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Rockefeller

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.

Results from the Rockefeller Qualifier on Saturday, May 14th

Eighteen DC elementary school students turned up for the DC K-5 Championship qualifier this past Saturday, May 14th, to determine who would have the honor of representing the District at this summer’s national Rockefeller Tournament of Elementary School Champions.  Congratulatons to Lenox Serrette who won the tournament with victories in all five rounds.

We were happy to see that, among the field of participants, there were ten children playing in their first nationally rated competition.  Playing in important tournaments is the fastest and surest way to improving your playing strength, no matter the result.

To view the full standings from Saturday’s event, click here.

DC K-5 Championship on May 14

In just over two weeks, the District of Columbia will select its representative in the national tournament of elementary school champions.  This year’s qualification tournament is to be held at the Kellogg Conference Center at 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington DC 20002, on Saturday, May 14.  The winner earns the right to play in the Rockefeller National Tournament of Elementary School Champions later this summer.

The tournament is open to D.C. residents in kindergarten through grade 5.  This is a nationally rated tournament, so players must be or become U.S. Chess Federation members in order to play. The tournament starts at 9:30 the morning of May 14, but registration closes on Thursday, May 12 at 3:00 P.M., so players interested in taking part should be sure to sign up before then.

More information and online registration is available at https://dcscholasticchess.org/tournaments .