14th Annual (2026) WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions

Revised February 21, 2026

Each summer US Chess runs 6 invitational national championships for state champions in conjunction with the U.S. Open: the Irwin (Seniors: 50+), Denker (HS: 9-12), Haring (Girls: K-12), Barber (MS: 6-8), Rockefeller (ES: K-5), and Ashley (K-3). Derived from lessons learned since the inaugural Denker in 1985, US Chess National State Invitationals Best Practices contains a list of procedures and timelines to help state affiliates and state scholastic coordinators determine and nominate their state representatives to these invitationals. When state affiliates notify players who have qualified as a nominee or alternate to an invitational, the notification should include the link to Best Practices because it contains essential information for the players, too: how and when to confirm separately with US Chess their commitment to play; where to review their confirmation status (in National State Invitationals Participant Lists); how to register online for the free, optional FM Sunil Weeramantry National Blitz Tournament of State Champions; and how to register online for the optional U.S. Open for 50% off the early registration fee.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions is an annual invitational tournament run by US Chess that has determined the Haring National Champion since 2013. The 2025 champion was WFM Irene Fei (1987, IA). A total of $18,700 in prizes will be awarded, including $5,800 in scholarship and cash prizes to the champion. The champion will also qualify for the U.S. Girls Junior Championship and either the World Youth Championship or the World Cadet Championships, as long as eligibility requirements are met.

The next Haring will be held Monday, August 3 - Thursday, August 6 in Grand Rapids, MI at the DeVos Place Convention Center during the 126^th Annual (2026) U.S. Open Chess Championship. Click on Hotel Updates for a link to Amway Grand Plazahotel accommodations at the US Chess reduced rate. If calling, mention U.S. Open Chess. If the host hotel’s room block is full, then check the U.S. Open webpage for expanded or additional room blocks and further updates.

Invitational players are encouraged to register online for the free, optional FM Sunil Weeramantry National Blitz Tournament of State Champions on Monday morning, before the invitationals’ required check-in, opening ceremony, and group photos in the afternoon and Round 1 in the evening.

Furthermore, invitational players are encouraged to register online for the U.S. Open for 50% off the early registration fee by using the discount code that will be sent to them after they confirm their invitational commitment. For invitational players the U.S. Open’s 4-day schedule is recommended strongly over the 5-day schedule because the former overlaps less with the invitationals’ schedule than does the latter. Rounds 1-3 of the 5-day schedule overlap with the invitationals’ Rounds 5 & 6 and awards ceremony, where only Rounds 1 & 2 of the 4-day schedule do. However, although discouraged strongly, playing Round 1 of the 5-day U.S. Open schedule between Rounds 4 and 5 of the invitationals is permitted. Invitational players who play in the U.S. Open will receive half-point and 0-point byes in accordance with U.S. Open rules. 

QUALIFICATION

Each state affiliate may nominate 1 player to represent its girl residents in grades K-12, and that state representative will receive free entry to the Haring. Washington, D.C. is considered a state, and California is considered 2 states (Northern California and Southern California). US Chess recommends the following methods of qualification, in descending order of preference:

1. A (state) championship section restricted to girls in grades K-12 who are state residents.
2. A section restricted to girls in grades K-12 with a high rating.
3. The highest rated girl in grades K-12 who is a state resident.

Ultimately, though, a state may determine its representative by whatever method of qualification it deems best—provided that the representative is a girl, is a state resident (or was a state resident during the state qualifier), is in grades K-12, and will be 19 or younger on September 1 of the year in which the Haring is held. If the representative is unable to compete, then the state may substitute its next highest qualifier as an alternate.

US Chess will email to each state a link to an online nomination form that must be completed by June 1. US Chess reserves the right to appoint a representative for a state that fails to meet this deadline. After the deadline, an appointment made by US Chess will take precedence over an appointment made by the state. However, after the deadline but prior to US Chess appointment of a state representative, if the state were to inform US Chess of its desired appointment, then US Chess would honor the state’s selection.

To prevent byes caused by an odd number of players in any round of the Haring, the host state (the state in which the tournament will be held) will provide a qualified alternate to even-out the pairings. If the alternate is not needed to play in a round, then the alternate has the option to be paired at no cost in a concurrent round of the U.S. Open or in any concurrent U.S. Open side event. The alternate is eligible for all prizes awarded to Haring participants.

ELIGIBILITY

During the State Qualifier for the Haring

The representative must be enrolled in a curriculum approved by the state in grades K-12. During or prior to the qualifier, the representative may also be enrolled either part-time or full-time at a college or university. The representative must be a resident of the state the player will represent. Each state may determine who is a state resident—but only of that state. Consequently, if a player were to be considered a resident by multiple states (say, both by the state in which the player maintains a home address, and by a different state in which the player attends school [day or boarding]), then the player would be eligible to represent multiple states and could compete in multiple states’ qualifying events; however, a player may not represent multiple states simultaneously.

Confirmation of Participation before the Haring

By April 15 US Chess will email to each state affiliate a link to an online nomination form that must be completed by the state affiliate by June 1 and should be completed as soon as each nominee has been determined (ideally by May 1), to help administer the tournaments. Soon after receiving a state affiliate's nomination, US Chess will contact the nominee, who will be replaced if the nominee fails to reconfirm promptly (ideally within 7 days) the nominee's commitment to play. Confirmed nominees will be listed in the National State Invitationals Participant Lists.

During the Haring

A player may represent only 1 state and may play in only 1 of the 6 simultaneous national invitationals for state champions. A player may not represent multiple states simultaneously—neither in the same invitational, nor in multiple invitationals. Proof of eligibility is the responsibility of the representative and of the state certifying the representative. The representative must have a current US Chess membership. 

After the Haring

The representative must be 19 or younger on September 1 of the year in which the Haring is held.
 

SCHEDULE: August 3-6, 2026

Players must check-in onsite before the opening ceremony. Contact Click here to show email address if travel complications or other unforeseen circumstances will delay a player’s arrival. Planned late arrivals will not be accepted. The Chief Tournament Director of the Invitationals (CTDI) may allow up to 2 half-point byes for excused absences. Players not checked in within 1 hour of the start of Round 1 will be paired only if the alternate is available; otherwise, they will not receive a bye for Round 1.

All players (including the host state’s alternate) are required to attend the opening ceremony. Attendees should wear smart casual clothing. Neither T-shirts, tank tops, nor shorts are permitted. Photos will be taken for Chess Life, Chess Life for Kids, and state chess publications, so please look sharp. This dress code applies only to the opening ceremony.

RULES

Insofar as the Invitationals are prestigious national championships, players are representing their states, and significant scholarships and prizes are at stake, players are required to play all 6 rounds of this Swiss tournament. Any player who is unable to play in a round must notify the CTDI as soon as possible—preferably in person onsite or via Click here to show email address offsite. This allows time for the CTDI to substitute or remove the host state’s alternate player, if needed.

A player:

• Whose absence from a round is excused by the CTDI shall receive a half-point bye for that round. The CTDI may grant up to 2 such byes.
• Whose withdrawal from the tournament or forfeiture of a round has not been approved by the CTDI before the withdrawal/forfeiture is subject to disciplinary action by US Chess.
• Who withdraws or is expelled from the tournament loses all rights to any prizes.
• Whom the CTDI expels for violations of fair play shall have the player’s case forwarded by the CTDI to the US Chess Ethics Committee for review. If the Ethics Committee finds that the player violated fair play, then the player is subject to the full range of sanctions available to the Ethics Committee, including (but not limited to) loss or suspension of US Chess membership and/or loss of the privilege to attend future national invitationals for state champions, as deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee. The player has the right to appeal a sanction imposed in accordance with the timeline and procedures given to the player upon notification of the sanction.
• Should understand the player’s rights and responsibilities under US Chess Safe Play Policy. US Chess has zero tolerance for abuse or misconduct within the chess community, and those found to have violated the Safe Play Policy will be sanctioned appropriately. If a player feels unsafe or uncomfortable interacting with anyone during this event, then the player should report the problem immediately to a tournament director or US Chess staff at Chess Control.

The tournament follows FIDE rules and is both FIDE rated and US-Chess-rated. Please study the differences between FIDE and US Chess rules. US Chess National Scholastic Chess Tournament Regulations do not apply.

US Chess will provide boards, pieces, and scoresheets—but not clocks. The time control is G90 +30: 90 minutes base time with a 30-second increment added after each move. Players should bring a chess clock that supports this time control and know how to set it (consult YouTube). Under this time control, players must record every move; there’s no time-pressure exception to the recording requirement. Furthermore, players must furnish a complete and legible scoresheet at the conclusion of each round.

The default time is 60 minutes from the start of the round. Any player arriving 60 minutes or more after the start of the round will lose the game by forfeit. If both players in a pairing are not present when the round begins, the tournament staff will start White’s clock, which shall run until White either arrives and moves or fails to arrive by the 60-minute default time.

While playing in an invitational round, a player may not play multiple games simultaneously. That is, a player may neither play multiple games simultaneously in the same invitational (for multiple states), nor play multiple games simultaneously in multiple invitationals (neither for the same state, nor for a different state), nor in another tournament (neither the U.S. Open, a side event of the U.S. Open, nor any other tournament).

PRIZES

College/University Scholarships and Plaques

• 1^st    $5,000 & Plaque
• 2^nd   $4,000 & Plaque
• 3^rd    $3,000 & Plaque
• 4^th    $2,000 & Plaque
• 5^th    $1,000 & Plaque

If multiple players were to finish with a tied score for a scholarship, then it would go to the highest finisher based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition); there would not be a playoff. A recipient may use the scholarship at any school of higher learning. To redeem a scholarship, the recipient must contact the US Chess Senior Accountant at Click here to show email address, provide proof of enrollment in an institution of higher learning (including the student ID number), prove standing as at least a half-time student, and claim the scholarship prior to the recipient’s 26^th birthday.

Cash Prizes

• 1^st     $800
• 2^nd    $500
• 3^rd    $400
• 4^th    $300
• 5^th    $200 (each player tied for 5^th will receive $100)

These cash prizes will be split among tied players.

Ursula Foster 11 & Under Memorial Award

The $1,000 Ursula Foster Memorial Award will be presented to the highest finisher 11 or younger as of the first day of the tournament. There must be at least 2 eligible players for the award to be given. If there are fewer than 2 participants 11 or younger, then the award will go to the top finisher 12 or younger. If multiple players were to finish with a tied score for this financial prize, then it would go to the highest finisher based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition).

Joanne Haskel Memorial Award

The $100 Joanne Haskel Memorial Award will be presented to the highest finisher with a rating under 1600. If multiple players were to finish with a tied score for this financial prize, then it would go to the highest finisher based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition).

Dwight Barber Biggest Overall Upset Award

The Dwight Barber Biggest Overall Upset Award of $100 is awarded to the biggest overall upset in the tournament and is in addition to the award for Biggest Upset in each round.

Winners of cash prizes and awards who are 18 or older will receive an invitation from BILL.com to create an account for electronic-payment processing. If the recipient is 17 or younger and/or does not want to create a BILL.com account, then at some point after the tournament US Chess will mail a check to the address on the player’s US Chess membership record. Please check your US Chess dashboard to make sure your correct postal mail address is listed. An IRS Form W-9 is required before US Chess can pay a winner of $2,000 or more.

Gift Certificates for U.S. Open Chess Store

• Best Game                                                                $100
• Biggest Upset in each round                          $50 (6 rounds) – draws count as half the rating difference
• State versus State                                                $400 (total)

State versus State Championship

The 6 invitational national championships held concurrently with the U.S. Open are:

• John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions
• GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions
• WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions
• Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School State Champions
• John D. Rockefeller III National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions
• GM Maurice Ashley National Tournament of K-3 State Champions

The state whose representatives have the highest combined score will be recognized. Gift certificates for the U.S. Open Chess Store will be awarded to each player from the 3 highest-scoring states ($100, $80, and $70, respectively). In addition, gift certificates will be awarded to each player of the highest-scoring state whose players’ average rating is Under 2100 ($60), Under 1900 ($50), or Under 1600 ($40). States must have at least 4 players from the 6 concurrent national invitationals for state champions to be eligible for team prizes. If the host state has 2 representatives in 1 or more of the 6 concurrent national invitationals for state champions, then only the representative’s score (not the alternate’s score) will count toward the team total. Ties for a team prize will be broken by summing the team members’ individual Modified Median, Solkoff, then Cumulative tiebreaks. Each state’s Irwin (Senior: 50+) representative will be the state’s honorary captain.

Internet Chess Club (ICC) Membership

Each participant (including the host state’s alternate) who completes all 6 rounds will receive a free, 1-year ICC membership valued at $70. If a participant is already a current ICC member, then the participant will receive a 1-year membership extension.

Awards Ceremony

Gift certificates must be picked up during the awards ceremony and may be redeemed only onsite with the U.S. Open Chess Store vendor. All cash prizes will be awarded via BILL.com and are intended to reimburse some players for tournament expenses. 

7th ANNUAL FM SUNIL WEERAMANTRY NATIONAL BLITZ TOURNAMENT OF STATE CHAMPIONS

The FM Sunil Weeramantry National Blitz Tournament of State Champions is an annual invitational event run by US Chess that has determined the Weeramantry National Champion since 2020. The 2025 co-champions were IM Liam Henry Putnam (2562, NY) and Nehanraj Ramesh (2100, IA). Monday, August 3, 2026, 10 AM - 1 PM. Optional. No entry fee. Open only to players in the 6 national invitationals for state champions running concurrently with the U.S. Open: the Irwin, Denker, Haring, Barber, Rockefeller, and Ashley. 5 sections: Championship (2100+), 1800-2099, 1500-1799, 1200-1499, & Under 1200. Prizes: $4,000 ($800 per section). Section eligibility and pairings determined strictly by US Chess Regular rating for the month of the start date of the tournament—no playing up. The tournament follows US Chess rules and is US-Chess-rated. 4DSS: 4 round Double Swiss (2 games per round, alternating colors). G3 +2: 3-minutes base time with a 2-second increment added after each move. Players must bring a chess clock that supports this time control and know how to set it (consult YouTube). If neither player brings a clock to the board, then both players will forfeit the round. US Chess will provide boards and pieces—but not clocks. 9:45 AM: announcements & review rules. All Invitational players are welcome to register for the free, optional Weeramantry Blitz tournament by filling out an online form, the link to which will be emailed to them. No onsite signups.

Prizes for each of the 5 sections: Gift Certificates for the U.S. Open Chess Store

• 1^st    $240
• 2^nd   $200
• 3^rd    $160
• 4^th    $120
• 5^th      $80

If multiple players were to finish with a tied score for 1 of these financial prizes, then it would go to the highest finisher based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition); there would not be a playoff.

HARING SPONSORS

The primary sponsors are US Chess, US Chess: John D Rockefeller IV Scholarship Fund, US Chess Trust, Anonymous, and Internet Chess Club (ICC).

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS

Players are responsible for arranging and financing their travel and accommodations. Players sharing rooms should make their arrangements carefully, as neither US Chess, nor the tournament sponsors are responsible for any consequences arising from such arrangements. Please note that registration in a hotel room requires the presence of a person at least 21 years old.

INFORMATION FOR ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

Consistent with the Guidelines for Accessible Chess Events, send requests for reasonable accommodations during the tournament to Click here to show email address 2-3 weeks before the tournament. Requests for accommodations made on site will be handled to the best of our ability.

QUESTIONS?

Contact the Chair of the US Chess National State Invitationals Committee, Mike Nietman, at Click here to show email address or 608.467.8510 (landline; no texting) by Saturday, August 1. Otherwise, email Click here to show email address.

If a tournament-related situation arises that is not covered by the text above, then it will be resolved by the Chair of the US Chess National State Invitationals Committee.