NSCF News

Only a few months ago it seemed unimaginable that someone would be rocking the streaming world with chess. But that’s what’s happened over the past year for Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. Online gaming ratings had just started to surpass many cable television networks in 2018 when Hikaru first began streaming chess on Twitch. With viewers interested…

The saying that “every cloud has a silver lining” came true for the NSCF when we were invited to host in-person chess tournaments at The Hudson in Inwood Park. Sunil Weeramantry used to teach chess to restaurateur Jimmy Goldman’s son, Dylan. When Sunil shared that the schools where we usually held events were closed to…

Sunil and the NSCF are involved in a lot of different chess initiatives. In this interview with GM Cristian Chirila asks FM Sunil Weeramantry, our Founder and Exec Director, about many of these interests. He of course speaks about his relationship with GM Hikaru Nakamura but also about chess in the curriculum, our book Great…

During the 2018 USCF Elementary Nationals, FM Sunil Weeramantry was interviewed by Ben Johnson for his Perpetual Chess podcast. The two discussed Sunil’s career in chess, both past and present, and plans for the future, as well as some general insights in competitive chess and chess in education. You can hear the interview by clicking…

The NSCF’s community chess programs, serving Sunrise and all of Broward County, Florida, are featured in this article from the April 2018 edition of Chess Life magazine, the official magazine of US Chess Federation. You can read the article by clicking this link. We’re ready to bring this to more communities nationwide. Get in touch to find…

Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana just won the 2018 Candidates tournament which means he will go on to compete against Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship. Already having an American contender, for the first time since Bobby Fischer, is creating media buzz. NSCF Executive Director Sunil Weeramantry was asked to share his thoughts on Fabiano, and on…

In this feature story from the March issue of WAG Magazine, writer Ryan Deffenbaugh reports on our book “Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History” and picks up on one of his favorite stories from the book on how the Battle of Trenton may have turned out quite differently for Washington’s army were it not for…

At the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, our belief is that the benefits of teaching chess to children go far beyond their time spent in front of a chessboard. Through chess, students hone their critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and strategic planning aptitudes. Chess improves focus and teaches children to stay on task. But we recognize that not all children are instantly enamored…

Despite persistent rain and gusty breezes, over 150 children and parents came out for an afternoon of chess on Columbus Day at the New Rochelle Public Library. The event, produced by the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, featured open play for all ages and abilities, and a simultaneous game where NSCF instructor Ricardo Perez Billinghurst, a…

“Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History” is a new blended learning textbook from the NSCF that teaches chess and social studies. Tracing the development of chess from its origins in ancient India, the authors take the student on a far-ranging journey through the palaces of medieval and Renaissance Europe to the cafés of the Enlightenment…

The NSCF is expanding its operations in Broward County, Florida by hiring teacher-mentors to assist some of many teachers who have taken the Demystifying Chess Workshops and are offering chess in the classroom, in after-school and in community programs. Our first hire is a veteran math teacher who has had great success introducing children to chess,…

Tharin Chadwick, affectionately known as “Dr. Chess” to his students, and beloved member of the NSCF family, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, November 6, 2016, just 2 days before his 50th birthday. Tharin was one of the longest-serving NSCF instructors. An inspiring chess teacher to thousands of Greenwich and Westchester County students, Tharin worked to be a role model…

More than just a game, throughout its history chess has had an intrinsic relationship with cultures around the world. From its origin in India over 2500 years ago, through the Renaissance and into modern times, chess has been a source of inspiration for painters, sculptors, musicians and writers. As part of its mission to increase…

The National Scholastic Chess Foundation recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with an intimate fundraising dinner at the home of Betsy & Doug Korn. NSCF Executive Director Sunil Weeramantry shared some of the organization’s initiatives to grow scholastic chess and to recognize the game’s role as a cultural activity as well as a tool to increase…

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and his dad, Sunil Weeramantry went to Detroit where Hikaru took on the Mighty Members of the Detroit City Chess Club. The 50 board simul was held on August 21, 2015 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The club is part of Young Thinkers Detroit, an organization formed to encourage children and…

The NSCF’s after school program at Bronxville Elementary was featured on The Patch. The article included an interview with instructor Silvio Rosato. The Bronxville team is a consistent performer at USCF National scholastic tournaments and each year the school hosts a NSCF Grand Prix tournament. Check out the full article here.

Sports author and NSCF board member Betsy Berns Korn shared a parent’s perspective on the benefits of chess for children on an interview for the radio program “Happy and Healthy at Any Age.” The show, which airs weekly on Greenwich, CT radio station 1490 WGCH, is hosted by Robin Pastore whose own children also play…

Mayor Noam Branson, Senior Master Josh Colas and NSCF Executive Director Sunil Weeramantry   The rainy forecast did not deter over 100 area chess players who came out for Chess in the Park held on Columbus Day at Library Green Park in New Rochelle. Mayor Noam Bramson welcomed the crowd and made the ceremonial first…

When Uganda’s junior chess champion Phiona Mutesi met with students at Westchester and Fairfield County schools it was to do more than share a few pointers with the chess team. She and her coach, Robert Katende shared their inspiring stories of how chess, education and determination came together to create an amazing life transformation. Phiona…

Uganda’s junior chess champion Phiona Mutesi and her coach, Robert Katende will visit students at some of our NSCF schools to share her inspiring story of how chess, education and faith came together to create an amazing life transformation. Phiona’s story is told in the book “The Queen of Katwe” (Scribner, paperback released October 2013)…

For the past eight years, NSCF has partnered with the US Chess Trust to present the National Scholar-Chessplayer Awards. This award is presented to five high school students from across America in recognition of each player’s outstanding academic achievement, leadership abilities and sportsmanship as well as chess play. The total scholarship amount of $7,500 is now divided…