National Elementary School (K-6) Preview!

This weekend, May 12 through 14, the US Chess National Elementary School (K-6) Championship takes place in Baltimore, MD! This national event features some of the best scholastic chess players in the United States and US Chess is proud to host this exciting event.

First thing’s first, registration is still open. If you have not registered, please visit the event page and register online. On-site prices will be slightly higher than pre-registering.

Now, here are a few selections from the schedule of events that you can look forward to at the 2023 National Elementary School (K-6) Championship!

Special Guest Grandmasters Benjamin Finegold and Maxim Dlugy

US Chess is proud to welcome guest grandmasters Benjamin Finegold and Maxim Dlugy to the National Elementary School Championship! GM Finegold is a famous Twitch streamer, YouTube personality, and teacher. GM Dlugy is the founder of Chess Max Academy. The pair will be on-site for many special sessions throughout the weekend, including a brand-new event (bughouse!).

See if you've got what it takes to beat GM Dlugy at the "Take-on-all-Comers" Blitz sessions on Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
See if you’ve got what it takes to beat GM Finegold at the “Take-on-all-Comers” Blitz sessions on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Come see if there really is strength in numbers as GMs Finegold and Dlugy host a special 30-board tandem simul exhibition on Friday at 9 a.m.
Come and learn from the best with four Grandmaster Lectures with Q&A. GM Dlugy will host lectures Friday at 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. GM Finegold's lectures will be Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Finally, see if you and a friend can take down GMs Finegold and Dlugy at the "Take-on-all-Comers" Bughouse session on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Girls Club Events and Special Guest

All female players with their families and coaches are invited to the US Chess Girls Club room to take part in special events throughout the weekend. Special guest WGM Sabina Foisor will join WGM Jennifer Shahade for game analyses, lectures, and more!

Blitz and Bughouse Tournaments

Anything can happen during Blitz and Bughouse, which is why it's such an exciting part of our national events! Be sure to sign up for (or stop in to see) the thrilling, fast-moving action.

Blitz tournament will be Thursday, May 11 at 5 p.m. Entry fee is $40, on-site until 4 p.m.
Bughouse will be Thursday, May 11 at 11 a.m. Entry is $30 per two-player team, on-site between 9-10 a.m.

Friends and Family Chess Tournament

Not competing in the K-6 but still love to play chess? Join other parents, grandparents, and friends for a special Friends and Family Tournament on Saturday. Four rounds of G/30 games in rated and unrated sections. Join the fun! Registration will be open until 10 a.m. day-of, and the entry fee is $30.

Watch Live on Twitch and Follow Along on CLO

US Chess will be broadcasting live commentary and analysis from our Twitch channel for rounds five through seven. First broadcasts begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday with special guest commentators IM Igor Khmelnitsky and WGM Sabina Foisor, who will provide insights and connect all the critical moves for the top boards. Give us a follow, subscribe, and watch live at www.twitch.tv/USChess.

And of course, there will be amazing chess in the playing hall among the 2,084 (and counting!) competitors. We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore (or on our Twitch stream) and will be keeping you updated about the 2023 National Elementary School (K-6) Championship on Twitter and here, at Chess Life Online with daily recaps from IM Sandeep Sethuraman.