Chess at the Scenic Bethesda Fountain in Central Park!

Nearly 700 chess players met at the scenic Bethesda Fountain in Central Park on Saturday, September 15th, for the 18th annual Chess in the Schools (CIS) Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open, a six round unrated FREE tournament! The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) with event organizer and chess enthusiast Ed Feldman, the Chief of Fiscal Management and Resources for NYC Parks, developed the Central Park Tournament with the cooperation of Chess-In-The-Schools 18 years ago. This outdoor event continues to attract players from all over year after year. The Rapid Park Open is one of the largest outdoor chess tournaments! What a perfect way to end the summer and welcome the school year! New York City has a long history of chess players gathering in many of the local parks to play chess day and night including the famed Washington Square Park, Union Square, and Bryant Park just to name a few. The eclectic mix of people from all walks of life gathering for a common passion showcases the real beauty of chess.

“Chess players as young as four and as old as ninety from all over NYC and beyond, including teams from Delaware and Philadelphia came out to enjoy the event. The event really feels more like a community chess festival and not just a normal chess tournament.” -Shaun Smith of Chess in the Schools

Chess communities and organizations across the country have a successful blueprint on how they can organize similar events in their communities based on this well attended tournament. Please put this event on your summer calendar! Two key ideas that make this tournament successful:

1. The tournament is free for participants – Chess in the Schools makes this annual park event free for all participants. This makes everyone feel welcome no matter of socioeconomic backgrounds. It also adds to the overall fun and community gathering feel of the tournament.
2. Community Driven – Chess in the Schools partners with organizations such as NYC Parks to help facilitate and organize the event. Reach out to your local community centers and park organizations to see what is possible for hosting outdoor chess events in your communities.

“I saw all the unique venues in Central Park and wanted to find a way to hold a large chess outdoor chess tournament.” -Event organizer Ed Feldman 

“It was a perfect day with perfect weather to bring the chess community together!” -Kimberly Doo McVay of the US Chess Women’s Committee who hosted the "Empowering Women Through Chess" booth

“It’s great to see so many kids enjoying chess outside!" -GM Max Dlugy owner of Chess Max Academy