After our Feburary newsletter was sent out, we received many questions from parents and players regarding the National K-6 Elementary Championship. Here are a few of the most common ones; let me know if there’s anything else you’re curious about! 1) Can anyone attend Nationals? I thought only state winners qualify. …
When I started playing chess, each medal and trophy I won was treasured dearly. I started a little trophy cabinet that I was immensely proud of. Yet fast forward a few years, and the little trophy cabinet had become a big trophy cabinet that was taking up a lot of space.…
90 players joined us in our February Winter Wonderland tournament (which would have been a more suitable name for last month's tournament, but oh well). Of these players, 19 were playing their first-ever tournament, 22 received free entries as female players, and 9 others received free entries as low-income/rural-area players. Congratulations…
Many beginner parents and kids ask me about the standard algebraic notation used for chess. Let me tell you, chess notation is so much fun and easy to learn. I can guarantee that you can learn in 30 minutes, and will be an expert in 2-3 days. It is that easy!!…
In spite of the winter storm, we successfully held our Hello 2024 tournament! Unfortunately, 37 players had to cancel at the last minute due to challenging road conditions. Nonetheless, we were pleased to see 75 players participate in the event. Of the 75 players, 18 played their first tournament, there were…
We are so excited to unveil our newest event at Puddletown - Casual Chess Nights. At Casual Chess Nights (every Thursday, starting January 11th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm PT): You can play tournaments in the lichess.org arena... with other friends and classmates you know and have met! You can play with accomplished local…
The Lichess arena allows users to participate in real-time online tournaments. Arenas are open tournaments with a specified time duration. During this time, players can join and leave whenever they want. After the tournament concludes, you can review your games, analyze them, and learn from your games. Accessing the arena: Go…
Up until this year, whenever someone asked me how I balanced school and chess, I gave a principally correct answer (school first, try to study chess every day, etc.), but I never really understood the question. Middle school and even freshman-year coursework barely required time outside of school, after all—still lots…
Puddletown had another amazing turnout to the November Tournament with over 60 players! Unfortunately we had a smaller play venue this time and have to set a limit to total number of players. Of the 60 players, 8 played their first tournament, 20 were girls who received free entry for the…
Puddletown had another amazing turnout to the October Tournament with over 60 players! Huge shoutout to the Sherman County School chess team, who had to wake up at 5 a.m. (again!) to drive for almost 3 hours just to play in this tournament. Of the 60 players, 3 played their first…
How odd, I thought, scrolling past this year's US Girls Junior Championship player list. Many of the familiar names I had seen on television over and over again in the past were absent this year. Instead, I saw more young friends, attending this prestigious event for the first time. Last year,…
Over President's Day weekend, I played at the annual Oregon Closed chess championship. "Closed" refers to the fact that it is an invitational tournament, with only players winning certain tournaments or with a high enough rating qualifying. Besides possibly the Oregon Open, the Oregon Closed is the most prestigious chess tournament…
This Saturday, the Puddletown team came together at Hope Chinese Charter School to help with the annual MLK day chess tournament. It was nostalgic to see so many young chess enthusiasts come together in the environment that I myself once spent so much time in. The cafeteria-table-turned-tournament-tables, the classrooms used as…
I began organizing tournaments, quads in particular, one month ago. So far Puddletown Chess has held two quads. There are things I learned and things I should learn. The surprising lesson as organizers was that the pizza parlor was working out as a place to hold tournaments. A pizza parlor is…
"What does community mean to you? What makes a community?" This year, I have started my freshman year at Westview High School, where the first few days have been focused on community-building rather than academics. And while I have grown tired of these particular questions, the relentless repetition of them has forced…