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.
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
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.
The Elementary Team League has returned to in-person match play after being run online last year. This past Saturday, November 20, saw the first two rounds of the 2021-22 season. Our thanks go out to St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Falls Church, VA, for providing the venue and tables. Kent Gardens Elementary (McLean, VA) was the only school to win both of their first two matches and took the early lead.
Since the League began over 20 years ago, thousands of elementary schoolchildren have taken part. Participating provides the students with tournament chess experience and builds the confidence that helps them represent their schools in competitions like the state and national championships.
Results from Matchday 1 (of 8)
Round 1:
Poplar Tree 3-1 Colvin Run
Spring Hill 0.5-3.5 Kent Gardens
White Oaks 3-1 Greenbriar West
Round 2:
White Oaks 2-2 Spring Hill
Kent Gardens 3-1 Colvin Run
Poplar Tree 2-2 GBW
Standings after Matchday 1:
Kent Gardens 29
Poplar Tree 22
White Oaks 22
Greenbriar West 16
Spring Hill 15
Colvin Run 12
Our scoring system incentivizes showing up with a full team. As always, the more the students show up ready to play and do their best, the faster they improve.
The remaining Saturday match days this season are December 4, December 18, January 8, January 22, February 5, February 19 and March 5. Participation is free and open to all students enrolled in one of our in-person after school chess clubs. If your child would like to take part on a future Saturday, please reach out to their chess club instructor.
The U.S. Chess Center is pleased to bring back the Metro Area Chess League (MACL), the high school chess league we ran from 1985 through 2012. A previous incarnation of the league ran from 1950 through 1975.
The 2021-2022 season began last night with Round 1 and will continue over the next few months, concluding with play-offs at the end of March 2022. We have 20 teams competing.
Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD and Justice High School in Falls Church, VA won their matches and led the round with four board victories each—a clean sweep—tying them for first place.
James Hubert Blake High School (Silver Spring, MD), Gonzaga College High School (Washington, DC), and Thomas S. Wootton High School (Rockville, MD) also won their matches last night, but scored three board wins each and are tied for third place.
11/24 update: South Lakes High School (Reston, VA) won 3-0 in their postponed match against SEED Public Charter School (Washington, DC), joining the third place tie.
Good luck to all the teams! Full results and Round 2 pairings below…
Round 1 Results
Place
School
Match Points
Board Points
1st (Tie)
Justice High School
1
4
1st (Tie)
Montgomery Blair High School
1
4
3rd (Tie)
Gonzaga College High School
1
3
3rd (Tie)
James Hubert Blake High School
1
3
3rd (Tie)
South Lakes High School
1
3
3rd (Tie)
Thomas S. Wootton High School
1
3
7th (Tie)
BASIS DC
.5
2
7th (Tie)
Georgetown Preparatory School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
Richard Montgomery High School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
Rochambeau, the French International School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
Rockville High School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
St. Anselm's Abbey School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
West Springfield High School
.5
2
7th (Tie)
Woodrow Wilson High School
.5
2
16th (Tie)
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
0
1
16th (Tie)
McLean High School
0
1
16th (Tie)
Northwest High School
0
1
18th (Tie)
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School
0
0
18th (Tie)
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
0
0
18th (Tie)
The SEED Public Charter School
0
0
N/A
St. Albans School
N/A
N/A
N/A
Washington International School
N/A
N/A
A few games from Round 1
First board, Wootton vs. McLean
First board, Richard Montgomery vs. Georgetown Prep
First board, Rochambeau vs. Wilson
Round 2 Pairings
Round 2 will be held on December 14, 2021 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.
Rockville High School vs. Thomas S. Wootton High School Washington International School vs. St. Albans School Woodrow Wilson High School vs. E.L. Haynes Public Charter School James Hubert Blake High School vs. Richard Montgomery High School Georgetown Preparatory School vs. Rochambeau, the French International School Justice High School vs. South Lakes High School West Springfield High School vs. Montgomery Blair High School Gonzaga College High School vs. St. Anselm’s Abbey School The SEED Public Charter School vs. BASIS DC Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School vs. Col. Zadok Magruder High School McLean High School vs. Northwest High School
Upcoming Schedule of Rounds
Round 2: December 14th Round 3: January 11th Round 4: January 25th Round 5: February 8th Round 6: TBD (February 22nd or March 1st) Round 7: March 8th Round 8: March 22nd Playoffs: Saturday, March 26th with top 4 teams in-person
Congratulations to DC International School for their victory in the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League. Saturday, May 15 was the final Match Day (Rounds 13 & 14) and DCI dominated yet again, maintaining the lead they established at the start of the season, and securing victory with 13.5 match points. DCI almost achieved a perfect record, but BASIS DC, our second place team with 11 match points, fought DCI to a draw in Round 12 last week.
Imagine Hope edged out Howard University for third place, despite both teams having 8 match points. The decision came down to the tie-breaker of board points (Imagine Hope had 31 to HU-MS²’s 28 board points).
Thank you to all the teams, students, and coaches! We hope to see all the teams return in the Fall for a new season.
The inaugural season of the DC Public Charter High School chess league concluded on Tuesday, May 11th, and went well. Among three teams it was close throughout, and Somerset is ready to be competitive in the fall.
In the fall, we will be re-launching the Metro Area Chess League (MACL) for all interested high schools in the DC metropolitan area. The 2021-2022 MACL season will begin in mid-November 2021 and conclude with play-offs at the end of March 2022. Schools that want to participate should send us a note at: hs-league@chessctr.org
We also welcome high school students to our Sunday Chess class. Registration for the Fall 2021 session will begin in late August 2021.
Saturday, May 8 was the penultimate Match Day (Rounds 11 & 12) of the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League. One more Match Day to go!
DC International School maintains their lead in first place and will face Howard University and Imagine Hope in the final two rounds on Match Day 7. Both schools could present a challenge, but DCI just needs one more match point to insure their overall victory. Meanwhile, our second place stalwart, BASIS DC, needs strong victories against both of their Round 13 & 14 rivals (Howard University and E.L. Haynes, respectively) and for DCI to endure their first two outright losses. Anything could happen!
Yet, the fiercest competition of the Spring 2021 PCSAA League continues in the fight for third place with Imagine Hope and Howard University continuing their rivalry. Both are still in strong contention, but Howard University has the more challenging schedule to overcome as they face our two current leaders, DCI and BASIS DC, in the final rounds.
Saturday, May 1 was Match Day 5 (Rounds 9 & 10) of the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League.
First and second place remain the same from last week with DC International School and BASIS DC comfortable in their positions. The intense struggle for third place continues, however, with Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science and Imagine Hope Community Charter School separated by only .5 match points (and .5 board points, too). With two match days (or 4 rounds) still to go anything could happen.
Saturday, April 24 was Match Day 4 (Rounds 7 & 8) of the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League.
DC International School held onto their lead and has pulled away from BASIS DC. Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science and Imagine Hope Community Charter School continue their fierce battle for third place. Meanwhile, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy For Boys made big gains — moving up two places. We might be seeing the start of a Statesmen surge!
Saturday, April 10 was Match Day 3 (Rounds 5 & 6) of the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League.
DC International School moved into the lead with BASIS DC still in contention. Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science and Imagine Hope Community Charter School continue to spar for third.
Saturday, March 27 was Match Day 2 (Rounds 3 & 4) of the Spring 2021 PCSAA Middle School Chess League.
DC International School and BASIS DC continue their fierce battle for the lead with Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science and Imagine Hope Community Charter School close at their heels.
We still have five Match Days (or 10 Rounds) to go. Good luck to all the teams!
The new Spring 2021 Season of the PCSAA Middle School Chess League kicked-off this past Saturday, March 20th, and we’re pleased to welcome three new schools/teams to the league: Children’s Guild, E.L. Haynes, and Meridian Public Charter Schools.
In the Fall 2020 Season, BASIS DC narrowly edged out DCI to win, but with eight teams in the league now the competition has increased. Good luck to all the teams!
Standings after Match Day 1
School BASIS DC DCI E.L. Haynes HU(MS)2 Imagine HOPE Meridian Children’s Guild Statesmen
