League

New Metro Area Chess League Season Begins

by Chess Center
2022-11-202022-12-13

Tuesday evening, November 15, was the start of the 2022-2023 season of the Metro Area Chess League. Following the success of last year’s competition, the MACL has retained the same general format with the games taking place online on lichess.com on Tuesday evenings.

30 schools have signed up to play in the MACL this year, the largest participation rate in more than 30 years. Last year’s top two finishers Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD) and Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD) won their Round 1 matches with 4-0 sweeps, as did fourth place finisher Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.). Also sweeping their matches were league newcomers Arlington Career Center (Arlington, VA), McLean High School (McLean, VA) and Seneca Valley High School (Germantown, MD), and the six schools share the early lead. Round 2 will be on December 6.

Montgomery Blair High School 4-0 Falls Church High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0-4 Richard Montgomery High School

DeMatha Catholic High School 0-4 Gonzaga College High School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School 3-1 Sidwell Friends School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School 1-3 Winston Churchill High School

Arlington Career Center 4-0 St. John’s College High School

Sandy Spring Friends School 1-3 Rochambeau French Intl. School

St. Albans School 2-2 West Springfield High School

McKinley Technology High School 2-2 Bishop McNamara High School

Seneca Valley High School 4-0 Eastern High School

Centreville High School 3-5-0.5 BASIS DC

IDEA Public Charter School 0-4 McLean High School (forfeit)

Don Bosco Cristo Rey 2-2 Rockville High School

Washington Intl. School 2-1 Georgetown Preparatory School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st (Tie)	Arlington Career Center	1	4
1st (Tie)	Gonzaga College High School	1	4
1st (Tie)	McLean High School	1	4
1st (Tie)	Montgomery Blair High School	1	4
1st (Tie)	Richard Montgomery High School	1	4
1st (Tie)	Seneca Valley High School	1	4
7th	Centreville High School	1	3.5
8th (Tie)	Winston Churchill High School	1	3
8th (Tie)	Rochambeau, the French International School	1	3
8th (Tie)	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	1	3
8th (Tie)	Bishop McNamara High School	1	3
12th (Tie)	Don Bosco Cristo Rey	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	Langley High School	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	Rockville High School	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	St. Albans School	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	Washington International School	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	West Springfield High School	0.5	2
12th (Tie)	W.T. Woodson High School	0.5	2
20th (Tie)	Georgetown Preparatory School	0	1
20th (Tie)	McKinley Technology High School	0	1
20th (Tie)	St. Anselms School	0	1
20th (Tie)	Sandy Spring Friends School	0	1
20th (Tie)	Sidwell Friends School	0	1
24th	BASIS DC	0	0.5
25th (Tie)	DeMatha Catholic High School	0	0
25th (Tie)	Eastern High School	0	0
25th (Tie)	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	0	0
25th (Tie)	Falls Church High School	0	0
25th (Tie)	IDEA Public Charter School	0	0
25th (Tie)	St. John’s College High School	0	0

Georgetown Preparatory School – Montgomery Blair High School

Richard Montomery High School – Arlington Career Center

McLean High School – W.T. Woodson High School

Gonzaga College High School – Washington Intl. School

West Springfield High School – Seneca Valley High School

Rockville High School – IDEA Public Charter School

St. John’s College High School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School

Bishop McNamara High School – DeMatha Catholic High School

Sidwell Friends School – McKinley Technology High School

Eastern High School – St. Albans School

Langley High School – Sandy Spring Friends School

Rochambeau French Intl. School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Winston Churchill High School – Centreville High School

BASIS DC – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Falls Church High School – Don Bosco Cristo Rey

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Playoff Results

by Chess Center
2022-03-292022-03-30

Montgomery Blair’s domination of the Metro Area Chess League continued through the play-offs as they swept to the championship winning all three of their matches. The play-offs were held Saturday, March 26, in the museum of United Therapeutics in Blair’s home turf of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. The league is grateful to United Therapeutics for providing such a convenient and comfortable location for the play-offs, and for the snacks.

Richard Montgomery High School of Rockville finished in second place with a 1½ – 1½ score (one win, one draw and one loss), followed by Woodrow Wilson High School of the District of Columbia (1 – 2) and Gonzaga College High School (½ – 2½).

The league included 22 teams this year from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, starting play in November. This is the first time the league was run virtually, but with the success of this year, we will run the league this way again in the 2022-23 school year. Any high school in the metro area may join.

Round 1

Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Woodrow Wilson High School

Richard Montgomery High School 2.5-1.5 Gonzaga College High School

Round 2

Richard Montgomery High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School

Gonzaga College High School 0-4 Montgomery Blair High School

Round 3

Woodrow Wilson High School 2-2 Gonzaga College High School

Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Richard Montgomery High School

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 8 Results

by Chess Center
2022-03-232022-03-30

We have a week of March still ahead of us, but one Final Four has already been set. The Metro Area Chess League concluded its regular season yesterday night with Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD), Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD), Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.) and Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) wrapping up the top four places and earning tickets to the playoffs this coming Saturday in Silver Spring.

With 22 high schools from around the Washington area and over 100 students participating throughout the year, this was the largest online season we’ve run, and we’re very pleased to have revived the League after several years’ hiatus. We thank all the students for logging on to participate on Tuesday nights and the school chess club sponsors and coaches for helping make this such a success.

Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Gonzaga College High School

Richard Montgomery High School 4-0 Northwest High School

McLean High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School

Rochambeau French Intl. School 3-1 BASIS DC

West Springfield High School 2-2 Washington International School

South Lakes High School 1.5-2.5 Thomas J. Wootton High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 2-2 St. Anselm’s Abbey School

St. Albans School 0-4 Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Justice High School 0-4 Georgetown Preparatory School

Rockville High School 4-0 Don Bosco Cristo Rey

James Hubert Blake High School – The SEED Public Charter School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st	Montgomery Blair High School	7.5	27
2nd	Richard Montgomery High School	5.5	22
3rd	Gonzaga College High School	5.5	20.5
4th	Woodrow Wilson High School	5.5	18.5
5th	Rochambeau, the French International School	5.5	17.5
6th	McLean High School	5	19
7th	Georgetown Preparatory School	4.5	18
8th	West Springfield High School	4.5	17
9th (Tie)	BASIS DC	4.5	16.5
9th (Tie)	Thomas S. Wootton High School	4.5	16.5
11th	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	4	17
12th	Washington International School	4	16.5
13th	Northwest High School	4	16
14th	St. Anselm's Abbey School	3.5	15
15th	South Lakes High School	3.5	14.5
16th	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	3.5	14
17th	Justice High School	3	13
18th	Rockville High School	3	12
19th	St. Albans School	3	11.5
20th (Tie)	Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School	1	8
20th (Tie)	James Hubert Blake High School	1	8
22nd	The SEED Public Charter School	0.5	5

PCSAA Middle School Chess League Wraps Up With Close Finish

by Chess Center
2022-03-192022-03-30

After seven Saturdays of play, the spring 2022 season of the PCSAA Middle School Chess League finished this afternoon. BASIS DC and District of Columbia International School both entered the final day of play with undefeated records, and in their match against one another, either school could have taken the season championship with a victory.

In the final game to finish, the BASIS player had a decisive advantage after: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 Na6 3. dxe5 d6 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bxa6 bxa6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Qxd8 Raxd8 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Nd5 Bxb2 13. Rab1 Ba3 14. Nxc7 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rd6 16. Rb3 Bc5 17. Rd3 Rg6+ 18. Kh1 Bd6 19. Nxa6 Rh6 20. h3 Rxh3+ 21. Kg2 Rh6 22. Rfd1 Rd8 23. e5 Rg6+ 24. Kf1 f5 25. Rxd6 Rdxd6 26. Rxd6 Rxd6 27. exd6 Kf7 28. c4 Ke6 29. c5 g5 30. Nc7+ Kd7 31. Kg2 h5 32. Nd5 g4 33. Nf6+ Kc6 34. d7 Kc7 35. fxg4 hxg4 36. Kg3 a5 37. c6 a4 38. Nd5+ Kd8 39. Kf4, but like all resourceful chess players Black stayed astute for a way to save the game.

39… g3 40. fxg3 a3 reached the position shown on the left, and if White captures the f-pawn without thinking, 41. Kxf5?? is stalemate. Instead, White sharply sidestepped Black’s drawing trap with 41. Nf6 and won in twelve more moves. (41. Ke5 would have mated faster, but a win is a win.) BASIS narrowly won the match 4.5-3.5 and took the title.

Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Science swept their match against E.L. Haynes to retain third place in the season standings, while Meridian held onto fourth place on the board points tiebreaker despite losing to Children’s Guild. One more half-point in their match would have put Children’s Guild ahead.

Round-by-round results and the final standings for the season can be viewed here. We congratulate all of the students who showed up to play on lichess this year and we hope to see more of them in upcoming chess competitions in the DC area.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 7 Results

by Chess Center
2022-03-082022-03-30

One round of competition remains in the regular season of the Metro Area Chess League. With six victories from seven matches so far, Montgomery Blair has locked up the number one seed in the playoffs, but the competition is tight for the other three playoff spots.

Woodrow Wilson High School 1-3 Montgomery Blair High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School 0-4 Richard Montgomery High School

McLean High School 1-3 Gonzaga College High School

Northwest High School 1-3 Rochambeau French Intl. School

St. Albans School 2-2 Thomas J. Wootton High School

BASIS DC 4-0 South Lakes High School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School 1-3 West Springfield High School

Rockville High School 0-4 Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Georgetown Preparatory School 1-3 Washington International School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey 1-1 James Hubert Blake High School

The SEED Public Charter School 1.5-2.5 Justice High School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st	Montgomery Blair High School	6.5	24
2nd	Gonzaga College High School	5.5	19.5
3rd	Woodrow Wilson High School	5	16.5
4th	Richard Montgomery High School	4.5	18
5th	McLean High School	4.5	17
6th	BASIS DC	4.5	15.5
7th	Rochambeau, the French International School	4.5	14.5
8th	Northwest High School	4	16
9th	West Springfield High School	4	15
10th	Washington International School	3.5	14.5
11th (Tie)	Georgetown Preparatory School	3.5	14
11th (Tie)	Thomas S. Wootton High School	3.5	14
13th	South Lakes High School	3.5	13
14th (Tie)	Justice High School	3	13
14th (Tie)	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	3	13
14th (Tie)	St. Anselm's Abbey School	3	13
17th	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	3	12
18th	St. Albans School	3	11.5
19th	Rockville High School	2	8
20th	Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School	1	8
21st	James Hubert Blake High School	1	7
22nd	The SEED Public Charter School	0	3

Round 8 will be held on March 22, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.

Montgomery Blair High School – Gonzaga College High School

Richard Montgomery High School – Northwest High School

McLean High School – Woodrow Wilson High School

Rochambeau French Intl. School – BASIS DC

West Springfield High School – Washington International School

Thomas J. Wootton High School – South Lakes High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School

St. Albans School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Justice High School – Georgetown Preparatory School

Rockville High School – Don Bosco Cristo Rey

James Hubert Blake High School – The SEED Public Charter School

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 8 Results

by Chess Center
2022-03-062022-03-30

It’s been a great season of competition in the Elementary Team League this year. Congratulations to Colvin Run Elementary (Vienna, VA), who took the lead at the halfway point of the season and never looked back, clinching the league championship with a match to spare. White Oaks Elementary came out on top of a battle for second, with Spring Hill edging Greenbriar West for third.

Saturday, March 6 was the final day of matches for the season, and again we had a near-perfect turnout as nearly 40 students turned up to compete for their schools.

Round 1:

Greenbriar West 2-2 Stratford Landing

Colvin Run 2-2 Ravensworth

Westbriar 3-1 Kent Gardens

White Oaks 2-2 Spring Hill

Poplar Tree 4-0 Willow Springs

Round 2:

Spring Hill 3-1 Westbriar

Willow Springs 1.5-2.5 Colvin Run

Greenbriar West 2-2 Poplar Tree

Ravensworth 1-3 White Oaks

Kent Gardens 0-4 Stratford Landing

Final Standings after Matchday 8:

Colvin Run 204

White Oaks 177

Spring Hill 168

Greenbriar West 163

Kent Gardens 144

Poplar Tree 142

Ravensworth 121

Stratford Landing 111

Willow Springs 104

Westbriar 77

One final thank-you to St. Luke’s Methodist Church for providing the venue for us to return to in-person competition this year, after we were online last season. Win or lose, playing in the league has provided valuable experience for everyone this year, especially those who are taking part in the state and national championships later this spring.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 6 Results

by Chess Center
2022-03-042022-03-30

Since many of the D.C. schools were on spring break, Round 6 was played over two weeks, with some matches taking place on February 22 and some on March 1. Montgomery Blair (Silver Spring) continues to lead the field with 5.5 match points out of 6, with Woodrow Wilson (Washington, D.C.) still half a point behind in second and a wide-open race for the playoffs in prospect.

February 22

Montgomery Blair High School 3-1 Thomas J. Wootton High School

McLean High School 3-1 Richard Montgomery High School

West Springfield High School School 1-3 Northwest High School

Gonzaga College High School 4-0 St. Anselm’s Abbey School

South Lakes High School 3-1 Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Georgetown Preparatory School 4-0 James Hubert Blake High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey 1-3 Justice High School

March 1

Rochambeau French Intl. School 3-1 St. Albans School

Woodrow Wilson High School 2.5-1.5 BASIS DC

The SEED Public Charter School 0-4 E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Rockville High School 0-4 Washington International School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st	Montgomery Blair High School	5.5	21
2nd	Woodrow Wilson High School	5	15.5
3rd	Gonzaga College High School	4.5	16.5
4th	McLean High School	4.5	16
5th	Northwest High School	4	15
6th	Richard Montgomery High School	3.5	14
7th (Tie)	Georgetown Preparatory School	3.5	13
7th (Tie)	South Lakes High School	3.5	13
9th (Tie)	BASIS DC	3.5	11.5
9th (Tie)	Rochambeau, the French International School	3.5	11.5
11th (Tie)	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	3	12
11th (Tie)	St. Anselm's Abbey School	3	12
11th (Tie)	West Springfield High School	3	12
11th (Tie)	Thomas S. Wootton High School	3	12
15th	Washington International School	2.5	11.5
16th	St. Albans School	2.5	9.5
17th	Justice High School	2	10.5
18th	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	2	9
19th	Rockville High School	2	8
20th	Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School	1	7
21st	James Hubert Blake High School	1	6
22nd	The SEED Public Charter School	0	1.5

Round 7 will be held on March 8, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.

Woodrow Wilson High School – Montgomery Blair High School

E.L. Haynes Public Charter School – Richard Montgomery High School

McLean High School – Gonzaga College High School

Northwest High School – Rochambeau French Intl. School

St. Albans School – Thomas J. Wootton High School

BASIS DC – South Lakes High School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School – West Springfield High School

Rockville High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Georgetown Preparatory School – Washington International School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey – James Hubert Blake High School

The SEED Public Charter School – Justice High School

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 7 Results

by Chess Center
2022-02-192022-03-30

More than 30 students showed up to St. Luke’s Methodist Church this past weekend to represent their schools in the Elementary Team League. With one round remaining in the competiton, Colvin Run Elementary continues in the lead while White Oaks, Greenbriar West and the fast-rising Spring Hill are locked in a battle for second.

Round 1:

Greenbriar West 1-3 Colvin Run

Ravensworth 3-1 Stratford Landing

Poplar Tree 1-1 Westbriar

White Oaks 2.5-1.5 Kent Gardens

Spring Hill 4-0 Willow Springs

Round 2:

Colvin Run 1-3 Spring Hill

Willow Springs 0-4 White Oaks

Stratford Landing 2-0 Poplar Tree

Westbriar 0-4 Greenbriar West

Kent Gardens 0.5-3.5 Ravensworth

Standings after Matchday 7:

Colvin Run 181

White Oaks 153

Greenbriar West 145

Spring Hill 144

Kent Gardens 134

Poplar Tree 116

Ravensworth 105

Willow Springs 93

Stratford Landing 85

Westbriar 57

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 5 Results

by Chess Center
2022-02-082022-03-30

Another exciting evening of high school league play this evening produced a lot of back-and-forth games. Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD) is now back in the sole lead with a 4-0 victory over BASIS DC, their fourth clean sweep in five matches. Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington DC) is in clear second place after their match with Richard Montgomery ended in a 2-2 draw.

BASIS DC 0-4 Montgomery Blair High School

Richard Montgomery High School 2-2 Woodrow Wilson High School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School 1-3 McLean High School

Gonzaga College High School 3-1 South Lakes High School

Thomas J. Wootton High School 2-2 Rochambeau French Intl. School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School 3-1 West Springfield High School

Northwest High School 3-1 Rockville High School

St. Albans School 2.5-1.5 Georgetown Preparatory School

James Hubert Blake High School 1-3 E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Washington International School 3-1 Justice High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey ppd. The SEED Public Charter School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st	Montgomery Blair High School	4.5	18
2nd	Woodrow Wilson High School	4	13
3rd (Tie)	McLean High School	3.5	13
3rd (Tie)	Richard Montgomery High School	3.5	13
5th	Gonzaga College High School	3.5	12.5
6th	BASIS DC	3.5	10
7th (Tie)	Northwest High School	3	12
7th (Tie)	St. Anselm's Abbey School	3	12
9th (Tie)	West Springfield High School	3	11
9th (Tie)	Thomas S. Wootton High School	3	11
11th	South Lakes High School	2.5	10
12th	Georgetown Preparatory School	2.5	9
13th (Tie)	Rochambeau, the French International School	2.5	8.5
13th (Tie)	St. Albans School	2.5	8.5
15th (Tie)	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	2	8
15th (Tie)	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	2	8
15th (Tie)	Rockville High School	2	8
18th	Washington International School	1.5	7.5
19th	Justice High School	1	7.5
20th	James Hubert Blake High School	1	6
21st	Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School	0	2
22nd	The SEED Public Charter School	0	1.5

One match, Don Bosco Cristo Rey vs. SEED Public Charter School, was postponed. We will update the standings and post Round 6 pairings when that match has been completed.

February 22

Montgomery Blair High School – Thomas J. Wootton High School

McLean High School – Richard Montgomery High School

West Springfield High School School – Northwest High School

Gonzaga College High School – St. Anselm’s Abbey School

South Lakes High School – Col. Zadok Magruder High School

Georgetown Preparatory School – James Hubert Blake High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey – Justice High School

Rockville High School – Washington International School

March 1

Rochambeau French Intl. School – St. Albans School

Woodrow Wilson High School – BASIS DC

The SEED Public Charter School – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 6 Results

by Chess Center
2022-02-052022-03-30

With yesterday’s wind and below freezing temperatures in Northern Virginia, it was another day of great “chess weather.” The Elementary Team League returned to its usual playing site at St. Luke’s Methodist Church and we had a near-perfect turnout of ten school teams. Leaders Colvin Run Elementary continued their good form, scoring big wins against the schools that started the day in second and third place in the standings, Kent Gardens and White Oaks.

Round 1:

Greenbriar West 2-2 Willow Springs

Ravensworth 0-4 Spring Hill

Stratford Landing 3-1 Westbriar

Colvin Run 4-0 Kent Gardens

Poplar Tree 2-2 White Oaks

Round 2:

Kent Gardens 1.5-1.5 Greenbriar West

Willow Springs 1-3 Stratford Landing

Spring Hill 3-1 Poplar Tree

White Oaks 0.5-3.5 Colvin Run

Westbriar 2-2 Ravensworth

Standings after Matchday 6:

Colvin Run 161

White Oaks 124

Greenbriar West 123

Kent Gardens 122

Spring Hill 114

Poplar Tree 110

Willow Springs 85

Ravensworth 76

Stratford Landing 73

Westbriar 51

Two match days remain for this season: February 19 and March 5. Playing in the League is free and open to anyone enrolled in an after-school chess club of ours so if your child is interested, please reach out to their club instructor.

PCSAA Middle School League Spring Season Has Begun

by Chess Center
2022-02-012022-03-30

The DC Public Charter School Athletic Association’s Middle School Chess League is now back in action for the spring 2022 season. District of Columbia International School (DCI) returns to attempt to defend their title from last year. Also coming back from the prior season are BASIS DC, The Children’s Guild, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Science, and Meridian Public Charter School.

School	Match Points	Board Points (Tiebreaker)
BASIS DC	6.5	44
District of Columbia International School	5	40
Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Sciences	4	29.5
Meridian Public Charter School	2	18
The Children's Guild	2	17.5
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	1	11

Matches are played on Saturdays on lichess.org, and there are 7 matchdays in total scheduled for this season. Those interested can keep track of the results and standings here.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 4 Results

by Chess Center
2022-01-252022-03-30

January 25 marked the fourth match of the Metro Area Chess League season. Leaders Montgomery Blair High School – the only team with a perfect score through the first three rounds – faced Richard Montgomery and were held to their first drawn match, as each team won two games from their four boards. Woodrow Wilson High School and BASIS DC both won their Round 4 matches to join them on 3.5 match points, although Montgomery Blair still holds the board points tiebreaker.

Montgomery Blair High School 2 – 2 Richard Montgomery High School
Wilson High School 2.5 – 1.5 Gonzaga College High School
EL Haynes Public Charter School 1 – 3 BASIS DC
Washington International School 1 – 3 St. Anselms Abbey School
McLean High School 2 – 2 Rochambeau French Intl. School
Georgetown Preparatory School 1 – 3 Thomas J. Wootton High School
James Hubert Blake High School 1 – 3 Rockville High School
Justice High School 1.5 – 2.5 Col. Zadok Magruder High School
West Springfield High School 2 – 2 South Lakes High School
Don Bosco Cristo Rey 0 – 4 Northwest High School
The SEED Public Charter School 0 – 4 St. Albans School

Place	School	Total Match Points	Total Board Points
1st	Montgomery Blair High School	3.5	14
2nd	Woodrow Wilson High School	3.5	11
3rd	BASIS DC	3.5	10
4th (Tie)	Richard Montgomery High School	3	11
4th (Tie)	St. Anselm's Abbey School	3	11
6th	McLean High School	2.5	10
7th	Gonzaga College High School	2.5	9.5
8th (Tie)	South Lakes High School	2.5	9
8th (Tie)	Thomas S. Wootton High School	2.5	9
10th	Georgetown Preparatory School	2.5	7.5
11th	Northwest High School	2	9
12th	West Springfield High School	2	8
13th (Tie)	Col. Zadok Magruder High School	2	7
13th (Tie)	Rockville High School	2	7
15th	Rochambeau, the French International School	2	6.5
16th	St. Albans School	1.5	6
17th	Justice High School	1	6.5
18th (Tie)	James Hubert Blake High School	1	5
18th (Tie)	E.L. Haynes Public Charter School	1	5
20th	Washington International School	0.5	4.5
21st	Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School	0	2
22nd	The SEED Public Charter School	0	1.5

This is the game from board 1 of the Richard Montgomery – Montgomery Blair match, after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Be4 6. f3 Bh7 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 e6 9. h5 c5 10. c3 Nc6 11. Ne2 Qb6 12. f4 Rc8 13. Nd2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Qb1 Nc2+ 16. Kf2 Ne7 17. Nf3 Nxa1 18. Qxa1 Nc6 19. a3 Na5 20. Qb1 Bxa3 21. g5 Be7 22. f5 exf5 23. Qxf5 Qe6 24. Qd3 Nc4 25. Nf4 Qd7. Up to the previous move, Black had defended well against White’s attacks, but with the last move, White has the chance to gain an advantage.

26. e6 opens up Black’s king, since now …fxe6 27. Qg6+ wins Black’s queen or mates. Instead the game continued 26….Qd6 27. exf7+ Kd8 28. Ng6 Rf8 29. Nxf8 Bxf8 30. Re1 Be7 31. Qf5 Qd7 32. f8=Q+ Bxf8 33. Qxf8+ Kc7 34. Bf4+ Kb6 35. Qb4+ Qb5 36. Re6+ Rc6 37. Qxb5+ Kxb5 38. Rxc6 Kxc6 39. gxh6 gxh6 40. Bxh6 Kd6 41. b3 Na5 42. Bf8+ Ke6 43. Ng5+ Kf5 44. h6 Nxb3 45. h7 Kxg5 46. h8=Q a5 47. Qg8+ Kf6 48. Qxd5 a4 49. Qxb7 and Black resigned. 1-0.

Board 1 in the McLean-Rochambeau match began: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 Be7 7. Bxc4 h6 8. Bh4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6 10. Qxd8+ Bxd8 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfd1 a6 13. Rac1 b5 14. Bb3 Bb7 15. e5 Ng4 16. Bg3 b4 17. Na4 h5 18. Nc5 Bc8 giving rise to the position on the right. Can you spot an idea for White to gain an advantage?

19. Nxe6 Bxe6 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. Rxc6 and White will be two pawns ahead.

The game concluded 21…Re8 22. Rdd6 Ba5 23. h3 Nh6 24. Rxa6 Rxa6 25. Rxa6 Bc7 26. Nd4 Kf7 27. Nb5 Re7 28. Bh4 Rd7 29. Ra7 Nf5 30. Bg3 h4 31. Bf4 g5 32. Bxg5 Kg6 33. Nxc7 Rd1+ 34. Kh2 Kxg5 35. Nxe6+ Kg6 36. Nf4+ Kg5 37. Ne2 Re1 38. f4+ Kg6 39. Ng1 Rf1 40. Nf3 Ra1 41. a3 bxa3 42. bxa3 Rc1 43. a4 Rc4 44. a5 Rxf4 45. a6 Ra4 46. Ra8 Kf7 47. a7 Ke7 48. Rh8 1-0.

Round 5 will be held on February 8, 2022 at 7:15pm ET (7:30 games start) with matches played on https://lichess.org.

BASIS DC – Montgomery Blair High School

Richard Montgomery High School – Woodrow Wilson High School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School – McLean High School

Gonzaga College High School – South Lakes High School

Thomas J. Wootton High School – Rochambeau French Intl. School

Col. Zadok Magruder High School – West Springfield High School

Northwest High School – Rockville High School

St. Albans School – Georgetown Preparatory School

James Hubert Blake High School – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Washington International School – Justice High School

Don Bosco Cristo Rey – The SEED Public Charter School

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 5 Results

by Chess Center
2022-01-232022-03-30

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.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 3 Results

by Chess Center
2022-01-122022-03-30

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.

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

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 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

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 4 Results

by Chess Center
2022-01-092022-01-12

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.

Elementary Team League 2021-22: Round 3 Results

by Chess Center
2021-12-192022-01-12

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.

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.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-22: Round 2 Results

by Chess Center
2021-12-152022-03-30

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

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

Elementary Team League Matchday 2: Results and Standings

by Chess Center
2021-12-042021-12-15

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.

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.

Elementary Team League Kicks Off New Season

by U.S. Chess Center Admin
2021-11-222021-12-15

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.

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.

Metro Area Chess League 2021-2022: Round 1 Results

by Chris McCleary
2021-11-172021-12-03

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…

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

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

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

Elementary Team League (ETL): Match Day 7 (of 8)

by Chris McCleary
2021-10-252021-12-27

Students participating in a U.S. Chess Center after-school chess club have the opportunity to participate in the Elementary Team League, a fun competition that takes place from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm on various Saturdays from November until March. This local team event has been a tradition for more than 20 years, bringing together students to represent their chess clubs in friendly matches against other schools. Students of all levels of experience are welcome.