participating school teams gathered at St. Luke’s for another day of play last Saturday.  The two matches saw some shuffling amongst the leaderboard, with Kent Gardens now sitting atop the overall leaderboard ahead of Spring Hill, and Colvin Run moving up to third place with a big day.  With four Saturdays remaining in the season and eight matches yet to be played, the competition is set to go down to the wire.

Round 7:

Oakton 2-0 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 4-0 Ravensworth
Kent Gardens 4-0 Greenbriar West
Orange Hunt 0.5-2.5 Churchill Road
White Oaks 2-2 Spring Hill

Round 8:

Willow Springs 0-2 Ravensworth
Churchill Road 1.5-2.5 Kent Gardens
Ravensworth 0-2 White Oaks
Spring Hill 3-1 Orange Hunt
Greenbriar West 1-1 Oakton

Standings after Matchday 4 of 8:
 
Kent Gardens 110
Spring Hill 107
Colvin Run 89
Churchill Road 76
White Oaks 74
Greenbriar West 68
Colvin Run 57
Orange Hunt 61
Oakton 52
Ravensworth 40
Willow Springs 26

Oprah, GM Maurice Ashley and the Chess Center Connection

Maurice Ashley, the first Black grandmaster, featured heavily on the latest episode of Oprah Winfrey’s podcast exploring the importance of character development and learning.  Winfrey, alongside Wharton professor of psychology Adam Grant, explored Ashley’s journey as teacher for the Harlem-based “Raging Rooks” chess team of young students. Despite lacking the resources enjoyed by many of their chess contemporaries at private schools, the team, coached by Ashley, rose to compete for national championships by focusing on disciplined learning and toughness in the face of adversity.

Ashley’s outlook on teaching chess echoes many philosophies similar to what we espouse at the U.S. Chess Center.  When he began his work with the Raging Rooks team Ashley, as Grant observed during the interview, did not task his young students with memorization or early specialization (intense focus on one individual aspect of the game, to the exclusion of others).  These are practices that can drive short-term improvement at the expense of long-term development and interest in the game.  Instead, Ashley’s approach emphasized the development of character traits such as confidence and resilience, to ensure that his charges were equipped psychologically to deal with the various unpredictable challenges chess threw their way.

Ashley earned the grandmaster title in 1999, and in the decades since then he has been one of America’s best-known ambassadors for the game of chess, especially among young people.  In 2011, during one of his many trips to Washington, D.C., he performed a simultaneous exhibition at the U.S. Chess Center’s former location on M Street.  We were happy to see that some photos from that simul made it to the Oprah segment (these photos are shown beginning at the 22 minute, 6 second mark of the video).

Whether or not you are a chess afficionado, if you are interested in the role of perseverance, resilience, and curiosity in driving long-term success, Ashley’s story is well worth your attention.

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 3 Results

Back from the winter break, the Elementary Team League reconvened at St. Luke’s this past Saturday for the third matchday of the season.   Spring Hill and Kent Gardens remain neck and neck in the overall standings and with five matchdays remaining, there’s still ample time for the other schools to catch them.

January is an important time of year as we set our sights on some major chess events coming up later in the spring, including the state and national championships, which we will have a blog post about soon.  Representing your school in the Elementary Team League is a great way to build up experience and confidence to prepare for these larger events.

Round 5:

Kent Gardens 4-0 Willow Springs
Orange Hunt 2.5-0.5 Oakton
White Oaks 2-2 Greenbriar West
Colvin Run 0.5-3.5 Churchill Road
Ravensworth 0-3 Spring Hill

Round 6:

Willow Springs 0-2 Ravensworth
Spring Hill 2.5-1.5 Colvin Run
Churchill Road 2-2 White Oaks
Greenbriar West 3.5-0.5 Orange Hunt
Oakton 1.5-2.5 Kent Gardens

Standings after Matchday 3 of 8:
 
Spring Hill 83
Kent Gardens 81
Greenbriar West 64
White Oaks 58
Churchill Road 58
Colvin Run 57
Orange Hunt 40
Oakton 40
Ravensworth 38
Willow Springs 26

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 2 Results

The second day of Elementary Team League matches took place last Saturday afternoon.  Those students who braved the cold to come out got to play some good games of chess.  In the overall standings, Spring Hill continues in the lead ahead of Kent Gardens.

We now break for a few weeks for the holiday season before the league matches resume in January.  The ETL is always a great opportunity for students to practice their chess in a competitive setting, and most of the participating schools still have openings to sign up and play during the remainder of the season, so if you haven’t joined us at St. Luke’s yet, we hope to see you in the future!

Round 3:

White Oaks 0-3 Kent Gardens
Orange Hunt 3.5-0.5 Willow Springs
Ravensworth 2-1 Greenbriar West
Colvin Run 1-3 Oakton
Spring Hill 2.5-1.5 Churchill Road 

Round 4:
Oakton 1-3 White Oaks
Willow Springs 0.5-3.5 Spring Hill
Churchill Road 3-1 Ravensworth
Greenbriar West 3-1 Colvin Run
Kent Gardens 3-1 Orange Hunt

Standings after Matchday 2 of 8:
 
Spring Hill 58
Kent Gardens 52
White Oaks 42
Greenbriar West 39
Orange Hunt 38
Churchill Road 33
Oakton 32
Colvin Run 32
Ravensworth 28
Willow Springs 26

Please Support the Optimists

One of the Chess Center’s most reliable supporters for more than 20 years has been the National Capital Optimists Club. Their dedication to helping organizations that work with children and teens is more than admirable; it is an example of the best of humanity.

Their annual Christmas tree sale provides the income they use to support the organizations, including ours. The Optimists are an all-volunteer operation. Leading the sales team is Peyton, pictured above, and she (with other helpers) hand-makes the wreaths the group sells.

The high-quality trees for sale are sourced from Oregon, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, so they have a great selection of sizes and varieties.

The lot is conveniently located at the Kensington Baptist Church along Connecticut Avenue at Dresden Street, one mile outside the Beltway. http://www.capitaloptimist.org/

Elementary Team League 2025-26 Matchday 1 Results

The new season of the Elementary Team League, the friendly competition we run for schools around the greater D.C. area, has just begun.  Last Saturday, November 15, saw the first and second rounds of matches at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, which hosts the competition for the fifth straight year.

In the standings, defending champion Spring Hill is off to the early lead as the only school to have won both matches on Saturday, while Kent Gardens and White Oaks trail close behind.  

 

Round 1:

White Oaks 4-0 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 2-2 Orange Hunt
Ravensworth 0-4 Kent Gardens 
Spring Hill 4-0 Oakton
Churchill Road 1-3 Greenbriar West

Round 2:
Orange Hunt 2-2 White Oaks
Willow Springs 3-1 Churchill Road
Oakton 2-2 Ravensworth
Greenbriar West 1-3 Spring Hill
Kent Gardens 2-2 Colvin Run

Standings after Matchday 1 of 8:
 
Spring Hill 30
Kent Gardens 26
White Oaks 26
Colvin Run 20
Greenbriar West 20
Orange Hunt 20
Willow Springs 18
Ravensworth 14
Churchill Road 12
Oakton 12

 

Chess in the Mall Debuts at Westfield Montgomery

Chess in the Mall was something new for us. Chess Girls DC, managed by Robin Ramson, has an agreement to put a chess activity every Saturday through September 27 in Westfield Montgomery (known for decades as Montgomery Mall) in Bethesda. Other activities include simultaneous exhibitions with masters, arena-style tournaments, and chess puzzle-solving contests.

The U.S. Chess Center took its concept of Chess in the Park, which we have run in southeast DC six times, as well as in Silver Spring and Kensington, Maryland, and ran it in the middle of the shopping mall. Thirty-four players competed in the informal tournament, won by a seventh grade Prince George’s County student and a fifth grade Fairfax County student, pictured here.

While the event was open to everyone, the vast majority of the players were elementary and middle school kids. About twenty other chess players came to find friendly casual games.

For updates on the activities at the mall, visit https://chessalliance.org

Summer Camp Season Continues in Northern Virginia

Starting with the first full week of July, our summer camp season moved back across the Potomac to Fairfax County, Virginia.  From July 7-11 we held camp at Churchill Road Elementary in McLean, an annual summer stop of ours for many decades, and were pleased to teach many new and returning campers.  The next week we moved a short distance down the road to Colvin Run Elementary in Vienna, where we drew nearly 30 students of all ability levels.  

Most recently we spent the week at Haycock Elementary; the Haycock camp strongest group of players that we’ve taught this summer.  Mr. Anderson used a Fischer-Kavalek game as the basis for many of the lessons, and Mr. Mehler provided personal anecdotes about Grandmaster Kavalek, as well as stories about Fischer, to bring the game more to life. 

All of our camps incorporate tournament competitions, large and small group lessons, and individual one-on-one evaluations to help the students master important skills.  No matter what their playing strength entering the week, each student leaves camp on Friday knowing more than when they arrived the Monday before.

Photos from Chess Camp at Takoma Park Middle School

Our summer camp season continued last week with a camp at Takoma Park Middle School in Montgomery County, MD.  Nearly 30 students showed up, ranging in strength from beginners to experienced tournament players.  No matter their ability, everybody learned something new over the course of the week, and the camp concluded with a tournament during which the students put their knowledge to use.

We returned to Northern Virginia this week with our camp at Churchill Road Elementary, and next week we start at Colvin Run Elementary.  There’s still space open at most of our camps over the remainder of the summer, so come sign up to join us!

New Season of Summer Chess Camps is Up and Running

Our summer season started yesterday with a camp in West Springfield, VA. The kids are enthusiastic, enjoyed playing in a tournament to start the week, and are learning a lot of the strategy of the game. We will have another tournament on Friday, and the winner of that tournament will receive a trophy.

Next week, we will be in Takoma Park, MD, and after that in other schools in the area, each for one week.

Several students who have been with us in previous years have registered for more than one week, and we look forward to watching them learn new things.

Our tradition of running summer chess camps is among the longest running in the country, and we always have at least one teacher per every ten students.  Space is still available in most camps, and registration is open at https://chessctr.org/summercamps/.

Chess Renaissance in DC

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.

Big Chair Chess Club President Wendall Brown and Vice President Wendell Hankins with a student.

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

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

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:

1) Langley    3-0
2) West Springfield    2-1
3) Montgomery Blair    1-2
4) Jackson Reed    0-3

U.S. Chess Center Exhibits at Kensington Day of the Book Festival

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

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 Park Returns To Eastern Market Metro

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.

Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 8 Results

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

Elementary Team League 2024-25 Matchday 7 Results

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

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.