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…
We decided to dedicate our 2025 June tournament theme to the people who make Puddletown way more than just a place to play chess. The ones who show up early, stay late, support our mistakes, cheer on our wins, and honestly believe in us even when we blunder five moves in…
Thanks to everyone who joined my recent webinar! We had a great time discussing some sharp ideas, practical tips, and common tournament rules. Here’s a quick summary of the most interesting questions from the Q&A, in case you missed it—or just want a refresher! Q: What are the benefits of commanding…
The Sixth Rank (June) Puddletown Chess Tournament was a resounding success! Among them, 12 players were attending their first USCF-rated tournament, and 36 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 training! Quick…
In today’s world, having a strong online presence is essential, even for a youth-led organization like ours. When we started Puddletown Chess, we didn’t just want to create a place for students to learn the game. We wanted to build a community. That meant reaching players, families, and partners beyond the…
If you’ve ever played a Saturday tournament with us, tuned into a founder-led webinar, or even just popped into one of our online training program sessions, you already know—we take chess seriously. But what you might not know is that we also take volunteering just as seriously. And if you’re a…
At Puddletown Chess, we don’t just teach chess—we build a community where everyone has the opportunity to learn, compete, and grow. A big part of that mission is making sure chess is accessible to all, no matter their background. That’s why donations play a huge role in what we do. Over…
At Puddletown Chess, when you see players improving, winning games, and moving up levels, it might seem like everything just works. But behind the scenes, there’s an entire system of frameworks, founders, processes & volunteers working to make sure every student gets the best training possible. It’s not just about the…
If you’re new to scholastic chess tournaments, you’ve probably experienced this moment: your child finishes with the same score as another player—but doesn’t get the same trophy or placement. It feels confusing, maybe even unfair. What’s going on? Let’s talk about tiebreaks. In chess tournaments, players earn points: 1 point for…
The May Flowers Open II tournament was great! 141 players played in the tournament, nearly making a full tournament. 50 entries were provided for free: 40 female players and 10 low income/rural players. 11 people played in their first USCF rated tournament. Shoutout to John Hart. The kids are always happy…
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…