The 2023 New York State Scholastic Chess Championship will be held in Saratoga Springs this coming weekend, March 11-12. Currently around 1500 kids are registered to play. This should break a record from 2019, and a welcome sign that chess is thriving in New York. This is a major increase over 2022 attendance, after the return to in-person chess. The Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs City Center, and Courtyard by Marriott hotel will all host portions of the tournament.
“The State Scholastics have a great home here in Saratoga, and so many young players, from Kindergarten to 12th Grade, all have the opportunity to compete and have fun playing chess while playing top-flight competition,” said Chief Tournament Director Steve Immitt. “Saratoga has proven to be the place in New York State for scholastic chess players from throughout the region to come together to renew old friendships and make new ones.” said Immitt.
Individual and team champions are crowned in the New York State Chess Association sanctioned tournament in the High School, Middle School, Elementary, Primary and K-1 sections. Champions in the High School, Middle School and Elementary sections qualify for national state invitational tournaments held in the summer. In addition to the Championship sections, other class sections are also held based on the player’s US Chess rating. All players play six games during the weekend, and the individual and team competitions are held concurrently.
“New York has some of the strongest scholastic chess players in the country,” said Event Manager Daniel Rohde. “Several nationally-titled Masters will be playing in this event, and the quality of the players and venue are on par with national scholastic tournaments. The 2022 High School, Middle School and Elementary individual winners (Nico Chasin, Brewington Hardaway, and Sam Luger respectively) are also all returning to defend their state titles” said Rohde.
The State Scholastics begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with three rounds that day and three additional rounds on Sunday. Sunday play begins at 9 a.m., with the awards ceremony anticipated to start at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The 55th Annual New York State Scholastic Chess Championship is sanctioned by the New York State Chess Association (NYSCA), the New York affiliate to US Chess, and organized by the Continental Chess Association, which runs tournaments of all sizes throughout the United States.
Official Link to Event Website: Will have updated Pairings, Standings, Results, and LIVE games from HS Championship:
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