In just over two weeks, the District of Columbia will select its representative in the national tournament of elementary school champions. This year’s qualification tournament is to be held at the Kellogg Conference Center at 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington DC 20002, on Saturday, May 14. The winner earns the right to play in the Rockefeller National Tournament of Elementary School Champions later this summer.
The tournament is open to D.C. residents in kindergarten through grade 5. This is a nationally rated tournament, so players must be or become U.S. Chess Federation members in order to play. The tournament starts at 9:30 the morning of May 14, but registration closes on Thursday, May 12 at 3:00 P.M., so players interested in taking part should be sure to sign up before then.
Three students from Sunday Chess attended the 2022 National High School Championships in Memphis over the weekend. The tournament had been cancelled for the previous two years because of the pandemic, so there was a lot of pent-up enthusiasm for this year’s event.
This was the third Nationals Anish attended, but the first major national for Zach and Ret. All three had wonderful experiences and are more prepared for the series of national championships coming up in the DC area over the next few years.
The tournament was run exceptionally well, with professional staff handling every detail efficiently. The rounds started on time, the side events were fun for the students, and the conditions of play were the best ever for a scholastic tournament. We look forward to spectacular events at National Harbor in December and in downtown DC next March.
Posted below is a win of Zach’s from the first half of the competition. Zach, playing the black pieces, managed to hold on against an intimidating attack during the first 25 moves.
White is down a piece, but looks as though he will regain it after 26. Ne7+ Kf8 27. Qxe5 Bxe5 28. Nc6 . However, Zach’s 28….Ra6 kept him in the driver’s seat, since after 29. Nxa5 b4 30. cxb4 Bxb2, the pin on the a5-knight means that White can’t stop Black’s dangerous c-pawn without losing material.
Instead, White played 29. f4, and the game concluded: 29…Rxc6 30. fxe5 Nb7 31. Ra7 Rb6 32. exd6 Nxd6 33. h4 Ne4 34. g4 Nc5 35. Kg2 Na4 36. Kf3 Nxb2 37. Ke4 Nd3 38. Kd5 Kg7 39. g5 Re6 40. Rb7 Re5+ 41. Kd4 Rf5 42. Rb6 Nc5 43. Ke3 Na4 and White resigned. 0-1
The full set of results from the 2022 tournament is available here.
The District of Columbia’s qualification events for the national Denker and Barber championships took place this past Saturday afternoon, April 2. Students turned up from all around DC to compete for the middle and high school championship titles.
Ben Tyrrell (below left, playing black) won all four of his games to take first place in the high school section and earn the right to represent the District at the Denker Tournament of High School Champions later this summer. Ethan Crawford (below right) put up the same perfect score to win the middle school section and qualify to represent Washington at the Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School Champions. Both events will be held this July 30 – August 2 in Rancho Mirage, California.
We’re grateful to the DC Housing Finance Agency for hosting the event at their headquarters, and to Robin Ramson for her efforts organizing and promoting the tournament. The full set of results from both the middle and high school sections is available here:
Montgomery Blair’s domination of the Metro Area Chess League continued through the play-offs as they swept to the championship winning all three of their matches. The play-offs were held Saturday, March 26, in the museum of United Therapeutics in Blair’s home turf of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. The league is grateful to United Therapeutics for providing such a convenient and comfortable location for the play-offs, and for the snacks.
The Montgomery Blair team posing with the winner's trophy.
Richard Montgomery High School of Rockville finished in second place with a 1½ – 1½ score (one win, one draw and one loss), followed by Woodrow Wilson High School of the District of Columbia (1 – 2) and Gonzaga College High School (½ – 2½).
The league included 22 teams this year from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, starting play in November. This is the first time the league was run virtually, but with the success of this year, we will run the league this way again in the 2022-23 school year. Any high school in the metro area may join.
Playoff Results
Round 1
Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Woodrow Wilson High School
Richard Montgomery High School 2.5-1.5 Gonzaga College High School
Round 2
Richard Montgomery High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School
Gonzaga College High School 0-4 Montgomery Blair High School
Round 3
Woodrow Wilson High School 2-2Gonzaga College High School
Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Richard Montgomery High School
The Denker Tournament of High School Champions is an annual invitational event for the champions of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Named for the late Grandmaster Arnold Denker, a former U.S. Champion and a tireless promoter of chess among young people, the tournament has been one of the most prestigious national events for students in grades 9-12 since its inception 38 years ago.
The Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School Champions, now in its 12th year, is the corresponding annual event for students in grades 6-8. This year both the Denker and Barber tournaments will be held in the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California, from July 30 – August 2. This coming Saturday, April 2, Washington, DC will hold its qualification tournaments to determine who will represent the District in these events.
The qualifiers will be held at the DC Housing Finance Agency at 815 Florida Ave., NW., Washington DC 20001. The event is open to DC residents only, and is nationally rated by the U.S. Chess Federation, so participants must join the USCF if they are not already members. Proof of COVID vaccination is required to participate.
The entry fee is $20. This is a four-round Swiss system tournament with time control: Game/25 + 10. Players should bring clocks if they have them. The first round starts at 1 P.M.
The U.S. Chess Center and Montgomery Parks are inviting students to join us on the last day of April at Fairview Road Urban Park in Silver Spring for an outdoor chess tournament.
Any student in grade 2 through 8 may register to take part. This tournament is not nationally rated, and students do not need to have any tournament experience in order to participate. We do require students who play to be familiar with all of the rules of chess, including castling, stalemate and the touch-move rule. Students who are not familiar with the rules are welcome to come spectate, as are other family members and friends. The first round of the tournament starts at 10 a.m. and the last of the games will finish around 1 p.m.
We will organize the tournament based loosely on the Swiss pairing system, which means that players who win in the first round will be matched against other winners for their next games, and players who lose will be matched against others with similar results. Nobody is eliminated early.
Registration on the morning of the tournament is permitted, but we recommend planning ahead and signing up ahead of time to beat the line.
We have a week of March still ahead of us, but one Final Four has already been set. The Metro Area Chess League concluded its regular season yesterday night with Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD), Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD), Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.) and Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) wrapping up the top four places and earning tickets to the playoffs this coming Saturday in Silver Spring.
With 22 high schools from around the Washington area and over 100 students participating throughout the year, this was the largest online season we’ve run, and we’re very pleased to have revived the League after several years’ hiatus. We thank all the students for logging on to participate on Tuesday nights and the school chess club sponsors and coaches for helping make this such a success.
Round 8 Results
Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Gonzaga College High School
Richard Montgomery High School 4-0 Northwest High School
McLean High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School
Rochambeau French Intl. School 3-1 BASIS DC
West Springfield High School 2-2 Washington International School
South Lakes High School 1.5-2.5 Thomas J. Wootton High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 2-2 St. Anselm’s Abbey School
St. Albans School 0-4 Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Justice High School 0-4 Georgetown Preparatory School
Rockville High School 4-0 Don Bosco Cristo Rey
James Hubert Blake High School – The SEED Public Charter School
After seven Saturdays of play, the spring 2022 season of the PCSAA Middle School Chess League finished this afternoon. BASIS DC and District of Columbia International School both entered the final day of play with undefeated records, and in their match against one another, either school could have taken the season championship with a victory.
In the final game to finish, the BASIS player had a decisive advantage after: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 Na6 3. dxe5 d6 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bxa6 bxa6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Qxd8 Raxd8 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Nd5 Bxb2 13. Rab1 Ba3 14. Nxc7 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rd6 16. Rb3 Bc5 17. Rd3 Rg6+ 18. Kh1 Bd6 19. Nxa6 Rh6 20. h3 Rxh3+ 21. Kg2 Rh6 22. Rfd1 Rd8 23. e5 Rg6+ 24. Kf1 f5 25. Rxd6 Rdxd6 26. Rxd6 Rxd6 27. exd6 Kf7 28. c4 Ke6 29. c5 g5 30. Nc7+ Kd7 31. Kg2 h5 32. Nd5 g4 33. Nf6+ Kc6 34. d7 Kc7 35. fxg4 hxg4 36. Kg3 a5 37. c6 a4 38. Nd5+ Kd8 39. Kf4, but like all resourceful chess players Black stayed astute for a way to save the game.
39… g3 40. fxg3 a3 reached the position shown on the left, and if White captures the f-pawn without thinking, 41. Kxf5?? is stalemate. Instead, White sharply sidestepped Black’s drawing trap with 41. Nf6 and won in twelve more moves. (41. Ke5 would have mated faster, but a win is a win.) BASIS narrowly won the match 4.5-3.5 and took the title.
Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Science swept their match against E.L. Haynes to retain third place in the season standings, while Meridian held onto fourth place on the board points tiebreaker despite losing to Children’s Guild. One more half-point in their match would have put Children’s Guild ahead.
Round-by-round results and the final standings for the season can be viewed here. We congratulate all of the students who showed up to play on lichess this year and we hope to see more of them in upcoming chess competitions in the DC area.
One round of competition remains in the regular season of the Metro Area Chess League. With six victories from seven matches so far, Montgomery Blair has locked up the number one seed in the playoffs, but the competition is tight for the other three playoff spots.
Round 7 Results
Woodrow Wilson High School 1-3 Montgomery Blair High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0-4 Richard Montgomery High School
McLean High School 1-3 Gonzaga College High School
Northwest High School 1-3 Rochambeau French Intl. School
St. Albans School 2-2 Thomas J. Wootton High School
BASIS DC 4-0 South Lakes High School
St. Anselm’s Abbey School 1-3 West Springfield High School
Rockville High School 0-4 Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Georgetown Preparatory School 1-3 Washington International School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey 1-1 James Hubert Blake High School
The SEED Public Charter School 1.5-2.5 Justice High School
Standings After Round 7
Place
School
Total Match Points
Total Board Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
6.5
24
2nd
Gonzaga College High School
5.5
19.5
3rd
Woodrow Wilson High School
5
16.5
4th
Richard Montgomery High School
4.5
18
5th
McLean High School
4.5
17
6th
BASIS DC
4.5
15.5
7th
Rochambeau, the French International School
4.5
14.5
8th
Northwest High School
4
16
9th
West Springfield High School
4
15
10th
Washington International School
3.5
14.5
11th (Tie)
Georgetown Preparatory School
3.5
14
11th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
3.5
14
13th
South Lakes High School
3.5
13
14th (Tie)
Justice High School
3
13
14th (Tie)
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
3
13
14th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
3
13
17th
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
3
12
18th
St. Albans School
3
11.5
19th
Rockville High School
2
8
20th
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
1
8
21st
James Hubert Blake High School
1
7
22nd
The SEED Public Charter School
0
3
Round 7 Highlights
St. Albans - Wootton Board 1
Northwest - Rochambeau Board 3
Wilson - Montgomery Blair Board 1
Round 8 Pairings
Round 8 will be held on March 22, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.
Montgomery Blair High School – Gonzaga College High School
Richard Montgomery High School – Northwest High School
McLean High School – Woodrow Wilson High School
Rochambeau French Intl. School – BASIS DC
West Springfield High School – Washington International School
Thomas J. Wootton High School – South Lakes High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School
St. Albans School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Justice High School – Georgetown Preparatory School
Rockville High School – Don Bosco Cristo Rey
James Hubert Blake High School – The SEED Public Charter School
It’s been a great season of competition in the Elementary Team League this year. Congratulations to Colvin Run Elementary (Vienna, VA), who took the lead at the halfway point of the season and never looked back, clinching the league championship with a match to spare. White Oaks Elementary came out on top of a battle for second, with Spring Hill edging Greenbriar West for third.
Saturday, March 6 was the final day of matches for the season, and again we had a near-perfect turnout as nearly 40 students turned up to compete for their schools.
Round 1:
Greenbriar West 2-2 Stratford Landing
Colvin Run 2-2 Ravensworth
Westbriar 3-1 Kent Gardens
White Oaks 2-2 Spring Hill
Poplar Tree 4-0 Willow Springs
Round 2:
Spring Hill 3-1 Westbriar
Willow Springs 1.5-2.5 Colvin Run
Greenbriar West 2-2 Poplar Tree
Ravensworth 1-3 White Oaks
Kent Gardens 0-4 Stratford Landing
Final Standings after Matchday 8:
Colvin Run 204
White Oaks 177
Spring Hill 168
Greenbriar West 163
Kent Gardens 144
Poplar Tree 142
Ravensworth 121
Stratford Landing 111
Willow Springs 104
Westbriar 77
One final thank-you to St. Luke’s Methodist Church for providing the venue for us to return to in-person competition this year, after we were online last season. Win or lose, playing in the league has provided valuable experience for everyone this year, especially those who are taking part in the state and national championships later this spring.
Students of ours played two Internet matches with children from Ukraine last year. We wish those young people well and are horrified by what they are experiencing.
Since many of the D.C. schools were on spring break, Round 6 was played over two weeks, with some matches taking place on February 22 and some on March 1. Montgomery Blair (Silver Spring) continues to lead the field with 5.5 match points out of 6, with Woodrow Wilson (Washington, D.C.) still half a point behind in second and a wide-open race for the playoffs in prospect.
Round 6 Results
February 22
Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Thomas J. Wootton High School
McLean High School 3-1 Richard Montgomery High School
West Springfield High School School 1-3 Northwest High School
Gonzaga College High School 4-0 St. Anselm’s Abbey School
South Lakes High School 3-1 Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Georgetown Preparatory School 4-0 James Hubert Blake High School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey 1-3 Justice High School
March 1
Rochambeau French Intl. School 3-1 St. Albans School
Woodrow Wilson High School 2.5-1.5 BASIS DC
The SEED Public Charter School 0-4 E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
Rockville High School 0-4 Washington International School
Standings After Round 6
Place
School
Total Match Points
Total Board Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
5.5
21
2nd
Woodrow Wilson High School
5
15.5
3rd
Gonzaga College High School
4.5
16.5
4th
McLean High School
4.5
16
5th
Northwest High School
4
15
6th
Richard Montgomery High School
3.5
14
7th (Tie)
Georgetown Preparatory School
3.5
13
7th (Tie)
South Lakes High School
3.5
13
9th (Tie)
BASIS DC
3.5
11.5
9th (Tie)
Rochambeau, the French International School
3.5
11.5
11th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
3
12
11th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
3
12
11th (Tie)
West Springfield High School
3
12
11th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
3
12
15th
Washington International School
2.5
11.5
16th
St. Albans School
2.5
9.5
17th
Justice High School
2
10.5
18th
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
2
9
19th
Rockville High School
2
8
20th
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
1
7
21st
James Hubert Blake High School
1
6
22nd
The SEED Public Charter School
0
1.5
Round 7 Pairings
Round 7 will be held on March 8, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.
Woodrow Wilson High School – Montgomery Blair High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School – Richard Montgomery High School
McLean High School – Gonzaga College High School
Northwest High School – Rochambeau French Intl. School
St. Albans School – Thomas J. Wootton High School
BASIS DC – South Lakes High School
St. Anselm’s Abbey School – West Springfield High School
Rockville High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Georgetown Preparatory School – Washington International School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey – James Hubert Blake High School
The SEED Public Charter School – Justice High School
More than 30 students showed up to St. Luke’s Methodist Church this past weekend to represent their schools in the Elementary Team League. With one round remaining in the competiton, Colvin Run Elementary continues in the lead while White Oaks, Greenbriar West and the fast-rising Spring Hill are locked in a battle for second.
Another exciting evening of high school league play this evening produced a lot of back-and-forth games. Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD) is now back in the sole lead with a 4-0 victory over BASIS DC, their fourth clean sweep in five matches. Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington DC) is in clear second place after their match with Richard Montgomery ended in a 2-2 draw.
Round 5 Results
BASIS DC 0-4 Montgomery Blair High School
Richard Montgomery High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School
St. Anselm’s Abbey School 1-3 McLean High School
Gonzaga College High School 3-1 South Lakes High School
Thomas J. Wootton High School 2-2 Rochambeau French Intl. School
Col. Zadok Magruder High School 3-1 West Springfield High School
Northwest High School 3-1 Rockville High School
St. Albans School 2.5-1.5 Georgetown Preparatory School
James Hubert Blake High School 1-3 E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
Washington International School 3-1 Justice High School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey ppd. The SEED Public Charter School
Standings After Round 5
Place
School
Total Match Points
Total Board Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
4.5
18
2nd
Woodrow Wilson High School
4
13
3rd (Tie)
McLean High School
3.5
13
3rd (Tie)
Richard Montgomery High School
3.5
13
5th
Gonzaga College High School
3.5
12.5
6th
BASIS DC
3.5
10
7th (Tie)
Northwest High School
3
12
7th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
3
12
9th (Tie)
West Springfield High School
3
11
9th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
3
11
11th
South Lakes High School
2.5
10
12th
Georgetown Preparatory School
2.5
9
13th (Tie)
Rochambeau, the French International School
2.5
8.5
13th (Tie)
St. Albans School
2.5
8.5
15th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
2
8
15th (Tie)
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
2
8
15th (Tie)
Rockville High School
2
8
18th
Washington International School
1.5
7.5
19th
Justice High School
1
7.5
20th
James Hubert Blake High School
1
6
21st
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
0
2
22nd
The SEED Public Charter School
0
1.5
One match, Don Bosco Cristo Rey vs. SEED Public Charter School, was postponed. We will update the standings and post Round 6 pairings when that match has been completed.
Round 5 Highlights
Wooton-Rochambeau Board 3
Gonzaga-South Lakes Board 1
Gonzaga-South Lakes Board 4
Round 6 Pairings
February 22
Montgomery Blair High School – Thomas J. Wootton High School
McLean High School – Richard Montgomery High School
West Springfield High School School – Northwest High School
Gonzaga College High School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School
South Lakes High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Georgetown Preparatory School – James Hubert Blake High School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey – Justice High School
Rockville High School – Washington International School
March 1
Rochambeau French Intl. School – St. Albans School
Woodrow Wilson High School – BASIS DC
The SEED Public Charter School – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
With yesterday’s wind and below freezing temperatures in Northern Virginia, it was another day of great “chess weather.” The Elementary Team League returned to its usual playing site at St. Luke’s Methodist Church and we had a near-perfect turnout of ten school teams. Leaders Colvin Run Elementary continued their good form, scoring big wins against the schools that started the day in second and third place in the standings, Kent Gardens and White Oaks.
Round 1:
Greenbriar West 2-2 Willow Springs
Ravensworth 0-4 Spring Hill
Stratford Landing 3-1 Westbriar
Colvin Run 4-0 Kent Gardens
Poplar Tree 2-2 White Oaks
Round 2:
Kent Gardens 1.5-1.5 Greenbriar West
Willow Springs 1-3 Stratford Landing
Spring Hill 3-1 Poplar Tree
White Oaks 0.5-3.5 Colvin Run
Westbriar 2-2 Ravensworth
Standings after Matchday 6:
Colvin Run 161
White Oaks 124
Greenbriar West 123
Kent Gardens 122
Spring Hill 114
Poplar Tree 110
Willow Springs 85
Ravensworth 76
Stratford Landing 73
Westbriar 51
Two match days remain for this season: February 19 and March 5. Playing in the League is free and open to anyone enrolled in an after-school chess club of ours so if your child is interested, please reach out to their club instructor.
The DC Public Charter School Athletic Association’s Middle School Chess League is now back in action for the spring 2022 season. District of Columbia International School (DCI) returns to attempt to defend their title from last year. Also coming back from the prior season are BASIS DC, The Children’s Guild, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Science, and Meridian Public Charter School.
Current League Standings
School
Match Points
Board Points (Tiebreaker)
BASIS DC
6.5
44
District of Columbia International School
5
40
Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Sciences
4
29.5
Meridian Public Charter School
2
18
The Children's Guild
2
17.5
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
1
11
Matches are played on Saturdays on lichess.org, and there are 7 matchdays in total scheduled for this season. Those interested can keep track of the results and standings here.
At John Burroughs Elementary School this past Thursday, we held a Pawn Game tournament for the second and third grade students. Behavior was excellent and the skills both classes had learned were evident. The teachers were impressed by their students’ abilities to visualize, execute plans, and win and lose with grace and dignity.
January 25 marked the fourth match of the Metro Area Chess League season. Leaders Montgomery Blair High School – the only team with a perfect score through the first three rounds – faced Richard Montgomery and were held to their first drawn match, as each team won two games from their four boards. Woodrow Wilson High School and BASIS DC both won their Round 4 matches to join them on 3.5 match points, although Montgomery Blair still holds the board points tiebreaker.
Round 4 Results
Montgomery Blair High School 2 – 2 Richard Montgomery High School Wilson High School 2.5 – 1.5 Gonzaga College High School EL Haynes Public Charter School 1 – 3 BASIS DC Washington International School 1 – 3 St. Anselms Abbey School McLean High School 2 – 2 Rochambeau French Intl. School Georgetown Preparatory School 1 – 3 Thomas J. Wootton High School James Hubert Blake High School 1 – 3 Rockville High School Justice High School 1.5 – 2.5 Col. Zadok Magruder High School West Springfield High School 2 – 2 South Lakes High School Don Bosco Cristo Rey 0 – 4 Northwest High School The SEED Public Charter School 0 – 4 St. Albans School
Standings After Round 4
Place
School
Total Match Points
Total Board Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
3.5
14
2nd
Woodrow Wilson High School
3.5
11
3rd
BASIS DC
3.5
10
4th (Tie)
Richard Montgomery High School
3
11
4th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
3
11
6th
McLean High School
2.5
10
7th
Gonzaga College High School
2.5
9.5
8th (Tie)
South Lakes High School
2.5
9
8th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
2.5
9
10th
Georgetown Preparatory School
2.5
7.5
11th
Northwest High School
2
9
12th
West Springfield High School
2
8
13th (Tie)
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
2
7
13th (Tie)
Rockville High School
2
7
15th
Rochambeau, the French International School
2
6.5
16th
St. Albans School
1.5
6
17th
Justice High School
1
6.5
18th (Tie)
James Hubert Blake High School
1
5
18th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
1
5
20th
Washington International School
0.5
4.5
21st
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
0
2
22nd
The SEED Public Charter School
0
1.5
Round 4 Highlights
This is the game from board 1 of the Richard Montgomery – Montgomery Blair match, after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Be4 6. f3 Bh7 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 e6 9. h5 c5 10. c3 Nc6 11. Ne2 Qb6 12. f4 Rc8 13. Nd2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Qb1 Nc2+ 16. Kf2 Ne7 17. Nf3 Nxa1 18. Qxa1 Nc6 19. a3 Na5 20. Qb1 Bxa3 21. g5 Be7 22. f5 exf5 23. Qxf5 Qe6 24. Qd3 Nc4 25. Nf4 Qd7. Up to the previous move, Black had defended well against White’s attacks, but with the last move, White has the chance to gain an advantage.
Board 1 in the McLean-Rochambeau match began: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 Be7 7. Bxc4 h6 8. Bh4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6 10. Qxd8+ Bxd8 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfd1 a6 13. Rac1 b5 14. Bb3 Bb7 15. e5 Ng4 16. Bg3 b4 17. Na4 h5 18. Nc5 Bc8 giving rise to the position on the right. Can you spot an idea for White to gain an advantage?
19. Nxe6 Bxe6 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. Rxc6 and White will be two pawns ahead.
Yesterday, January 22, was the fifth matchday of this season’s Elementary Team League. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church again played host. With two straight 4-0 victories, Colvin Run Elementary (Vienna, VA) extended their lead at the top of the season standings.
Round 1:
White Oaks 1-3 Greenbriar West
Willow Springs 2.5-1.5 Stratford Landing
Westbriar 0-4 Colvin Run
Spring Hill 2-2 Kent Gardens
Poplar Tree 1.5-1.5 Ravensworth
Round 2:
Kent Gardens 2-2 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 4-0 Poplar Tree
Greenbriar West 1-3 Spring Hill
Stratford Landing 1.5-2.5 White Oaks
Ravensworth 2.5-0.5 Westbriar
Standings after Matchday 4:
Colvin Run 130
Kent Gardens 113
White Oaks 109
Greenbriar West 107
Poplar Tree 94
Spring Hill 84
Willow Springs 69
Ravensworth 64
Stratford Landing 47
Westbriar 39
If your child is enrolled in an after school chess club of ours and would like to sign up to play in the Elementary Team League, contact their club instructor. Our next scheduled match day is Saturday, February 5.
Following our winter break, the Metro Area Chess League resumed on lichess yesterday evening. Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD) is now in the solo lead after its third consecutive clean sweep of all four boards.
Round 3 Results
Rockville High School 0-4 Montgomery Blair High School
South Lakes High School 1-3 McLean High School
BASIS DC 2.5-1.5 Georgetown Preparatory School
Thomas S. Wootton High School 1-3 Gonzaga College High School
Rochambeau, the French International School 2.5-1.5 Washington International School
Col. Zadok Magruder High School 0.5-3.5 Woodrow Wilson High School
James Hubert Blake High School 0-4 St. Anselm’s Abbey School
St. Albans School 0-4 West Springfield High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 3-1 Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
Northwest High School 4-0 The SEED Public Charter School
Richard Montgomery High School 4-0 Justice High School
Standings After Round 3
Place
School
Total Match Points
Total Board Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
3
12
2nd
Richard Montgomery High School
2.5
9
3rd
Woodrow Wilson High School
2.5
8.5
4th
BASIS DC
2.5
7
5th (Tie)
McLean High School
2
8
5th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
2
8
7th
South Lakes High School
2
7
8th
Georgetown Preparatory School
1.5
7.5
9th (Tie)
West Springfield High School
1.5
6
9th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
1.5
6
11th
Gonzaga College High School
1.5
5
12th
Rochambeau, the French International School
1.5
4.5
13th
Justice High School
1
6
14th
Northwest High School
1
5
15th
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
1
4.5
16th (Tie)
James Hubert Blake High School
1
4
16th (Tie)
Rockville High School
1
4
16th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
1
4
19th (Tie)
Washington International School
0.5
3.5
19th (Tie)
St. Albans School
0.5
2
21st
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
0
2
22nd
The SEED Public Charter School
0
1.5
Round 4 Pairings
Round 4 will be held on January 25, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.
Montgomery Blair High School – Richard Montgomery High School Wilson High School – Gonzaga College High School EL Haynes Public Charter School – BASIS DC Washington International School – St. Anselms Abbey School McLean High School – Rochambeau French Intl. School Georgetown Preparatory School – Thomas J. Wootton High School James Hubert Blake High School – Rockville High School Justice High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School West Springfield High School – South Lakes High School Don Bosco Cristo Rey – Northwest High School The SEED Public Charter School – St. Albans School
Ten school teams braved the frigid winter weather yesterday to come out for the fourth match day of this season’s Elementary Team League at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. With the season half finished, we have a new leader in the overall standings, as Colvin Run Elementary (Vienna, VA) won both of their matches to overtake Kent Gardens.
Round 1:
Ravensworth 2.5-1.5 Kent Gardens
White Oaks 3-0 Westbriar
Greenbriar West 1-3 Colvin Run
Spring Hill 2-1 Willow Springs
Poplar Tree 2.5-1.5 Stratford Landing
Round 2:
Kent Gardens 2.5-1.5 Poplar Tree
Colvin Run 2.5-1.5 Ravensworth
Stratford Landing 2-2 Spring Hill
Willow Springs 3-1 White Oaks
Westbriar 0-4 Greenbriar West
Standings after Matchday 4:
Colvin Run 98
Kent Gardens 93
White Oaks 90
Greenbriar West 87
Poplar Tree 87
Spring Hill 60
Ravensworth 46
Willow Springs 46
Westbriar 34
Stratford Landing 33
Any student enrolled in an after school chess club of ours can sign up to play in the League. Participating is a great opportunity to practice and gain experience for important tournaments like the state and national championships this spring. If your child is interested in taking part, contact their club instructor. Saturday, January 22 is the next scheduled match day.
A piece from the Parenting section of last week’s Washington Post highlights the value of chess not just as a tool for sharpening children’s intellect, but also for improving their social skills. In particular, Paul Rogers notes the ease with which chess can help children connect with people from older generations. Whether bonding with parents and grandparents or playing with adults outside of the family, chess instills in kids the belief in kids that win or lose, they are part of something that everyone enjoys. And for children who struggle in ordinary social situations, the game can provide a special value.
Rogers’ observations are in line with what we at the Chess Center have seen throughout our history of organizing events for young people. Few other pursuits can match the universal accessibility of chess to players of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and physical capabilities. And unlike with an electronic game franchise that has new editions or sequels coming out every year, parents who take up the hobby of chess alongside their children don’t have to worry about the game being replaced. Chess is an activity that has stood the test of time. The rules have not changed in half a millennium, but the strategic complexity of the game keeps us all interested.
All of our instructors who were fortunate enough to learn chess in our childhoods now look back on those years with great fondness; we remember the first time we sat across from an adult at a chess board, playing or discussing a game, and were treated as equals.
We hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and getting to spend time with loved ones. Remember, whether you’re visiting in person or catching up through a video screen, a game of chess is a great way to connect.
Since chess players plan ahead, we’re posting some of the major competition dates for 2022 right here for folks who wish to mark their calendars.
The Virginia Scholastic Chess Championship is scheduled for the weekend of March 26-27 in Fredericksburg, VA. State championship tournaments are exciting for children no matter their playing strength, and we hope many of our Virginia-based students will decide to attend this year’s event. The Virginia Chess Federation has more information and online registration here.
Further ahead are the national championships. The National High School Championship for 2022, open to all students in grades K-12, is happening in Memphis the weekend of April 8-10 at the Renasant Convention Center. Online registration is available here.
Three weeks later, from April 29-May 1, is the National Middle School Championship for grades K-8. The venue is the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth area). An entry form and additional details can be found here.
Two weeks after that, from May 13-15, is the National Elementary School Championship for grades K-6, slated for Columbus at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Online registration for the elementary school Nationals is not available yet, but we believe it will be soon. You can visit the USCF’s calendar of national events for more information, and the Chess Center will also be updating our tournament calendar as more details become open.
The Nationals - students from around the country united by a shared passion for chess.
Regardless of how many games they win, participating in these state and national championship competitions tends to be an experience that children never forget. If you’re interested in forming a school group to travel to a tournament and you’d like to connect with other families who want the same, we encourage you to speak with your chess club instructor.
We wish you all a safe, healthy and happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Nearly 40 students from ten schools showed up for this past Saturday’s Elementary Team League competition. Last Saturday was the third matchday of the eight scheduled for the season. Once again, we thank St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for providing the venue and tables.
We enter the holiday break with Kent Gardens Elementary still leading the overall standings. The remaining matchdays are January 8, January 22, February 5, February 19 and March 5.
Results from Matchday 3 (of 8)
Round 1:
Poplar Tree 4-0 Willow Springs
Colvin Run 3-1 Spring Hill
Westbriar 0-4 Kent Gardens
White Oaks 4-0 Ravensworth
Greenbriar West 4-0 Stratford Landing
Round 2:
Kent Gardens 2-2 White Oaks
Stratford Landing 0-4 Colvin Run
Willow Springs 1.5 -1.5 Westbriar
Spring Hill 1-3 Poplar Tree
Ravensworth 2-2 Greenbriar West
Standings after Matchday 3:
Kent Gardens 76
Colvin Run 71
White Oaks 69
Greenbriar West 65
Poplar Tree 64
Spring Hill 42
Westbriar 32 Ravensworth 26
Willow Springs 22
Stratford Landing 16
Playing in the League is free and open to every student enrolled in one of our after school chess clubs. We especially encourage students who’ve never played tournament chess outside of their school to reach out to their club instructor and sign up to play.
Tuesday evening was Round 2 of the Metro Area Chess League. Students from 22 high school teams from the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland showed up on lichess to compete.
In a closely matched field, Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD) and South Lakes High School (Reston, VA) are the only schools to win both of their matches so far and sit atop the standings with 2 match points each. Last night Montgomery Blair swept all four boards for the second round in a row and so holds the board points tiebreaker with 8 points out of a possible 8, with South Lakes in second with 6. Just behind them, Georgetown Preparatory School (North Bethesda, MD) leads a group of six schools tied with 1.5 match points.
Round 2 Results & League Standings
Place
School
Round 2 Board Points
Round 2 Match Points
Total Board Points
Total Match Points
1st
Montgomery Blair High School
4
1
8
2
2nd
South Lakes High School
3
1
6
2
3rd
Georgetown Preparatory School
4
1
6
1.5
4th (Tie)
Gonzaga College High School
2
.5
5
1.5
4th (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
2
.5
5
1.5
4th (Tie)
Richard Montgomery High School
3
1
5
1.5
4th (Tie)
Woodrow Wilson High School
3
1
5
1.5
8th
BASIS DC
2.5
1
4.5
1.5
9th (Tie)
Justice High School
1
0
5
1
9th (Tie)
McLean High School
4
1
5
1
11th (Tie)
James Hubert Blake High School
1
0
4
1
11th (Tie)
Rockville High School
2
.5
4
1
11th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
2
.5
4
1
11th (Tie)
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
3
1
4
1
15th (Tie)
Rochambeau, the French International School
0
0
2
.5
15th (Tie)
West Springfield High School
0
0
2
.5
15th (Tie)
St. Albans School
2
.5
2
.5
15th (Tie)
Washington International School
2
.5
2
.5
19th
The SEED Public Charter School
1.5
0
1.5
0
20th (Tie)
Northwest High School
0
0
1
0
20th (Tie)
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
1
0
1
0
20th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
1
0
1
0
Teams are ranked by Match Points, then by Board Points.
Round 2 Highlights
Board 1: Justice vs. South Lakes Board 1: Richard Montgomery vs. Blake Board 1: SEED vs. BASIS DC
Round 3 Pairings
Round 3 will be held on January 11, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start)
with matches played on https://lichess.org.
Rockville High School vs. Montgomery Blair High School
South Lakes High School vs. McLean High School
BASIS DC vs. Georgetown Preparatory School
Richard Montgomery High School vs. Justice High School
Thomas S. Wootton High School vs. Gonzaga College High School
Rochambeau, the French International School vs. Washington International School
Col. Zadok Magruder High School vs. Woodrow Wilson High School
James Hubert Blake High School vs. St. Anselm’s Abbey School
St. Albans School vs. West Springfield High School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School vs. Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
Northwest High School vs. The SEED Public Charter School
Congratulations to Sal Rosario and David Sherman, two of the Center’s former teachers, for splitting the championship honors as 2021 District of Columbia Champion and Senior Champions.
Eighteen players competed over the weekend in this year’s DC Championship, where Dennis Norman went 4-0 to capture first place overall and Bijan Tahmassebi took clear second with 3½. The top two finishers are from Maryland, so were ineligible for the DC titles. Rosario and Sherman each went 3-1.
Special congratulations to the students who played. Two of our young champions, Ben Nemelka and Amanda Lossef both did well against the adult competition, and we are very pleased to see Anna Miller and newcomer Samson Neuberger playing.
All photos provided courtesy of Mr. Bill Simmons, used with permission.
The District of Columbia Championship for 2021 is December 11-12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Washington. The 2020 champion, IM David Recuero, is out of town for the next couple of months so the field is wide open.
The highest-scoring DC player earns the title of District of Columbia Chess Champion, but any player with an up-to-date USCF membership is eligible to participate, not just DC residents. For more information and registration, go to https://www.kingregistration.com/event/dcchamps21
On December 4, ten school teams showed up at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to compete in the second Saturday of matches for this season’s Elementary Team League. Early leaders Kent Gardens continued their strong run by winning their first match of the day, before Greenbriar West edged them in the second match giving the rest of the field the chance to catch up a little.
Results from Matchday 2 (of 8)
Round 1:
Westbriar 2-2 Poplar Tree
Greenbriar West 2-2 Spring Hill
Stratford Landing 1-3 Kent Gardens
White Oaks 1.5-2.5 Colvin Run
Willow Springs 2-1 Ravensworth
Round 2:
Kent Gardens 1.5-2.5 Greenbriar West
Colvin Run 4-0 Willow Springs
Poplar Tree 1-3 White Oaks
Spring Hill 1.5-2.5 Westbriar
Ravensworth 2-1 Stratford Landing
Standings after Matchday 2:
Kent Gardens 50
White Oaks 43
Colvin Run 41
Greenbriar West 39
Poplar Tree 34
Spring Hill 32
Westbriar 23 Ravensworth 14
Willow Springs 13
Stratford Landing 8
Our scoring system is weighted to reward those schools that show up with a full team, since the main goal, as always, is improving the students’ skills.
The remaining Saturday league days this season are December 18, January 8, January 22, February 5, February 19 and March 5. Participation is free and available to all students enrolled in one of our in-person after school chess clubs. Please reach out to your chess instructor if your child would like to play for their school on a future Saturday.
With schools open once again, the Chess Center is thrilled to return to in-person teaching in Washington, DC. This past Thursday afternoon we resumed our classes at John Burroughs Elementary School.
Before the chess pieces are passed out to start play, here is Mr. Constantine reviewing every teacher’s favorite rule: players must always remain silent during the games.
As always, we hope our students will be able to apply the critical thinking and problem solving skills they learn from chess to help them in the classroom. Of our previous programs at John Burroughs, teacher Vicki Bullock has said, “Chess has made a positive impact on these students’ ability to be THOUGHTFUL and THOROUGH in their work!”
Interested in bringing the U.S. Chess Center to your school? Contact us!
Tomorrow, Dec. 2, there will be a free blitz tournament open to all members of the public. Come play and engage with other members of the local chess community!
Space will be limited to the first 16 players to sign up, and an official U.S. Chess Center tournament set will be awarded to the winner. Time control will be game/5, no delay or increment. Registration is open here:
