SUMMER CHESS PROGRAMS
Westchester’s Premier Summer Chess Camps
For families looking to keep their children sharp over the long summer break, the National Scholastic Chess Foundation is offering 6 weeks of chess-focused camps at The Leffell School in Hartsdale, NY. As Westchester’s leading provider of scholastic chess instruction for over 35 years, NSCF summer camps are uniquely led by titled chess masters and tournament professionals.
The NSCF program balances formal instruction with friendly competition through both group and individual sessions, and every day includes outdoor activities such as soccer and basketball. A hot lunch is included in the full-time camp fee.
The NSCF’s summer instructional team is led by International Master Silas Ebsen Lund and staffed by full-time chess professionals who remain active tournament competitors. That combination of classroom expertise and firsthand competitive experience defines how they work with children.
Whether a camper is picking up the game for the first time or looking to sharpen existing skills, the goal is the same: to leave as a stronger player with tools that extend well beyond the board.
For 2026, camp sessions run the weeks of July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 10, and 17. Registration is now open.
Want to learn more about the program? Check out this Youtube video discussing the Hartsdale program and its many benefits for children.
Chess camp in White Plains
Each year the NSCF partners with the City of White Plains Parks & Recreation Department to produce a one-week camp for beginners and newer tournament players. This year, camp is from July 6 to 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gillie Recreation Room, 85 Gedney Way. Register for the White Plains chess camp by clicking here.
Hunter Chess Camp - Manhattan
The NSCF also administers the chess camps at Hunter College Campus Schools in Manhattan. For 2026, those camps run five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weeks of July 6, 13, and 20. This camp is led by renowned coaches Jeremy Scheinbach and NM Anatoly Trubman. Registration is open for the Hunter camps.
THE VALUE OF SUMMER CAMP
The case for structured summer programming goes beyond chess. Research consistently shows that unstructured summers take a measurable toll on academic progress. A 2013 Johns Hopkins University survey found that 66 percent of teachers spend three to four weeks re-teaching material at the start of each school year, with nearly a quarter spending five to six weeks doing so. A more recent study by Northwest Educational Assessments found that students in grades three through five lost an average of 20 percent of their reading gains and 27 percent of their math gains over the summer months. Structured programs, the same research noted, were also linked to meaningful social-emotional growth in children.
“Ideally a summer camp will appeal to your child’s personal interest and combine academic challenges along with physical activities,” says NSCF founding director Sunil Weeramantry. “The academic challenges should be over and above those offered during the school year, but still be age and grade level appropriate, and in some way preparative to education in the upcoming year. The importance is having your child exercise both mind and body during the summer so that she has fun but is also keeping up the skills required to have success during the school year.”
PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES
Beyond its own camps, the NSCF also places chess instructors within general interest programs offered by parks and recreation departments and other youth-serving organizations. Some partner programs offer half-day camps where chess serves as the central activity. Organizations interested in incorporating chess into their summer programming are encouraged to contact the NSCF directly. Email classes@nscfchess.org.