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Cleveland Park Library

DC Public Libraries “Battle of the Branches” on October 23

Capital-area chess players of all ages are invited to the latest edition of “Battle of the Branches,” a fun competition among teams representing various locations throughout the DC Public Library systems.   The tournament will be held on Sunday afternoon, October 25, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library opposite Gallery Place.

Organized by the Big Chair Chess Club, the U.S. Chess Center, Chess Girls DC and the DC Chess Association, the event has separate sections for children (grades K-12), adults and seniors (65+).  All players must register in order to compete, but registration is free and open now.

Previous editions, such as the 2024 tournament pictured above, have drawn big crowds, and this time around we expect a similarly large contingent of children and adults turning up to represent their favorite library branches.

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.