To add your women's or girls regional event, contact jshahade@uschess.org with an email listing the basic info of your event with a 100 word maximum (Please include when, where, round times and website link to register or for more information.) Find out more about the US Chess Women's initiative here, and follow news on previous events featuring top women and girls.
Online Women's Events:
US Chess Women: Thursday night girls club classes on Zoom for US Chess Members, hosted by Jennifer Shahade and special guests. We also have a monthly Cross-Cultural Chess Program with Kenyan chess girls. You can join the mailing list at https://tinyurl.com/girlschessmailinglist to stay posted on the lineup.
Monday nights at 8:15 EST (March 8, 15, 22)- Adult Women's Chess Classes with NM Laura Smith and Jennifer Shahade. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/womenschessclass US Chess membership required.
Saturday, March 27th at 2 PM CT: Thalia Cervantes will be giving a chess lecture in partnership with Mid-South Chess and the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in Memphis, TN. Eligible students can use this link on the day of the event.
Friday, April 16th-The Eight by Katherine Neville, our fifth edition of our Madwoman's book club.
The Madwoman's Book Club started on November 13, with "The Queen's Gambit" by Walter Tevis and continued with book clubs on Mastermind by Maria Konnikova and Mind and Matter by Louisa Thomas and John Urschel and the Queen of Katwe featuring Phiona Mutesi. Sign up here and find out more on new.uschess.org/bookclub.
Saturday, April 17th: Chess Kid USA Women and Girls Championships, hosted by Women's Program Director Jennifer Shahade. Register here!
Ongoing:
Unruly Queens Series of Camps and Tournaments, one of our online grant recipients in partnership with the Saint Louis Chess Club.
Her League presented by Her Move Next, upcoming classes on April 9th and May 7th
https://www.hermovenext.com/her-league-info
Saturday nights: Ladies Knight tournaments on lichess, hosted by Adia Onyango. Find out more details each week by joining the Facebook group.
Previous Online Events:
Isolated Queens I and II, US Chess Women events hosted on chess.com with twitch.tv/BotezLive to promote girls and women in chess during social isolation. Sponsored by Ian "Maprail Silverstone, Barbara and Richard Schiffrin and Open Field Media.
Promoting to Queens Four: The Chess Queen Zooms Any Way She Wants. The final, online edition of our grant partnership between Saint Louis Chess Club and California Youth Chess League.
Regular Events (on a break due to social distancing policies)
Ladies Knight chess classes, Thursday nights at the Saint Louis Chess Club at 6:30 PM in three separate sections, Pure Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.
Colorado Women's Chess and Wine Club
Regal Bakery and Chess Cafe (1141 Syracuse St, Denver CO, 80220)
Open to all women 21 and over.
This club is funded by the Colorado State Chess Association and is FREE to join! For more information, contact Kevin McConnell at mcconnellk2@yahoo.com or 303-501-0974 and register online here.
- FREE chess classes for women with head coach Gracie Mukayess
- Sip wine and enjoy free hors d'oeuvres while learning The Royal Game
- Learn effective strategies, tactics, vizualization and planning skills
- Make new friends while learning about the fascinating world of chess
- Be treated like a Queen - the most powerful piece on the board!
Mechanics' Institute Chess for Women Program: Free Chess Class for Beginner and Intermediate Women Players of All Ages, Sundays from 11 AM to 1 PM
First time opportunity for women of all ages to receive benefits of chess instruction from a woman's perspective.
Where: Room 407 at the Mechanics' Institute,
57 Post St., San Francisco (near Montgomery BART)
Instructor: Ewelina Krubnik
More info on the Mechanics website
Highlighted Past Events
October 19, 2019-Third Annual Girls & Women Mid Atlantic Regional, a recipient of the US Chess Women Program Grant Award.
November 24, 2019- 2019 Chess & Science Festival An all-girls and women tournament that showcases the ties between chess & STEM, organized by Belakovskaia Chess Academy in collaboration with Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium & University of Arizona.
August 2019
Ruth Haring National Girls Tournament of Champions (RHNGTOC), Orlando, August 3-6, held in conjunction with the U.S. Open. Read the press release on renaming the event NGTOC to RHNGTOC. This event kicked off with a simul from US Women's Champion Jennifer Yu and was won by Martha Samadashvili of New York.
National Events
Girls Club Room at the K-12 Chess Championships in Orlando, Florida, December 12-15
Ongoing
Ladies Knight chess classes, Thursday nights at the Saint Louis Chess Club at 6:30 PM in three separate sections, Pure Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.
Colorado Women's Chess and Wine Club
Regal Bakery and Chess Cafe (1141 Syracuse St, Denver CO, 80220)
October 18, November 1, November 15, December 6, December 20, January 3. Open to all women 21 and over.
This club is funded by the Colorado State Chess Association and is FREE to join! For more information, contact Kevin McConnell at mcconnellk2@yahoo.com or 303-501-0974 and register online here.
- FREE chess classes for women with head coach Gracie Mukayess
- Sip wine and enjoy free hors d'oeuvres while learning The Royal Game
- Learn effective strategies, tactics, vizualization and planning skills
- Make new friends while learning about the fascinating world of chess
- Be treated like a Queen - the most powerful piece on the board!
Mechanics' Institute Chess for Women Program: Free Chess Class for Beginner and Intermediate Women Players of All Ages, Sundays from 11 AM to 1 PM
First time opportunity for women of all ages to receive benefits of chess instruction from a woman's perspective.
Where: Room 407 at the Mechanics' Institute,
57 Post St., San Francisco (near Montgomery BART)
Instructor: Ewelina Krubnik
More info on the Mechanics website
October 19, 2019-Third Annual Girls & Women Mid Atlantic Regional
Location: Hilton Garden Inn 1225 First Street NE Washington, DC 20002
This event is a recipient of the US Chess Women Program Grant Award.
November 23, 2019, Rosemont, IL
Download full flyer here for full information on the Midwest Women's Regional.
NOV. 23-24 OR 24 4th Annual NY State Girls Championship!
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, 36 West 93rd St-
Find full details on the New York, November TLA section.
November 24, 2019- 2019 Chess & Science Festival –An all-girls and women tournament that showcases the ties between chess & STEM, organized by Belakovskaia Chess Academy in collaboration with Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium & University of Arizona.
Sign up for the event here, and find the facebook link here.
This event is a recipient of the US Chess Women Program Grant Award.
Highlighted Past Events
August 2019
Ruth Haring National Girls Tournament of Champions (RHNGTOC), Orlando, August 3-6, held in conjunction with the U.S. Open. Read the press release on renaming the event NGTOC to RHNGTOC. This event kicked off with a simul from US Women's Champion Jennifer Yu and was won by Martha Samadashvili of New York.
International Master Norm Tournament, Aug 16-20, Berkeley, CA, won by GM Irina Krush
July 2019- US Junior Girls Championships (July 10-20, Saint Louis), won by Carissa Yip
U.S. Women's Open in Las Vegas: Listen to the podcast interview with 2019 U.S. Women's Open Champion Megan Lee.
Girls Club Room at the National Junior High School Championships
Elementary Chess Championships (Nashville, May 10-13) with special guests WIM Carolina Blanco, WGM Katerina Nemcova and WGM Jennifer Shahade.March 2019: Girls Club Room at the K-9 Chess Championships in Schaumburg, Illinois. Read a recap from Women Program Director Jennifer Shahade here.
December 2018
Girls Club Room at the K-12 Chess Championships in Orlando, featuring special guests WIM Carolina Blanco, WGM Sabina Foisor and GM Elshan Moradiabadi
July 11-24, 2018 - St Louis, MO - US Jr Girls Closed Championship. See uschesschamps.com and our CLO news story and tactics follow-up for details on Carissa Yip's victory in this ultra competitive event.
July 28-31, 2018 The National Girls Tournament of Champions (NGTOC) is an invitational tournament of champions for girls representing each state across the US that is in conjunction with the Denker and Barber Tournaments. Includes a $5,000 scholarship for first place, as sponsored by Richard and Barbara Schiffrin
Please see nationalgirlschess.com and our CLO interview with this year's winner, Veronika Zilajeva.
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