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Tournament

Improving Chess Skills by Playing

Sai Arjun came to Chess in the Park with a goal: win nine games. Three weeks earlier he had won the first place trophy with a near-perfect 8.5/9 score, and he wanted to improve.

The U.S. Chess Center stresses that the fun part of chess is improving. Winning happens when players get better, and we also stress that good sportsmanship includes always playing one’s best. It was gratifying that Sai Arjun’s goals were not achieving a rating (events like this always are unrated) or winning a trophy, but instead he wanted to improve on his previous impressive result. He succeeded, and in doing so again took home the first place trophy.

We were pleased that 42 children representing 28 schools in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia were brought to Eastern Market Metro Park. Well over half the players live in DC, with the remainder pretty evenly split between Maryland and Virginia.

At the beginning, the temperature was comfortable, but when the cloud cover dissipated the heat became oppressive. The games were played in the shade of the pavilion, but most of the parents sat on the nearby benches that were, unfortunately, not covered. It was nice that politicians campaigning in the park were distributing bottled water.

Heat did not slow down the contestants. They played chess, ran around, and made friends. Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, VA won the top team award, while BASIS DC won the trophy for the top DC school.

Barracks Row Main Street sponsors these events two or three times each spring. Discussions have started about running chess competitions for adults in the fall.

Area-Wide Scholastic Is a Huge Success

We were pleased to sponsor the D.C. Area-Wide Scholastic Tournament, held on Saturday, April 25, at the Washington Convention Center downtown. It was nice that the Big Chair Chess Club and the D.C. Chess Association contributed to the effort.

Nearly 200 students representing more than 100 schools registered for the event. Not only were DC, Maryland, and Virginia represented, nine students from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, made the trek to compete. Berkeley Springs High School won the trophy for the top high school. Georgetown Day School in the District of Columbia was the top middle school, and Churchill Road Elementary in McLean, Virginia, took top elementary school honors.

The playing venue was terrific. Players were close enough to others that a sense of community was created, yet there was adequate elbow room for players to be comfortable. The skittles room, similarly, was large enough to accommodate the hundreds of players, family members, and teachers between rounds while not being so cavernous as to allow isolation.

The event was divided into eight sections by grade. The youngest section, for students in kindergarten through second grade, was the largest. There were 34 children vigorously competing, with an Oyster (DC) second grader and a kindergartner from Spring Hill (VA) tying for first place. In the third grade, two Churchill Road friends won all four games. In the fourth grade, another Churchill Road student took clear first place. The fifth grade section ended with another tie, with a student from Prince George’s County’s New Hope Academy tying with a student from Fairfax County’s Kent Gardens Elementary School, each winning all four games.

A D.C. resident attending St. Albans School took clear first in the sixth grade section, a Falls Church student from Henderson Middle School won the seventh grade section, a D.C. International Middle School student won the eighth grade section, and a Montgomery Blair freshman won the high school section.

 

A student visiting Washington from Estonia entered the tournament and extended the event’s cultural and geographic diversity. The diversity was the point of the tournament. Chess appeals to people from every background. The Chess Center brings together people from many locations and cultures to play. We have been proud to lead a chess trip to another country, and to arrange for internet matches with players from many other countries on four continents.

We expect this to become an annual event.

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+).

Big Chair Recognizes DC Chess Luminaries

Busboys & Poets in Anacostia hosted another Big Chair chess extravaganza on February 21, with a tournament and poetry slam. It was a sell-out event, with players turned away due to space limitations. Those who came played great chess, enjoyed provoking poetry, and heard from people who made DC chess history.

Eugene Brown and David Mehler
Wendell Hankins

Eugene Brown, the founder of the Big Chair Chess Club (Think B4U Move), returned to Washington to play in the tournament and give an inspiring talk to the assembled group. Wendell Hankins, now the Co-Chairman of the Big Chair Club, directed the tournament and served as Master of Ceremonies for the festivities.

Frank Street, who became the second Black master in the world about 60 years ago, described his history of competition to offer encouragement to the younger players competing, and Ralph Mikell, one of the founders of the DC Black Knights, spoke about its history.

Frank Street
Ralph Mikell

While gray hair was present among the speakers, the theme that chess can be played at every age predominated. The DC Black Knights remains active in the DC Chess League and runs an annual tournament every December. Mr. Street, while no longer competing in over the board tournaments, remains active on chess.com

Wendell Hankins and David Mehler
David Mehler and Frank Street

The U.S. Chess Center has connections to all of the luminaries. Mr. Mikell was the original Treasurer of the Center, a post he held for more than 20 years. Mr. Street sent his son to the Center’s classes when we were located at 1501 M Street, NW, downtown. Mr. Hankins was a student at the Center, and played in many of our tournaments, and Mr. Brown, who was portrayed by Cuba Gooding in the Hollywood production of Life of a King, [Trailer] worked with Center teachers teaching at Kimball Elementary School in Washington.

Some of the victorious players at The Poetic Checkmate on Saturday, February 21, 2026

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.

American Chess Magazine: Worth Supporting

American Chess Magazine is a publication worth reading and supporting. In its most recent issue (#46) it published an article I wrote about the Alex Sherzer Memorial Mid-Atlantic Masters, and for the first time I read the entirety of the 82-page glossy. 

Having not played competitive chess in more than 30 years, I found some of the grandmaster analysis beyond me but can appreciate the effort that went into it. The magazine enlists many of the world’s top players to prepare articles and analyze games. The amazing Polgar sisters, Judit, Sofia, and Susan, seem to be regular contributors. Many other well-known names have had by-lines: GM Boris Gulko, GM Wesley So, GM Maurice Ashley, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Alex Fishbein, as well as our local phenom WGM Jennifer Yu.

Most of the articles are written so well that they are accessible to every level of chess-playing reader. The American Chess Magazine receives awards for the high caliber of its journalism every year.

The articles cover all aspects of chess, from current events in America, to tournament results all over the world, to human interest stories and chess history, and, in this most recent issue a special feature of strong female players beating strong male players.

In addition to the best players in the world contributing to the magazine, one of the editors is a high school American girl who impresses both over the board and off. There are great book reviews. The layout is superb. I do not see a weakness in this bi-monthly periodical and believe it offers quite a bit for people interested in chess at any level, although those trying to improve their skills will benefit most.

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 (Rain) Park returned on Saturday, April 26th

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

Congratulations to Brent Elementary for winning Top DC School!

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

Hopefully, we will have sunny weather next time!

Chess in the Park Returns To Eastern Market Metro

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.

2025 Virginia State Scholastic Championships

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

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

New friends were made, and students made plans to see each other in upcoming chess tournaments.

Kent Gardens Elementary repeated as K-5 Champions, and also took second place honors in the K-8 Championships.

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.

Open a Hand to Your Mistakes

“Chess is not for timid souls.” – Wilhelm Steinitz

I recently played for the first time in historic Washington, D.C. It was a 4-round Swiss tournament hosted at Capital Pool Checkers, in the vibrant Adams Morgan district. Next time, I will definitely snap a picture, because wow what a cool place! I had the opportunity to play players much higher rated than myself and finished with 2 points. I returned home pleased with the diverse set of games I had played, a lesson in each one, and I met many interesting people there that made the experience even more enjoyable.

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

This is an exercise not just in critical thinking or puzzle solving but it is a meditation on both my own and my opponent’s mistakes. It’s important to stay relaxed and objective. Sometimes, my own mistakes feel like they hit my soul, and I just want to tear my heart out. Rather than condemning myself, I choose to help myself, by showing a better move. After my own reflection, I store my games in the Stockfish app, making it easy to review them later with a peer or mentor for deeper insights. I don’t suggest delving deep into Stockfish. Imagine if there was a +/- on every decision we made. How could we live with ourselves?

Separate from my own games, I also spend time over the board in preparation for the next tournament with chess books. I used to focus on learning openings but I’ve realized that practicing tactics and fundamentals is more important for becoming a real chess player, not a mechanical one.

 I keep this old chess openings tome around because it represents an illustrious history of chess. It’s neat but it won’t help me become a better chess player when I fill my mind with rote moves and memorized lines, training myself to play a pattern-matching game rather than real chess.

While my posts so far have been introspective and personal in nature, expect my next one to be quite different! I hope these have encouraged readers to develop good habits and be more conscientious about their chess. “Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.” – Tarrasch

Early Days

“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – Tony Robbins

Only a little over a month ago I had no USCF membership and had never played in a rated chess tournament. What’s funny is that one of the reasons I avoided this for so long is I did not want to make mistakes yet I find myself making plenty. In my first action tournament, I accidentally touched my queen from this position and so moved it even though there is no good queen move. Re5 is a move I had considered for some time and wanted to play before blundering the position. Re5 puts white in a position to either force a draw with Nh6+ or play out a very dangerous game in time trouble!

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

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

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

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

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

This was the final position I recorded from the last game of my night in the open action portion of the tournament. It was just before midnight, but there is no excuse for what I allowed! With both of us in time trouble, my opponent played Kxc3 and lifted my c-pawn off the board. Eager to trounce my opponent with Ne4 I flinched forward, causing my opponent to lift their finger and replace the pieces on the board before changing their move and hitting the clock. Of course, this was only allowed because I did not stop the clock and call an arbiter over – as I was caught up in the moment. Despite the loss I suffered, this game served as a valuable lesson for me.

It was great to see some of our students at the tournament as well! You all get to make your mistakes much earlier than me, and will become much stronger chess players if you want to!

Never Give Up

“Never Regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful… If it’s bad, it’s experience.” – Victoria Holt

This sentiment resonates well with my recent tournament experience. I finished with 2/5 points. Here is one of the wins I managed to take in the tournament with the black pieces from a losing position. No one ever won a game by resigning, said Saviely Tartakower.

In the 2nd round of my first-ever USCF rated tournament, I faced a tough position. Having already lost the first game, I could have been disheartened by my situation. However, I chose to adopt a fighter’s spirit instead. My opponent held two passed pawns and a material advantage, making my position dire. If White managed to simplify, the game would be over for me. Despite my earlier miscalculations and my opponent’s superior play, I decided to play on.

29. g3 may seem OK. However, my opponent seemed reluctant to remove their rook from the a-file. 29… Qb2 and my opponent missed trying to force their win condition with 30. a5, I followed with 30… Nd2 and the position quickly changed in my favor from here.

 

31. Qc1 is a blunder. The only non-losing move for white is Qa6, which with accurate play, white can force a draw.
31… Ne2+
32. Kg2
32… NxC1 and white resigned.

We all make mistakes. Even if I should have lost this game against a more accurate player – I made my opponent have to earn their win from me. It was a satisfying victory and one I fought hard for.

Pictures from DCPL Battle of the Branches

Dozens of Washington chess enthusiasts turned out this past Saturday for D.C. Public Libraries’ Battle of the Branches.  Hosted at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library near the National Portrait Gallery in Northwest, the event had chess players from all over the city turning out to represent their favorite library branch.

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

Learning from Losses

Tournaments are emotional endeavors, and it has taken awhile to process this most recent DMV Summer Open. I am still absorbing my games, and will continue for a while. I should not be so melodramatic, but it is not fun to lose, and losing happens a lot when you are the third lowest rated player. It is worse still having to write out your public thoughts about losing. But now I am being melodramatic.

The first game started fine and oops there goes a pawn, and oops there goes everything. Although a lot to be learned about taking initiative against passive defenses. The second game was much the same, with a subpar response to an opening novelty. The third game broke the streak, with a win grinded out after 7 pawns locked up the position. A better chance was lost earlier, which could have secured the win without another 50 moves in time pressure, but a win is a win. It was also a rare opportunity to enforce the touch-move rule, which created a lasting example to tell kids about when explaining tournament rules. The last game of the evening was my first on a DGT board, which was extremely convenient for recording a 103-move game. While it ended as a tough loss – blundered away with 2 seconds on the clock – it was still perhaps my best game of the evening. I faced off against a dangerous gambit, and held on to even a winning position. However, my advantage melted with my time, and I left the playing hall in a rotten mood.

There are always more tournaments to play, I tell myself, but poor performances (from my point of view) are not easy to swallow. A chess player must be very committed if they want to improve, and that begins with a lot of hard losses. 

Another great day of Chess in the Park at Eastern Market Metro Plaza

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, we held another great day of Chess in the Park at Eastern Market Metro Plaza.  49 students in grades 2 – 8 enjoyed the pleasant late spring weather and friendly chess competition.  This style of tournament reduces the wait time between games allowing some kids to play as many as 10 games (while most played 6 – 8 games) that morning.

We awarded trophies to the top players, top girl, and the top two D.C. school teams to compete.  Congratulations to the Washington Latin PCS team for winning their fourth consecutive Chess in the Park and to the BASIS Washington, DC team for their strong second place showing.  Both schools had also competed in the most recent season of our Potomac Youth Chess League.

We will hold another Chess in the Park FREE Tournament at Eastern Market Metro Plaza on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 10:30 am until 1:00 pm.  Any students in grades 2 – 8 who know the real rules of chess and understand tournament etiquette are welcome!  For more information and/or to pre-register visit: https://chessctr.org/play/easternmarketmetro/

Thank you to Barracks Row Main Street for their continued partnership and support of Chess in the Park!

Chess In the Park Returns To Eastern Market Metro for 2024

In the wake of the great success of last year’s events, we are happy to announce that the U.S. Chess Center, in cooperation with Barracks Row Main Street, will be returning to Eastern Market Metro to stage two additional Chess in the Park tournaments on June 1 and June 22.  Like last year’s events, these tournaments are free of charge and open to all students in grades 2-8 who understand the rules of tournament chess.

Students may register for one or both Saturday tournaments, and we strongly recommend signing up in advance to reserve a spot.  More information and online registration is available here: https://chessctr.org/play/easternmarketmetro/

DC Girls Open Tournament Is Another Great Success

The DC K-12 Girls’ Open Chess Tournament, held this past Saturday at the Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library in Northeast, drew a big crowd of chess enthusiasts.  Over 30 girls showed up to the competition, some of them experienced chess veterans and some who were brand new to tournament play.   Everybody had a great time.

We take our hats off once again to Chess Girls DC for putting on another fantastic event, and more broadly for all their hard work to promote chess for women and girls these past several years.  We are already looking forward to the next big all-girls’ tournament, the 7th annual DC Girls’ Regional, this coming October.  

Photos from Whittier Elementary’s March Chess Tournament

Whittier Elementary School in northwest DC recently completed their March school chess tournament! Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Eddie Koen, 22 students attended, with nine winning trophies. The U.S. Chess Center assisted Mr. Koen in directing the event.

The Saturday morning event was held in the school gymnasium, using the cafeteria for parents and overflow. Mr. Koen welcomed the competitors, he and I discussed the value of chess in encouraging healthy competition and good sportsmanship, and play began.

The tournament had students play the Pawn Game at the beginning, the way we teach students the basics of chess, then proceed to the full game of chess. Prizes were awarded for both overall winners in the full chess and Pawn Game sections, as well as the top performing student 2nd grade and below in both groups. Not all the students were in the school’s chess club; however, the chess club almost swept the trophy winners. Excellent performance by all students who showed up!

Trophy Winners

Pawns Tournament, Top Finishers 2nd Grade and Under:
1st Place: Kennedy
2nd Place: Joaquin
3rd Place: Maxwell

Pawns Tournament, Overall Winners:
1st Place: Markan
2nd Place: Tanoor
3rd Place: Jake

Full Game Tournament, Top Finishers 2nd Grade and Under:
1st Place: Kennedy
2nd Place: Maxwell
3rd Place: Triston

Full Game Tournament, Overall Winners:
1st Place: Grayson
2nd Place: Heran
3rd Place: Jake

Spring is the Season for Tournaments

Spring is the season for major scholastic tournaments. In the District of Columbia, the K-5 Championships were held this past Saturday and the Grades 6-8, and 9-12 Championships will be held this weekend. In Virginia, all of the scholastic championships were held this past weekend.

We were very glad to see so many U.S. Chess Center students participating in both. Kids from Burroughs Elementary, our Capitol Hill Children’s Chess Club, and our group at Cleveland Park Public Library all came (with JoJo from the library group winning with a 4-0 score and earning the right to represent the District of Columbia at the Rockefeller Tournament of Champions).

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The Virginia State Championships were held in Roanoke this year – not an easy drive for our northern Virginia students. Dozens of students made the trek anyway and were rewarded with great competition.

The students renewed friendships and had a wonderful time, despite the cold and windy conditions outside. Playing chess is a wonderful way to make and keep friendships.

The U.S. Chess Center congratulates the students and thanks the parents from Churchill Road, Colvin Run, Greenbriar West, Kent Gardens, Poplar Tree, and Spring Hill for going. While we believe that playing is more important than winning, we should note that students from every school where we run the club brought home at least one trophy.

U.S. Chess Center students recently played in the World Amateur Team Chess Championship in New Jersey

Two teams associated with the U.S. Chess Center played in the World Amateur Team Chess Championship in New Jersey over the weekend, and both returned with impressive awards. The Spring Hill Elementary team was the top elementary school team, and our team from the Theophilus Thompson Club was the top team with an average rating of under 1900. Congratulations to our students!

The World Amateur Team Championship, which was the US Amateur Team Championship when I was competing, was one of my two favorite tournaments (along with the U.S. Open) each year. Instead of scoring wins and losses as individuals, scores are based on the team results. Each team is four players, and they line up against the four players of another team. If a team scores more than two points (one point per win, a half-point for a draw) they score a win. With two points, a team draws that match.

Teams often decide on clever names, and the tournament offers special prizes for creative names. My favorite came from a group of women from the DC area about forty years ago. They dressed in nuns’ habits and called themselves Our Lady of Perpetual Check.

The team format relieves a lot of the pressure ordinarily experienced in chess tournaments, making the event more relaxed and fun. As a player in a team competition, if I lost my game but the team won, I could be happy. If I won my game and the team lost, I could still be satisfied that I did the best I could for the team. If I won and the team won, that was best of all. When I lost and the team also lost, we could accept that our team was out-matched and we would move on to the next round. In short, the result of each game and match was tempered and every round was a fun experience.

Both the Spring Hill Elementary and the Theophilus Thompson teams consisted of players who had experience in big tournaments, so being in a ballroom with more than 1,000 players was not daunting. The teenagers went 4.5/6; the elementary team scored 3.5 points in the six rounds.

“Cassia Rewards Those Who Endure Her Wrath” – Riley Dosh blogs from The Tyson’s Corner Action Tournament

I have always loved Pinball. A girlfriend in high school had many renovated Pinball machines in her basement which I would play for hours on end (the Terminator-themed one was the best). I would also play the Microsoft Pinball program, which introduced me to the concept of tilt. Tilting, or slam tilting, is when a player too aggressively handles the machine. This immediately ends the round or the game, and is generally considered bad sportsmanship. The term carried through to poker, and later chess. A player becomes tilted when they become too angry or upset to properly play the game. This results in more blunders, more loses, and more tilt. 

In my last tournament, I was tilted. I had quickly racked up two wins, which earned me the chance to play a National Master for the first time in a rated game. I played into a completely winning position, against someone rated over 800 points higher than me, before one bad move caused the whole position to go up in flames. I couldn’t focus, my eyes blurred, and thinking logically became impossible. The following two games are not even worth talking about. 

That was the losing streak I was on before the DMV Chess’s The Tysons Corner Action tournament. About a year ago, I won the U1500 section, so I felt confident enough to play in the Open Section, despite qualifying for both. 

Round 1
True to my principles, I didn’t check my opponent’s rating before the round. I had a strong start, catching my opponent off balance and creating a dense pawn majority in the center. However, more tension on the board means more complications, and I didn’t notice my Achilles heel until it was too late. He found it first, and my center evaporated. Only down a pawn, I already felt like I had lost – a prophecy which is always fulfilled. An [obviously] unsound tactic lost my knight and I was forced to concede a few dozen moves later. My 4th straight loss. 

Round 2
I was buoyed by the fact that my previous opponent was rated 1900, so I wasn’t likely to have won anyways. I rallied for another game. I didn’t want to play anything too fancy, just get out some solid development and play some chess. Instead, I was met by a prepared line whose 2nd move was already a novelty to me (1. e4 e6 2. b3!?). Unlike my opponent, I didn’t know what was coming. It was a crushing defeat, which might’ve been even faster if my opponent was looking for tactics. My 5th straight loss.

I sulked back to the skittles room and sat in my chair. I wanted to quit. Chess was a dumb game, and I clearly wasn’t any good at it. My losing streak was mirroring my recent online losing streak; no end in sight. Maybe today just wasn’t my day. I was ready to withdraw and go home early. But I didn’t. I wallowed in self pity, while continuing my doodle. I hadn’t even bothered to take my ear plugs out, preferring the silence. The pizza box near me made my stomach rumble, but I just kept on doodling. Die another day.

Round 3
For the only time of the tournament, I was facing a kid. I had the bad luck of seeing his much higher rating, but I didn’t let it faze me. He played what I’m told is a London, which is silly because that’s a city. But, like all London players, he preferred his memorized development, and didn’t give much thought to locking out his dark square bishop, or my queen on b6. I sacrificed development to get him out of his comfort zone, causing him to eat up a lot of time. After every move he’d jump up and wander around the room, waiting for this stupid 1400 to discover she’d been beat. 

But I hadn’t been beat. If I had just lost two games, so had he, and he was clearly more tilted about it than me. Experience has taught me to never underestimate your opponent, no matter her rating.  He long neglected the critical push in the center, and allowed me to untangle myself. Soon enough, his passive pieces ran out of options, and more importantly, his clock ran low. I allowed him to panic into a mistake. To his credit, he played out the endgame, surviving on only seconds and his delay. He took the loss well, and my losing streak was broken. 

Round 4
This round started at 8 pm, which meant I wasn’t getting home until almost 11 pm. My opponent played fast, so I did too. He opted for an unusual line, which allowed me a central passed pawn in exchange for a 2v1 majority on the queenside. If he wanted to quickly trade down into that endgame, fine by me. He let me blockade his pawns, which freed my rook from pawn duty to attack his king. I sacrificed Abby (my A pawn) for a rook on the 7th. The coup de grace came a few moves later, when my opponent, with still ⅔ of his time on the clock, blundered a mate in 1. It was the same mating pattern that I blundered (but wasn’t punished for) during a simultaneous game at White Oaks Elementary this past week. I not only finished with a respectable 2.0/4, but also clinched my highest rated win yet. 

Losing hurts. There’s no other way to put it. Some losses hurt worse than others, and some still sting to this day. But every lose is another’s win, and Caïssa blesses those who can endure her ire. The only way to win is to lose. So, I won’t be quitting chess today, and you’ll see me in my next blogpost.

Results from the first Bishops+Beers Blitz Tournament, Nov 7th

Nearly every Tuesday over the past year, the U.S. Chess Center has hosted Bishops and Beers at Silver Branch Brewery, an evening event for our grown-up clientele to gather in downtown Silver Spring for some good food, good company, good potations and good chess.

The first week this month, we added a competitive element, with the first Bishops + Beers Blitz Tournament kicking off at 6:30 p.m. on November 7. Our instructor Riley Dosh was on hand to make up the pairings, tally the results, and generally help facilitate the fun.

The tournament was well-attended with 16 total players, and the excitement also hooked in a few spectators. Don McLean (pictured below, right) won convincingly with 7.5/9, Christian (pictured middle) came in second place with 6/9, and Jason (pictured left) came in third, losing on tiebreaks to Christian.

Given the general success of the tournament, we’re looking into running more blitz events at future Bishops & Beers outings. If you haven’t come to downtown Silver Spring on Tuesday night (and you’re at least 21), come join the fun!

Spend National Chess Weekend (Oct 13-14) in Lanham, MD and meet Robert Katende

On Friday, October 13, you have a chance to meet Robert Katende and support Sports Outreach. On Saturday, October 14, the Washington Education Zone (Miles Hall at 8401 Good Luck Road in Lanham) will host its annual free chess tournament and a simultaneous exhibition by Mr. Katende.

Phiona Mutesi (seated left in the photo below) is one of the most inspiring stories to come from the chess world. As an under-nourished child in a slum of Uganda, Phiona discovered chess and became a champion of the African continent. Her story was written in The Queen of Katwe, then turned into a successful Disney movie.

We never would have heard of Phiona, however, had Robert Katende not created a chess program that welcomed her. Katende’s story, while not as well known, is equally inspiring. He also was brought up in difficult circumstances by his grandmother in Uganda. Through hard work and perseverance, he went to college, played soccer at a high level, and created a charity to help impoverished young people in his home country.

On National Chess Day this year, you have a chance to meet him and hear him speak.

Lessons and Memories From the 51st World Open

The 51st Annual World Open of Chess just concluded in Philadelphia. It was my first tournament in several months, and I looked forward to taking one of the top places in my section. It was, in a word: humbling. As chess players, we expect to study and see improvements in the form of wins and higher game accuracy. As an instructor, I felt I was in a good position to crush opponents at the rating that I’ve held flat for 2 years. Instead, I found that Caïssa comes for all of us. Of my 14 classical games, only 2 entered what could be called an endgame. Four ended because of significant blunders: 2 were mine, 2 were my opponents’—4 more than I had hoped, but I’ll take the wins with the losses.

I finished 2.5/5 in the women’s tournament (winning the U1400 prize), and 5/9 in the World Open. A supremely average result, in my opinion. I performed poorly in the blitz side tournament but did well in the rapid one. Both were extremely fun aspects of tournaments that I had never experienced before, but that I will seek out every chance I can. I learned some things about chess, and about myself. But what will stay with me forever is not Rxe6 in Game 9 (well maybe that too) but the time I spent with friends.

At the previous tournament that I competed in, the Eastern Open last December, I met a friend who has become my primary training partner. We’re evenly matched, but play very differently, which proves useful. Every Friday we’d meet to play a long time control game and analyze afterwards. At the tournament, we shared a hotel room and excitedly called each other after our games. When we got back to the room together after the round, we’d go through each other’s games and explain our reasoning to each other like sinners in a confessional. I met other new friends as well and exchanged numbers.

 

Chess can’t be learned in isolation, as so many are inclined to do these days. Meeting other people, with wildly different backgrounds and philosophies, adds diversity to our understanding of the royal game. Some of them have bad ideas, some ingenious, and some ideas have questionable merit but are fun to explore. What I do know is, I’ll be back.

Chess in the Park Closes Season With Another Big Crowd

The sun shone, the birds chirped, and 73 students came to Eastern Market Metro Park to play chess in the park. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (pictured below) greeted the players and their families at its conclusion, handing out a dozen trophies to winning individuals and teams and 16 medallions to those who won more games than they lost.

Today marked the final of three events sponsored by Barracks Row Main Street, which also hosts free chess play every Friday evening. It was an exciting day for the players. 41 different schools from across the District of Columbia, Maryland and northern Virginia were represented.  Washington Latin Public Charter School won the championship team trophy for the third consecutive tournament, and School Within School brought home the second place team award, edging out Brent Elementary and EW Stokes Public Charter.

We plan to continue these Chess in the Park events in the 2023-2024 school year.  Be sure to subscribe to our emails to learn about future tournaments and other events/programs.

Great day of Chess at DC Public Library’s Battle of the Branches

On Saturday, June 10th, the DC Public Library System held it’s first “Battle of the Branches” chess tournament at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.  The Chess Center’s own, Ms. Riley Dosh, served as Tournament Director and students from our Friends of Cleveland Park Library Chess Club were among the 57 competitors (of which 26 were children and 31 were adults).  Chess players were divided into two leagues by self-declaration – a Beginner League with 16 players and an Intermediate League with 41 players.  

Congratulations to Richard Wu (10 years old), representing MLK Library, who won the Beginner League with an undefeated 7 of 7 wins!  Meanwhile, Jesse Webb took second place and Elbert deGuzman, representing Bellevue Library, was third.

The Intermediate League was won by Jarock Davis, representing Cleveland Park Library (one of our students!).  Larry Jefferson, representing Benning Road Library, took second place; Nathan Pho, representing Southwest Library, was third; and Richard Aiken, representing Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library, took fourth place.

In the “Battle of the Branches” overall competition where the scores of the top three players from each branch were compared, Benning Road Library emerged victorious with 13 of their 17 games won.

DCPL Battle of the Branches 2023-06-10

Thank you to Dubian Ade, Carol Auerbach, and the rest of the DCPL staff and librarians for organizing the tournament.  Thank you to NM David Bennett for assisting Ms. Dosh in running the tournament, and thank you to Robin Ramson of ChessGirlsDC, for providing chess sets and other logistical support.

Congratulations to all the winners and players!

Another great day of Chess in the Park on May 20th

Our second drop-in tournament this spring at Eastern Market Metro was held under blue skies this past Saturday, May 20.  Staged in cooperation with Barracks Row Main Street and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, this event had over 40 students showing up to play over the two and a half hours.  The players ranged from grades 2 to 8, and from experienced USCF tournament players to first-timers.  

On June 24 we will hold a third and final Chess in the Park Tournament at Eastern Market Metro Plaza with the same format and again we will present awards to the top players, including top girl and top DC school (so encourage others from your school to register and play).  Pre-Register online for June 24 at: https://chessctr.org/play/easternmarketmetro/