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…
Our next “Quads at the Hudson” is Sunday, May 2, 2021. Registration is open now. On Sunday, November 15, the NSCF presented its first over-the-board tournament since the springtime and what a great event it turned out to be. Thanks to our friends restaurateur Jimmy Goldman and his son Dylan who hosted the event at…
“When I was first introduced to the game of chess, I was five years old, and I remember thinking to myself that the pawns should have their own names too,” recalls Thomas Schiwek. “Just because they were small, they were far from insignificant. I came to learn, quickly enough, that they had a unique power…
Ridgeway Elementary School was a chess powerhouse for two decades, so when a former student enrolled his own son in the school, it came as a surprise that there was no longer a strong chess culture. Changes in administration and other program offerings saw chess become one of many programs for students, instead of the…
When Bryan Nella’s wife returned from a Post Road Elementary School PTA meeting to report there was no parent coordinator for the chess program last year, she was effectively conscripting her husband into service. He had his own school chess experience while growing up and here was the opportunity to help another generation. The NSCF…
Teaching has become as important as playing for National Master William Graif, one of the NSCF’s star alumni. The 18-year-old senior at Edgemont High School is both player and coach for his school’s chess team, which just won the New York State Scholastic Chess Championship for the second year in a row. William began playing…
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…
The winners of our 2017-18 NSCF Grand Prix competition were presented their awards after the November 18, 2019 tournament held at Greenwich Country Day School. It was exciting to have so many of these aspiring chess players on hand to pick up their plaques in person and to play in the tournament. For the complete…
Brunswick School and Greenwich Academy took home many of the top honors at the 2018 Greenwich City Scholastic Chess Championship held on January 21. Many of the sections were super tight, as evidenced by GA’s Serena Evans and Brunswick’s Miles Gillott who both scored 3.5 our of a possible 4 points; Serena won on tie-breaks to become 4th…
Chess player Jared Schwartz attributes his proficiency in chess to “intense learning at an early age”. Pointing out that chess is its own language, Jared said, “Learning a language at 40 is hard where learning one at 6 is easier.” The seventh grader at Solomon Schechter Upper School in Hartsdale said he first learned to…
Participation has increased this year with 42 boys active in the after school chess program “Chess Encore;” 33 boys also play on the Brunswick chess team with many more coming to tournaments than ever before. In the November NSCF tournament at Greenwich Academy, 31 played with many scoring in the top 4 as individuals and…
Because ESL teachers work with individuals or very small groups of students, many don’t have a classroom. When Mark Hegenauer came to Columbus Elementary School in New Rochelle in 1998, “I was set up in a closet.” While space may not be a problem for ESL, it’s definitely a problem when more kids are interested…
The very first tournament I played was a NSCF tournament. It was 5 years ago. I was 7 years old and unrated. I felt no pressure and just had fun. I won the Novice section with 4/4 and a first place trophy. I was hooked. I liked the tournaments. They were a lot of fun…
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…
Our Individual Winners The 2016 Westchester County Scholastic Chess Championships were held at Church Street Elementary in White Plains on Saturday, March 5. Over 100 students from all grades competed for both individual and team prizes. Here are most of the top prize winners: Nicklaus Breslin from Pelham HS (right) won the combined Middle School/High School section…
“I’d really like to get above 2000. That’s my goal,” says chess player Danielle Sharp. “Having a goal encourages me to focus.” The 2015 NSCF Grand Prix high school champion, Danielle also took 2nd place honors in the 2016 Grand Prix after participating in only six tournaments. “I played at the Hunter tournaments more last…
Reuben O’Neill, the NSCF 2014-15 Grand Prix Middle School Champion, is a proud example of how chess can help a child learn to overcome obstacles beyond the chess board. Reuben was first introduced to chess while attending his kindergarten and first grade years at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester and really liked the game.…
Persistence and perspective are the two words that come to mind when speaking to Robby Schetlick, the 2013-14 NSCF Middle School Grand Prix chess champion. Just a minute into our conversation and I can feel his excitement for chess. “I first learned to play from my dad. There was a chess set in this hotel…
by Polly Wright The NSCF Grand Prix Awards for the 2012 – 2013 season were awarded at the first NSCF tournament of the new school year. The overall Grand Prix winner is Shawn Cobb. This is the third year in a row Shawn has won the overall championship. He also won the Middle School Championship…
Greenwich Academy student Helena Servin-Demarrais, our overall Middle School champion, was recognized during our 2015-16 NSCF Grand Prix Awards ceremony held at Greenwich Country Day School on Sunday, November 10. “Anyone can have a great event and take home a tournament trophy. The Grand Prix Awards recognize the persistence and determination of our chess players over an…
On Saturday, March 18, over 100 competitors battled in 8 sections at the 2017 Westchester Scholastic Chess Championship. Organized by grade (K-1 and Middle/High School were each combined into single sections), the tournament was open to all students regardless of where they live, with prizes awarded to the top individual and team performers. In…
The 2017 Greenwich City Scholastic Chess Championship is now in our history books or, in our case, in the results section of our website. On January 22 at Greenwich Academy, 129 competitors battled in eight sections organized by grade (K-1 and Middle/High School were each combined into single sections). The tournament was open to all students regardless of…
Led by NSCF instructor and coach, Nolan Kordsmeier, the co-ed chess club first started at lunchtimes in 1982. It grew to 145 players in 2012 with 72 participating in tournaments throughout Westchester County and southern Connecticut during the past school year and regularly winning top team and individual prizes. At the Cottle Elementary School chess…
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…
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