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…
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…
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…
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…
We recently finished another successful training term at Puddletown (8 AMAZING terms in 2 years so far!). So we decided to throw our first-ever summer training party, to celebrate with our students. But it was also about the coaches bonding with their students in-person. You see - our training program is…
In the last 18 months, we observed over 700 Puddletown training students and players very closely and created this playbook for how to improve your chess game and rating consistently. Like everything else in life, you have to work hard. But that doesn't mean you have to be miserable doing it.…
I am thrilled to share exciting news from the 2024 Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation (OSCF) State Championships. This year's event was a big success for us, and I want to thank our players, coaches, volunteers, and supporters. Puddletown players performed very well, racking up a total of 23 prizes across various levels.…
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…
Hi everyone, this is Neev - I am one of the founders at Puddletown and I am teaching Level 2B class this Winter term. Have you ever wanted to help your community more? Well, now you can hear my story of how I helped out today and how you can help…
My first impressions of chess tournaments were their size. Rows upon rows of long tables, filled with checkered boards and tall (or so they seemed to me at the time) people on either side of them; gigantic rooms and hallways dedicated entirely to chess. Gradually, though, as I played in more…
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…