Our Golden Autumn Chess Tournament was another successful, very satisfying experience for players, volunteers and founders. After the very large (150+ players) anniversary tournament last month, it felt like a cakewalk to host "only" 97 players this time. Our 20+ volunteer team tirelessly and seamlessly took care of all the logistics…
It was another amazing turnout for the Puddletown May tournament! Of the 86 players, 4 were adults, 23 were girls, and 2 were rural players. As you know Puddletown proudly offers FREE tournament entries for the following categories of players: Girl players Non-binary players Rural area players Low-income family players Section…
Hello, Puddletown chess enthusiasts! In today's discussion, we're diving into a crucial aspect of Swiss system tournaments: the tie-breaking methods. Ever find yourself tied with others at the end of a tournament, puzzled over why someone else claimed the top prize? That's where tie-breaks come into play, helping determine who stands…
April 6th marked a momentous day for chess enthusiasts as we hosted our 2024 April tournament at Puddletown Chess. This month’s Oceanic Gala not only brought together a diverse crowd of over 300 players and their families but also saw a flurry of records shattered, setting new milestones for our thriving…
The 2024 March Tournament was another successful event with almost 80 players! Fun Fact: The biggest section this time was not Section C, but Section A with over 30 people! The fun fact is that there were 4 major scholastic chess tournaments in the Portland metro area on this day and…
Many beginner parents and kids ask me about the standard algebraic notation used for chess. Let me tell you, chess notation is so much fun and easy to learn. I can guarantee that you can learn in 30 minutes, and will be an expert in 2-3 days. It is that easy!!…
We had another amazing turnout to the December Tournament of over 50 players! Of the 50 players, 5 played their first tournament, 10 were girls who received a free entry to the event and 2 free entries to players with low-income or from a rural-area. Now, for our prizes (even score medals…
Puddletown had another amazing turnout to the October Tournament with over 60 players! Huge shoutout to the Sherman County School chess team, who had to wake up at 5 a.m. (again!) to drive for almost 3 hours just to play in this tournament. Of the 60 players, 3 played their first…
We had a full house today with 40 players. Our new venue, Village Church - Beaverton was perfect with the right amount of space for players and their families. We had exactly 10 quads with many new returning players. Great job to Cody, Devan, Alexander, Austin, Andrew, and Rajvi for competing…
Our May chess tournament was unlike any other tournament we have held before. This time, we decided to do a “Spring Festival”, which is a regular Swiss tournament and not quads styled. We had an outstanding turnout with over 80 players coming to the tournament. We had 3 big sections, divided…
It was a couple of weeks before the OSCF team championships. I was just minding my business when suddenly a unique idea popped up in my head: What if my little brother Neev and I hosted practice and game analysis sessions to help our 2 favorite schools, Jacob Wismer and Stoller…
Recently the 13th annual OSCF state championship took place in seaside, where it’s been hosted since the first occurrence. Something really special about this one however was how me, Zoey, and Austin donated the cost from Puddletown to support the venue of the tournament. This is our biggest donation by far…
Puddletown is a very young non-profit, only about 8 months old. In that short duration, I am super proud of all the progress we have made in spreading the word about PTC, but what’s really fascinating is that we already have 3 sponsors! And I want to share a bit more…
Team chess events are some of the most fun and memorable experiences I have. The team events aren't just about winning or losing. That is not the main purpose of these types of tournaments. I believe that the purpose of team tournaments is to have fun and encourage all of your…
I would love to welcome Ethan Zhang, who will be a new teacher starting in the spring term, teaching the Pawn's program. Ethan has many chess achievements, like placing well at the OSCF state championships, and at the Oregon Open tournament. He has a lot of teaching experience, teaching not only…