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…
Our October Golden Autumn II tournament drew 153 players, our largest ever turnout!! Everyone got candy to celebrate Halloween a bit early. We provided nearly 50 free entries: 38 for girls, 10 for rural/low income players. 4 players participated in their first USCF-rated tournament. One fun story: after the main award…
At Puddletown, we’ve learned something important: there’s no single “type” of chess kid. Some kids want to hang out and casually move pieces around. Others want to climb the rating ladder as fast as possible. Some fall in love with puzzles, some with tournaments, and some just with free pizza at…
Back when we first launched Puddletown, we had no idea we’d one day run 36+ webinars for chess players across the world. We just wanted to bring more people into our growing community - and maybe make it a little easier for beginners to level up. Fast forward to today, and…
At Puddletown, volunteers are not just helpers—they're the backbone of everything we do. When people hear about our nonprofit, they often ask how we’ve managed to grow so fast or how just four teenagers can organize training & tournaments for hundreds of kids across the world. The real secret? Volunteers. From…
Puddletown 3rd Anniversary Tournament Recap This weekend marked our 3rd anniversary, and we celebrated in style during our September tournament. We had the 3rd largest gathering of Puddletown players with exactly 150 participants! Notably, 9 new players participated in their first-ever USCF-rated tournament! Thank You to Our Sponsors 🙏 A big…
Imagine this: you've traveled to St. Louis to play in one of the most prestigious youth events in the US, for your fourth year this time. The nine other girls in your section are among the top young female players, and you're all fighting for the $15,000 first prize. Imagine that…