ChessKid National Festival

Join our great adventure at the ChessKid National Festival, bring your loved ones and immerse yourselves in the extraordinary world of chess that goes beyond a festival. It's a remarkable moment that brings together family fun and the enchantment of chess!

With a wide range of interactive activities, tournaments, and opportunities to connect with chess stars, this event is a thrilling and enriching chess experience for everyone.

Schedule

Plan your days at the ChessKid National Festival with our comprehensive schedule. From rated tournaments and unique contests to VIP streams and family entertainment, there will be something for everyone.

Main Tournament Schedule

Round 1: Saturday 10:00 am ET

Round 2: Saturday 2:00 pm ET

Round 3: Sunday 10:00 am ET

Round 4: Sunday 2:00 pm ET

Round 5: Monday 10:00 am ET

Round 6: Monday 2:00 pm ET

The main tournament will be open to all players K-5 with five different sections to play in. The tournament will take place over the course of the weekend with players playing two rounds a day.

Over the weekend, we're going to have two rounds of intense chess action each day. Our time control is set at G60, inc/5, allowing for up to 2 hours and 10 minutes of thrilling gameplay in each match. But don't worry, we've got breaks between rounds so you can recharge, grab a snack, and explore the rest of our event.

Prizes

Get ready to compete for spectacular prizes at the ChessKid National Festival! Stay tuned for more information on prize categories and distribution.

K-5 Championship

• Trophies to top 15 players
• Class trophies: top 3 Under 1500 or unrated
• Trophies to top 10 teams
• All players receive a medal

K-5 under 1200

• Trophies to top 10 players
• Class trophies: top 3 Under 800 or unrated
• Trophies to top 10 teams
• All players receive a medal

K-3 Championship

• Trophies to top 15 players
• Class trophies: top 3 Under 1000 or unrated
• Trophies to top 10 teams
• All players receive a medal

K-3 under 800

• Trophies to top 15 players
• Class trophies: top 3 Under 500 or unrated
• Trophies to top 10 teams
• All players receive a medal

K-1 Championship

• Trophies to top 20 players
• Trophies to top 10 teams
• All players receive a medal

 

Puzzle Challenge

Friday 6-7 pm ET

On-site registration only (free): Friday 4:30 - 5:30 pm ET

 

Blitz Championship

Saturday 5:30 - 7:30 pm ET

On-site registration only (free): Saturday 4:30 - 5:30 pm ET

2 Sections – K-5 and K-3

Prizes – trophies to top 10 individuals and top 3 teams per section

5 double rounds (10 games total), G/5 minute time control.

Blitz Awards Ceremony: Saturday 7:45 pm ET

 

Bughouse Championship

Sunday 5:30 - 7:30 pm ET

Online registration only (free): Sunday 4:30 - 5:30 pm ET
On-site registration: Sunday 4:00 - 4:30 pm ET

1 Section – K-5

Prizes – trophies to top 10 teams (2 trophies per team)

5 double rounds (10 games total), G/5 minute time control.

Bughouse Awards Ceremony: Sunday 7:45 pm ET

Entry Fees

The standard entry fee is $99. The VIP entry fee is $299.

Standard includes:

Entry into main tournament event

Get 6 months of complimentary Gold membership to ChessKid

Receive an exclusive ChessKid National Festival shirt

Get free access to Puzzle Challenge

Get free access to Bughouse Competition

Get free access to Blitz Competition

Earn a Festival Event medal

 

GothamChess VIP Experience

Includes everything in Standard package plus:

Get 12 months of complimentary Gold membership to ChessKid

Receive an exclusive ChessKid National Festival Swag Bag

Earn a Festival Event medal

Simul event with Levy Rozman, FunMasterMike, Danny Rensch, and other chess stars!

GothamChess Tournament Warm Up, Puzzle Challenge, and Bughouse Challenge

GothamChess Parent Workshop

Copy of Levy's book, How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond, with the opportunity to attend book signing

Opportunity to join a GothamChess stream covering the ChessKid National Festival

Invitation to special GM-led training camp prior to the Festival

 

Registration

• Please note that this tournament is only open to players currently in grades K-5th and their families
• Online registration only
• No in-person or on-site registration
• No on-site check-in needed for registered players
• Registration closes Friday Feb 16th, 8:00 pm ET
• Register by January 15th for the lowest fee - all entry fees will increase by $25 after 1/15/2024
• Event registration includes the main tournament as well as all 3 side events: puzzle challenge, blitz, and bughouse
• In-person (on-site) sign up is required for the side events only