We loved our April 2026 tournament. Over 70 players. Many familiar families and a lot of new ones as well! A major shout-out to our dear volunteers who helped tirelessly throughout the day. Congrats to our following winners: Best Female Performance Award: Riana Paul, with a perfect score in the Open…
When people hear the word “chess,” they often picture big tournaments in city libraries or fancy schools with high ceilings and bright lights (trust me, I can relate). But what about kids in small towns who’ve never been to a big city chess club? What if the closest tournament is three…
We really enjoyed our revived March 2026 tournament. Over 110 players. Many familiar families and a lot of new ones as well! We had many firsts at this tournament, including our chief TD Dave Murray, a new registration system, many new volunteers, more awards, new boards and clocks and lot more. …
When people think of leadership, they usually imagine big things - starting a company, leading a team, giving a TED Talk. But for us, that’s not how it began. Real leadership didn’t start with a boardroom or a title. It started with figuring out who would load the chessboards into the…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4PrRqAyR8c Hey everyone, I’ve got some wonderful news. After a one-month break, we are officially bringing back our in-person rated tournaments at Village Church… and I honestly could not be more excited. Sometimes you don’t realize how special something is until you pause for a second. And this past month reminded…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMg_0uDCZIk&t=1s Hey everyone! I wanted to take a moment to talk with you about a leadership change at Puddletown. Zoey and Austin have recently decided to step away from Puddletown. It’s definitely a very sad moment for all of us, especially for me and Neev. All 4 of us worked very…
For most of Puddletown’s history, we’ve been an online-first nonprofit. Zoom training program, online tournaments, homework help, office hours, webinars - you name it, we’ve done it….virtually. And don’t get me wrong: it worked. But over time, we started hearing the same request again and again from students, parents, volunteers, and…
When we were first brainstorming names for our nonprofit more than 3 years ago, we had a lot of ideas. And I mean a lot. Some of them sounded like tech startups. Some sounded like chess clubs from the world of Harry Potter. And, weirdly enough, some of them included the…
The Hello 2026 tournament was great! 141 players joined the tournament to work on their 2026 resolutions, a great turnout! 14 players played in their first USCF rated tournament, and we provided 48 free entries. A big shoutout to John Hart, who donated $100 and volunteered to do game analysis. Thanks…
One Saturday, we watched a student walk in wearing the “learner hat.” They started with a puzzle lesson, quietly soaking it in. A bit later, they had switched into the “competitor hat,” locked in during their first tournament game. After the round, they slid into the “friend hat,” laughing with a…
At Puddletown, we’ve learned something important: leadership doesn’t grow out of perfect plans. It grows out of chaos. When you’re working with kids, chess boards, clocks, pizza boxes, and a tournament hall full of buzzing energy, things will go sideways. And that’s exactly where spontaneous leadership shows up. The Tournament Tiebreaker…
All of us chess players have faced a problem at some point: Do I go for a draw (or accept a draw offer) against a higher-rated person if I know my position is better, and potentially even winning? This question is silently in everyone’s head, no matter how much you want…
Every great movement has a bold goal. At Puddletown, ours is this: help 1,000 students reach a USCF rating of 1,000. We call it our BHAG, our “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” And while the phrase may sound funny, the mission is anything but. Why 1,000 Rating? A USCF rating of 1,000…
At Puddletown, people often ask us: Why focus on certain groups of kids? Why make a special effort for girls and non-binary students, for kids from low-income families, or for kids growing up in rural communities? Isn’t chess supposed to be for everyone? It is supposed to be. But the reality…
At first glance, it looks simple: if you’re good at chess, you can coach chess. Right? Well… not quite. At Puddletown, we’ve seen that being a strong player is just the baseline. Our coaches actually juggle three very different hats every single session: chess expertise, communication skills, and leadership. Without all…