The U.S. Chess Center is pleased to offer a new season of the Metro Area Chess League (MACL), the high school chess league we ran from 1985 through 2012, and from 2021 to the present. A previous incarnation of the league ran from 1950 through 1975. The league is open to all interested high schools in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2026-2027 season will start in November 2026 and conclude with playoffs in April 2027.
- Any high school in the DC metro area may field a team.
- Matches will be played either online on lichess.org or in-person between two schools (which method will be determined by pairings/schedule). See below for the tentative schedule.
- Teams are four players, not necessarily the same four each match, all registered students in their schools in grades 9-12.
Players (students) should register individually (at no additional cost) at: https://chessctr.org/play/macl-player
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 MACL Champion
Richard Montgomery High School
Rockville, MD
Four players from each school and their coaches/sponsors will meet online or in-person.
Teams must complete each round’s match by (or before) the deadline.
Round 1: Match Deadline: November TBD
Round 2: Match Deadline: December TBD
Round 3: Match Deadline: January TBD
Round 4: Match Deadline: January TBD
Round 5: Match Deadline: February TBD
Round 6: Match Deadline: February TBD
Round 7: Match Deadline: March TBD
Round 8: Match Deadline: March TBD
Playoffs: Top 2 teams from each division (4 teams total) will play in-person on a Date TBD in April 2027
Atlantic Division
Eastern Division
Jackson-Reed High School
Washington, DC
Gonzaga College High School
Washington, DC
Richard Montgomery High School
Rockville, MD
Teams that have registered to participate in the 2026-2027 season of the Metro Area Chess League are listed above.