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Elementary Team League 2022-23 Matchday 8 Results 

The final matchday of this year’s Elementary Team League wrapped up earlier today.  At the end of a close race for the season championship, Spring Hill Elementary took the title ahead of Churchill Road, who settled for the runner-up spot.   White Oaks swept both of their matches by 4-0 scores to earn the final spot on the podium.  Congratulations to the winners!

We’re grateful to St. Luke’s for providing the venue and tables for most of the matchdays this year, and thankful to the over 100 students from 12 schools who took part in the League this year.  Playing in the ETL helps these students build the skills and confidence to represent their schools in strong tournaments.  With the national elementary school championships being staged later this year in Baltimore, we anticipate some of these students will be taking part.

Round 15 Results

Westbriar 1-3 Spring Hill

Churchill Road 0-4 White Oaks 

Poplar Tree 3.5-0.5 Kent Gardens

Colvin Run 4-0 Ravensworth

Orange Hunt 0-4 Greenbriar West

Willow Springs 3-0 Lorton Station

Round 16 Results

 Greenbriar West 2-2 Westbriar

Spring Hill 3.5 – 0.5 Colvin Run

Ravensworth 2-2 Willow Springs

Lorton Station 2-0 Orange Hunt

White Oaks 4-0 Poplar Tree

Kent Gardens 1-3 Churchill Road

Final Team Standings After Matchday 8

Spring Hill 196

Churchill Road 184

White Oaks 176

Greenbriar West 174

Kent Gardens 164

Colvin Run 154

Westbriar 153

Willow Springs 153

Lorton Station 128

Poplar Tree 126

Ravensworth 88

Orange Hunt 85

Elementary Team League 2022-23 Matchday 7 Results

This season of the Elementary Team League is in the homestretch and last Saturday’s matches again drew a near-maximum turnout.  Churchill Road won an important match against leaders Spring Hill and is now just a single point behind heading into the final day of matches.  Third place Kent Gardens is also still in with a chance but would need results in the top two schools’ matches to go their way in order to catch up.

The final matches are on Saturday, March 25 and all of our after-school chess club members are welcome to sign up to join in the fun.  If your child is interested in participating, please reach out to their school club instructor.

Round 13 Results

Lorton Station 1-3 Greenbriar West

Westbriar 2-1 White Oaks 

Ravensworth 2-2 Kent Gardens

Colvin Run 2-2 Orange Hunt

Churchill Road 4-0 Poplar Tree 

Willow Springs 1-3 Spring Hill

Round 14 Results

 Poplar Tree 3-0 Westbriar

White Oaks 3-1 Colvin Run

Greenbriar West 2-2 Willow Springs

Orange Hunt 1-2 Ravensworth

Kent Gardens 3-1 Lorton Station 

Spring Hill 1-3 Churchill Road

Team Standings After Matchday 7

Spring Hill 167

Churchill Road 166

Kent Gardens 155

Greenbriar West 148

White Oaks 144

Westbriar 137

Colvin Run 133

Willow Springs 131

Lorton Station 117

Poplar Tree 107

Orange Hunt 85

Ravensworth 74

Metro Area Chess League 2022-23 Round 7 Results

This season’s Metro Area Chess League competition so far has been even closer and more exciting than we thought it would be.  No school has secured a playoff berth yet going into the final round, and depending on the results of those matches, any of nine schools may make it in.  On Tuesday night, Montgomery Blair edged a narrow match with West Springfield, 2.5-1.5, to tie Richard Montgomery on match points and move into the lead on the board points tiebreaker.  Langley, Falls Church and Arlington Career Center are just half a point behind the two leaders, and along with Gonzaga College and McLean, can guarantee a final four spot by winning their last round matches.  Centreville and Seneca Valley are also in with a chance of making the playoffs, although they would need to win in Round 8 and get help from results elsewhere.

Round 7 Results

Centreville High School 2-2 Richard Montgomery High School

Arlington Career Center 2-2 Falls Church High School

West Springfield High School 1.5-2.5 Montgomery Blair High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School 1-3 Langley High School

 Seneca Valley High School 2-2 Gonzaga College High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey 0-4 McLean High School

Winston Churchill High School 1-3 Rochambeau French Intl. School

W.T. Woodson High School 3-1 St. Anselm’s Abbey School

BASIS DC 2-2 Washington Intl. School 

Sandy Spring Friends School – DeMatha Catholic High School

Sidwell Friends School 0-4 Georgetown Preparatory School

Rockville High School 4-0 Eastern High School

St. Albans School 4-0 St. John’s High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 1-3 Bishop McNamara High School

 
Standings After Round 7

PlaceSchoolTotal Match PointsTotal Board Points
1stMontgomery Blair High School5.519.5
2ndRichard Montgomery High School 5.519
3rdLangley High School519
4th (Tie)Arlington Career Center518
4th (Tie)Falls Church High School518
6th (Tie)Gonzaga College High School4.518
6th (Tie)McLean High School4.518
8th (Tie)Centreville High School4.516
8th (Tie)Seneca Valley High School4.516
10thRockville High School417
11thWest Springfield High School416.5
12thCol. Zadok Magruder High School416
13thRochambeau French Intl. School415.5
14thW.T. Woodson High School415
15th (Tie)Winston Churchill High School3.514.5
15th (Tie)Washington Intl. School3.514.5
17thBASIS DC3.513.5
18th (Tie)St. Anselm’s Abbey School313
18th (Tie)Georgetown Preparatory School313
20thSt. Albans School312
21stBishop McNamara High School311
22ndSidwell Friends School2.512
23rdSandy Spring Friends School2.511.5
24thDon Bosco Cristo Rey2.510.5
25th DeMatha Catholic High School2.510
26thSt. John’s College High School210.5
27thEastern High School210
28th E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0.54.5
29thMcKinley Technology High School01
30thIDEA Public Charter School00

Round 8 Pairings

McLean High School – Montgomery Blair High School

Richard Montgomery High School – Gonzaga College High School

Falls Church High School – Langley High School

Arlington Career Center – Centreville High School

Rochambeau French Intl. School – Seneca Valley High School

West Springfield High School – W.T. Woodson High School

DeMatha Catholic High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Washington Intl. School – Winston Churchill High School

Georgetown Preparatory School – Rockville High School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School – BASIS DC

St. Albans School – Don Bosco Cristo Rey

Bishop McNamara High School – Sandy Spring Friends School

Sidwell Friends School – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Eastern High School – St. John’s College High School

 

Metro Area Chess League 2022-23 Round 6 Results

This past round of the Metro Area Chess League was the most closely fought of the season so far.  Most of the matches were swayed by the outcome of a single game, with several ultimately ending up as 2-2 draws.  Richard Montgomery still holds the overall lead in the standings despite ceding a draw to Falls Church, who stayed half a point behind.  Montgomery Blair and Arlington Career Center also tied their match 2-2 to remain in the other two playoff positions.  Six other schools are half a point out of the top four.

Round 6 Results

Richard Montgomery High School 2-2 Falls Church High School

Montgomery Blair High School – Arlington Career Center

Langley High School 1-3 Centreville High School

Rochambeau French Intl. School 1-3 West Springfield High School

Washington Intl. School 1-3 Seneca Valley High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School 2-2 Winston Churchill High School

McLean High School 3-1 DeMatha Catholic High School

Georgetown Preparatory School 2-2 W.T. Woodson High School

Bishop McNamara High School 1-3 Don Bosco Cristo Rey

Rockville High School 2-2 Sandy Spring Friends School

Gonzaga College High School 3-1 Sidwell Friends School

St. John’s High School 1-3 BASIS DC

St. Anselm’s Abbey School 2-2 St. Albans School

Eastern High School 4-0 E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 

Standings After Round 6

PlaceSchoolTotal Match PointsTotal Board Points
1stRichard Montgomery High School 517
2nd Montgomery Blair High School4.517
3rd (Tie)Arlington Career Center4.516
3rd (Tie)Falls Church High School4.516
5th (Tie)Langley High School416
5th (Tie)Gonzaga College High School416
7th (Tie)Col. Zadok Magruder High School415
7th (Tie)West Springfield High School415
9th (Tie)Centreville High School414
9th (Tie)Seneca Valley High School414
11thMcLean High School3.514
12thWinston Churchill High School3.513.5
13th Rockville High School313
14th (Tie)Washington Intl. School312.5
14th (Tie)Rochambeau French Intl. School312.5
16th (Tie)W.T. Woodson High School312
16th (Tie)St. Anselm’s Abbey School312
18thBASIS DC311.5
19thSidwell Friends School2.512
20th (Tie)Sandy Spring Friends School2.510.5
20th (Tie)Don Bosco Cristo Rey2.510.5
22ndSt. John’s College High School210.5
23rdEastern High School210
24thGeorgetown Preparatory School29
25th (Tie)DeMatha Catholic High School28
25th (Tie)Bishop McNamara High School28
25th (Tie)St. Albans School28
28th E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0.53.5
29thMcKinley Technology High School01
30thIDEA Public Charter School00

Round 7 Pairings

Centreville High School – Richard Montgomery High School

Arlington Career Center – Falls Church High School

West Springfield High School – Montgomery Blair High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School – Langley High School

 Seneca Valley High School – Gonzaga College High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey – McLean High School

Winston Churchill High School – Rochambeau French Intl. School

W.T. Woodson High School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School

BASIS DC – Washington Intl. School 

Sandy Spring Friends School – DeMatha Catholic High School

Sidwell Friends School – Georgetown Preparatory School

Rockville High School – Eastern High School

St. Albans School – St. John’s High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School – Bishop McNamara High School

 

Chess Kids Resumes at New Venue

We are grateful for the Institute for Educational Leadership for providing space to continue our Saturday morning Chess Kids class following the damage to the regular venue at the Elizabeth House.  We had fun at the new location this past Saturday, though we hope to be able to return to downtown Silver Spring this coming weekend.

Registration for the March 2023 session, the final session of this school year, is now open.  Any student in kindergarten through sixth grade may join, and Chess Center members receive discounts.

Elementary Team League 2022-23 Matchday 6 Results

We’re now at the three-quarter mark of what has been a very fun Elementary Team League season.  As always, we were happy to see many new faces at yesterday’s matches.  Playing in the ETL is a great start point for students who want to build up the skills and confidence to represent their schools in other competitions.

In the overall season standings, Spring Hill has edged slightly ahead of its closest pursuers with the results of Saturday’s games, but several other schools remain in striking distance with two matchdays to go.

Round 11 Results

Kent Gardens 3-0 Orange Hunt

Churchill Road 3.5-0.5 Willow Springs

White Oaks 4-0 Ravensworth

Colvin Run 0-4 Westbriar

Poplar Tree 0-3 Lorton Station

Greenbriar West 1-3 Spring Hill

Round 12 Results

Spring Hill 4-0 Poplar Tree

Ravensworth 1-3 Greenbriar West

Willow Springs 3.5-0.5 White Oaks

Westbriar 2-2 Kent Gardens

Lorton Station 3-1 Colvin Run

Orange Hunt 1-3 Churchill Road

Team Standings After Matchday 6

Spring Hill 147

Churchill Road 136

Kent Gardens 131

White Oaks 126

Greenbriar West 124

Westbriar 121

Colvin Run 117

Willow Springs 115

Lorton Station 106

Poplar Tree 90

Orange Hunt 73

Ravensworth 56

Metro Area Chess League 2022-23 Round 5 Results

Yesterday evening, February 7, was the fifth round of this season’s Metro Area Chess League.  Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD) saw their win streak come to an end when they drew their match 2-2 against Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD), but they still hold the overall lead in the standings with 4.5 match points.  Langley High School (McLean, VA), Falls Church High School (Falls Church, VA) and Arlington Career Center (Arlington, VA) all won their matches to join Montgomery Blair in a tie for second place, half a point off the lead in what is shaping to be a very close race for the four playoff spots.

Round 5 Results

Montgomery Blair High School 2-2 Richard Montgomery High School

Arlington Career Center 4-0 Seneca Valley High School

Winston Churchill High School 0.5-3.5 Langley High School

Gonzaga College High School 1-3 Falls Church High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School 2-2 West Springfield High School

W.T. Woodson High School 1-3 Rochambeau French Intl. School

St. John’s College High School 2-2 McLean High School

DeMatha Catholic High School 2-2 St. Anselm’s Abbey School

Sidwell Friends School 3-1 Rockville High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey 1.5-2.5 Washington Intl. School

Centreville High School 3.5-0.5 St. Albans School

BASIS DC 2-2 Georgetown Preparatory School

Eastern High School 2-2 Bishop McNamara High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0.5-3.5 Sandy Spring Friends School

Standings After Round 5

PlaceSchoolTotal Match PointsTotal Board Points
1stRichard Montgomery High School 4.515
2nd (Tie)Montgomery Blair High School415
2nd (Tie)Langley High School415
4th (Tie)Falls Church High School414
4th (Tie)Arlington Career Center414
6thCol. Zadok Magruder High School3.513
7thGonzaga College High School313
8th (Tie)West Springfield High School312
8th (Tie)Centreville High School312
10th (Tie)Winston Churchill High School311.5
10th (Tie)Washington Intl. School311.5
10th (Tie)Rochambeau, the French International School311.5
13th Seneca Valley High School311
14th (Tie)Rockville High School2.511
14th (Tie)McLean High School2.511
14th (Tie)Sidwell Friends School2.511
17thW.T. Woodson High School2.510
18thSt. Anselm’s Abbey School2.510
19thSt. John’s College High School29.5
20th (Tie)BASIS DC2`8.5
20th (Tie)Sandy Spring Friends School28.5
22nd (Tie)DeMatha Catholic High School27
22nd (Tie)Bishop McNamara High School27
24thDon Bosco Cristo Rey1.57.5
25thGeorgetown Preparatory School1.57
26thSt. Albans School1.56
27thEastern High School16
28th E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0.53.5
29thMcKinley Technology High School01
30thIDEA Public Charter School00

Round 6 Pairings

Richard Montgomery High School – Falls Church High School

Montgomery Blair High School – Arlington Career Center

Langley High School – Centreville High School

Rochambeau French Intl. School – West Springfield High School

Washington Intl. School – Seneca Valley High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School – Winston Churchill High School

McLean High School – DeMatha Catholic High School

Georgetown Preparatory School – W.T. Woodson High School

Bishop McNamara High School – Don Bosco Cristo Rey

Rockville High School – Sandy Spring Friends School

Gonzaga College High School – Sidwell Friends School

St. John’s High School – BASIS DC

St. Anselm’s Abbey School – St. Albans School

Eastern High School – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 

Photos from Saturday Chess Kids on October 23, 2021

Our Saturday Chess Kids program resumed again this past Saturday, October 23, 2021 at the DC Housing Finance Agency auditorium in the Shaw / U Street neighborhood of Washington, DC. 

Chess Kids, which has been operating since the U.S. Chess Center’s founding, is an individualized, highly structured program for students in Grades K – 6 that meets on Saturdays from 10:00 am – 11:30 am.  Chess Kids students are placed in groups based on their ability and everyone plays games each week and receives lessons. Through Chess Kids, we make learning chess fun!

To register your student for Chess Kids, click here.  Chess Kids operates in four-week sessions, and students are welcome to register for multiple sessions.  Session 2 begins November 20th.

Thank you to DC HFA for providing a great venue and support for this program.

Meet the Chess Center Team: David Mehler, Founder/President/Teacher

David MehlerThe seeds of my love of teaching were planted in college — not because I had inspirational professors, but through my experiences as a founder of the Pail & Shovel Party. (Google it. I was gone by the time the flamingos landed and the Statue of Liberty arrived, but was involved with the conceptual stage.) Pail & Shovel taught me that anything can be turned into entertainment, entertainment holds people’s attention, and through that attention, education takes place.

During the lead-up to the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match I first became a chess teacher. I was a decent player devoid of teaching experience but after a while found ways to impart the rules and strategy of the game to kids who quickly passed me in skill.

After college, I became a high school classroom teacher with classes in social studies and math. I was the fun teacher in a conservative Catholic school, but always had the goal of getting students to think. When struggling students came to me for additional help, I taught them to play chess and watched as their intellectual self-confidence rose. Inner-city teens who had heard throughout their lifetimes that they would not be able to succeed academically learned that was a lie. If they could play chess, they could do math and understand literature.

During my practice of law, I brought chess to underserved schools, working to convince small children that there was magic in the pieces of plastic they moved around the square board. As they assimilated abstract concepts, their smiles of understanding were more satisfying than favorable verdicts in courtrooms.

When then-World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov asked me to teach chess for a couple of weeks to children who lived in public housing, that was the start of something quite wonderful. The Washington Post editorial noting the value of chess garnered the attention of people who helped create what has become the U.S. Chess Center. I stopped taking new legal clients and never looked back.

 

US Chess Center provides chess sets to classes and students who need them

We are very happy to have provided chess sets to three schools in the past few months so that teachers and students have physical chess sets with which to learn and play.

In fact, some of the chess sets we recently distributed were used by Grand Master Lubomir Kavalek, one of the best players in the world.  GM Kavalek’s widow donated them to us after he passed away in January

Please consider supporting our mission with a charitable donation online (via credit or debit card), or by making an in-kind contribution of new or gently used (preferably tournament-style) chess sets.

Mrs. Bullock displays the chess book and sets she received for her 4th grade class.

Chris McCleary joins the U.S. Chess Center as Executive Director

Chris McCleary has been appointed the new Executive Director of the U.S. Chess Center.

The U.S. Chess Center is a DC-based non-profit that promotes self-confidence, social skills, and academic success for all.  The U.S. Chess Center provides students throughout the Washington metropolitan area opportunities to meet as friends and equals over the chessboard at our weekend classes, tournaments, and special events. The Center also operates numerous embedded school chess clubs and classes.  Our student programs have hosted World Champion Garry Kasparov, the national champions of Nigeria and Montenegro, and International Grandmasters including Maurice Ashley, the first African American Grandmaster.  Our students have played Internet matches with students from the Czech Republic, China, Norway, and Montenegro.

“I’m excited to be joining the U.S. Chess Center in this leadership role and look forward to continuing and expanding the programs we offer to area students. Chess was a meaningful part of my own academic life and had a positive impact on me. I’m proud that I’ll be doing my part to bring the benefits of chess to more students.”
Chris McCleary
Executive Director, U.S. Chess Center

Chris McCleary’s first official day with the U.S. Chess Center will be Monday, August 17th.  As Executive Director, McCleary will have responsibility for the day-to-day management and administration of the Center as well as resource and program development.  McCleary will be taking over from Robert Teachey, a United States Chess Federation Certified Advanced Chess Coach who was promoted to Executive Director of the Chess Center in 2017 and has served as a Teacher since 2010.  

Prior to joining the U.S. Chess Center, Chris McCleary served as the Vice President of Development for Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) and in the same position for SAFE’s sister organization, The Electrification Coalition.  McCleary is also the Chief Operating Officer of McCleary Psychological Services, a mental health practice that provides evidence-based therapy and psychological evaluations.  Chris also previously served as Development Director and chief fundraiser for the National Archives Foundation—the 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—and before that he held a series of senior management and fundraising roles with several DC-area think tanks and advocacy organizations, including Third Way, the Sunlight Foundation, and NDN & the New Policy Institute.  Before embarking on his non-profit career, McCleary spent over a decade as a political consultant and fundraiser for dozens of campaigns across the country.  McCleary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University.