League

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.