At Puddletown Chess, we believe chess should be for everyone—no matter where you come from, what your background is, or how much experience you have. That’s why we’ve set up several scholarships to help players who might not otherwise have access to training, tournaments, or a chess community. We want to…
When we first started hosting tournaments, we focused exclusively on scholastic players—kids up to grade 12. It was all about creating a space for young players to compete, learn, and improve their game. But as our tournaments grew in size and reputation, something interesting happened: many adults wanted to join in…
We’re thrilled to welcome National Master Nicholas Bruha as the newest member of our volunteer team! Nicholas is currently a sophomore at Northwestern University, where he’s pursuing a double major in economics and biology. Despite his academic workload, he continues to give back to the chess community—a game he’s been passionate about since 3rd grade.…
Hey Puddletown gang! If you’ve ever played in a Puddletown Chess tournament, you’ve probably heard us say, “Pairings are up!” before each round. But have you ever wondered how those pairings are made? Why do you sometimes play someone way stronger or way weaker than you? And why don’t you get…
Tournaments at Puddletown Chess are always exciting, but in February, we decided to add a fun twist! Before each round, I surprised players with a quick quiz about our chess community. The questions highlighted cool facts about our club, and the winners walked away with gift cards! Here’s a recap of…
99 players joined us for our April Oceanic Chess Gala II tournament. We barely missed out on triple digits, but it was a strong turnout considering the other great tournaments happening at the beginning of April (Seaside, Chess for Success). More than a third of the entries were provided for free:…
Introduction At Puddletown Chess, we’ve developed a unique and hands-on training program designed to help students grow their chess skills in a structured and engaging way. Unlike many traditional programs, we emphasize consistent coaching, interactive learning, and reinforcement strategies to ensure students not only learn chess but master it over time.…
During our most recent tournament, on March 15th, I shared three heartwarming stories that embody the spirit of humility and gratitude within our Puddletown Chess community. Story#1: A Young Player's Generosity On his birthday last May, one of our remarkable young chess enthusiasts chose to donate $100 of his own hard-earned…
Yesterday, we had the incredible opportunity to be part of the OSCF Co-Ed State Team Championship in Portland, Oregon! This unique annual event, organized by the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation (OSCF), brought together teams from across the state to compete in a one-of-a-kind format—each team could have a maximum of three…
Spring Symphony II 2025 (March) Puddletown Chess Tournament was a tremendous success! Notably, 11 players participated in their first-ever USCF-rated tournament! This was one of the top 10 largest events we've hosted in Puddletown so far. We look forward to continuing to serve the community with top-quality chess tournaments and training!…
The Winter Wonderland II 2025 (February) Puddletown Chess Tournament was a resounding success! Among them, 8 players were attending their first USCF-rated tournament, and 31 were girls. This was one of our biggest event at Puddletown so far. We hope to keep serving the community with high quality chess tournaments and…
The Hello 2025 Tournament was a great success! We were proud to offer free entries to ALL 154 players! Among them, 10 players were attending their first USCF-rated tournament, and 32 were girls. This was our biggest event at Puddletown so far. Looks like everybody's new year's resolution was to become better…
Nearly 140 players joined us for our November Turkey Tactics tournament (try saying that ten times fast!). The turnout was almost as large as our anniversary tournament. More than a third of the entries were provided for free: 34 for female players and 24 for low-income/rural players. Thirty players participated in…
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…
This past weekend, Puddletown Chess celebrated our 2nd anniversary with our players, parents, coaches, and volunteers. Since our founding, we have remained committed to promoting accessibility in chess, ensuring that all players—regardless of background—have access to this incredible game. So far this year, we have donated $16,000 to directly support young…