National Middle School (K-8) Championship Preview!

This weekend, April 21 through 23, the US Chess National Middle School (K-8) Championship takes place in Round Rock, TX! 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 2022 National Middle School (K-8) Championship!

Special Guest Grandmaster Julio Sadorra

US Chess is proud to welcome guest grandmaster Julio Sadorra to the National Middle School Championship! Julio is the head coach for the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) chess program and is a three-time Texas state champion. GM Sadorra will be on-site for many special sessions throughout the weekend.

See if you’ve got what it takes to beat GM Sadorra at the “Take-on-all-Comers” Blitz sessions on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Come see if there really is strength in numbers as GM Sadorra hosts a special 30-board simul exhibition on Friday at 9 a.m.
Come and learn from the best at GM Sadorra's Grandmaster Lectures with Q&A on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Girls Club Events and Special Guests

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 guests WIM Luciana Morales, WIM Emily Nguyen, and WIM Dr. Alexey Root will all be making appearances for games 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, April 20 at 5 p.m. Entry fee is $40, on-site until 4 p.m.
Bughouse will be Thursday, April 20 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-8 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 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT on Saturday with special guest commentators WIM Emily Nguyen and IM Douglas Root, 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 1,229 (and counting!) competitors. We look forward to seeing you in Grapevine (or on our Twitch stream) and will be keeping you updated about the 2023 National Middle School (K-8) Championship on Twitter and here, at Chess Life Online with daily recaps from Dr. Alexey Root, WIM, and annotations from FM Sandeep Sethuraman.