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Official Chess 1st Annual GRADE Metros – Saturday/Sunday May 9-10, 2026
👑 1st Annual New York Metro Area Scholastic Chess GRADE Championships
New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Saturday May 9 – Sunday May 10, 2026
Announcing: We are very pleased to announce that Hikaru Nakamura will be at the GRADE Metros as a special guest. We want to thank him for his generosity and showing up to inspire the next generation of future grandmasters!
Boasting millions of followers and billions of views online, Hikaru is a Super Grandmaster and currently the World No. 2 player with a FIDE rating of 2810. He is a five-time U.S. Chess Champion and a five-time Speed Chess Champion.
Open to All K–12th Graders from Anywhere
Presenting the NY Metro Area’s very own Championship in the Grade format!
💐 A Mother’s Day celebration in New York City.
👩👧👦 Calling all chess kids and chess moms. You asked for more formal hotel events, and we heard you loud and clear.
🏆 Mother’s Day weekend (May 9-10, 2026), the region’s most dedicated young players will gather in Times Square once again – this time to crown NYC Champions in every grade from K-12, while celebrating the mothers who made their journeys possible.
Official Chess is proud to announce the inaugural New York Metro Area Scholastic Chess Grade Championships.
This is a 2-Day tournament with 4 rounds on Saturday and 2 rounds Sunday.
A maximum of two half point byes are allowed.
Players may choose to use both byes for both Sunday rounds and receive 0.5 points for each of the games, however this must be declared when registering or before the start of Round 1 with the on-site customer service desk (aka Chess Control). Once you declare half-point byes for Sunday, it cannot be changed.
💖 Honoring Chess Mothers
This is meant to be more than a chess championship where only the kids showcase their hard work and dedication. It is also a celebration of chess mothers, and a recognition of the immense sacrifices they make in support of their children’s passions.
✈️ From dragging suitcases on planes, trains and automobiles across the country to early morning subway rides across the City 🚇
🙉 From searching for quiet corners inside crowded school auditoriums to take important weekend work calls 📞
🧘to sitting patiently for hours on uncomfortable hallway floors just so they can immediately give that reassuring hug or kiss away a tear in case of a tough loss 🤗;
😇 Moms put everyone else first 💖 – often balancing careers, managing households, making sandwiches, ensuring their children never fall behind in school, AND enabling Chess dreams!📚✨.
💎First-Class Championship Experience
Mother’s Day is about family, togetherness, and giving thanks to the heroes who make everything possible.
🌷 We are committed to creating an event that properly honors chess moms
🎁 From Mother’s Day gifts, experiences, brunches 🥂, and special surprises – this will be an unforgettable Mother’s Day weekend.
👑 Our goal is to give chess moms the recognition they deserve, while giving our children a high end championship experience inside one of the most extraordinary venues in New York City.
👜 And of course, we hope all the dads will be there too, proudly carrying the chess bags and doing their part … for once (only kidding, mostly!).
💐 We hope your family will join us for what promises to be a meaningful, memorable, and inspiring Mother’s Day weekend and the beginning of a lasting new tradition in New York City chess.
✨ All-Star Cast
The tournament will be run under the direction of the most qualified and distinguished team available. Below are some of the key individuals helping to make it all happen. (More to come!)
Sunil Weeramantry – Special Tournament Advisor
Founder, National Scholastic Chess Foundation · NY State Chess Association Hall of Fame · Former Chair, US Chess Federation (USCF) Scholastic & Education Committees
David Hater – Chief Tournament Director (2,800+ sections TDed)
Executive Board Member, USCF · Senior Executive, Continental Chess Association (CCA) · USCF National TD · FIDE International Arbiter · Retired Army Colonel
Mike Hoffpauir – National Tournament Director and FIDE International Arbiter (1,350+ sections TDed)
Former President, USCF
Enrique (Kiki) Huerta – National Tournament Director and FIDE International Arbiter (1,250+ sections TDed)
Karen Pennock – National Tournament Director and FIDE International Arbiter (650+ sections TDed)
Stephen Lorimor – National Tournament Director (1,300+ sections TDed)
FIDE National Arbiter
Hal Sprechman – National Tournament Director (900+ sections TDed)
FIDE National Arbiter
Noreen Harkins Davisson – Senior Tournament Director (3,600+ sections TDed)
FIDE National Arbiter
Hector Rodriguez – Club Tournament Director (850+ sections TDed)
President, The Right Move Chess Federation
Ronald Young – Local Tournament Director (1,300+ sections TDed)
📣 Follow for Updates and Announcements – Follow WhatsApp Channel for ALL important announcements
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/officialchessglobal/
WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBZKAyDTkJv4NVnSE1V
“Unmute Notifications” to receive important registration and tournament updates
Tournament Details*
Eligibility: Open to any students K-12 from anywhere
Location: New York Marriott Marquis, Times Square (1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036)
Dates: Saturday May 9th and Sunday May 10th, 2026
Hotel Rates: $309 per night (Sold out)
Book online: https://book.passkey.
Or call: 877-303-0104 and mention Official Chess or NYC Chess Championships
Key details:
- No destination or resort fees
- Free cancellation up to 72 hours before arrival
- Rooms are available for nights before and after the tournament as well
Format:
- 13 sections (one for each grade level) will consist of six rounds with Swiss system pairings.
- All grades/sections will have the same round start times (see below).
- Rounds 1-4 will be on Saturday and have time control of G/50 d5.
- Rounds 5-6 will be on Sunday and have time control of G/70 d5.
- Players must play in their current grade as of May 2026.
- Every section is Open to any player of any rating – However, there will be MANY Class trophies awarded so players of any rating will have realistic chances at trophies
- The May 2026 rating supplement will be used for Swiss system pairing in compliance with the Scholastic Regulations.
Schedule*: All rounds in every grade/section will have the same round start times.
- 6 rounds – Two-Day Section Round Start Times
- 4 rounds on Saturday May 9th (9:30am, 12pm, 2:30pm, 5pm)
- 2 rounds on Sunday May 10th (9am, 12:30pm) Awards (~3:30-4pm)
- Estimated conclusion time for Awards is 5:30pm – Make those Mother’s Day dinner reservations!
* Preliminary and subject to change.
Half Point Byes: 2 maximum; must be requested before start of Round 2.
- If you use both Half Point Byes for Round 5 and 6 on Sunday, this MUST be declared before Round 1 and cannot be changed afterwards.
Tie Break Methods:
- Modified Median – Total points scored by your opponents (half-points for early withdrawals), and disregards the least-significant (usually the lowest scoring) opponent. The player with the highest total has played opponents with the best scores in the tournament‑‑ in theory, the hardest opponents.
- Solkoff – Total points scored by your opponents (half-points for early withdrawals), including the lowest scoring opponents
- Cumulative – Sum of your total points after each round (each rounds score is added to the previous rounds which means players who won in earlier rounds score higher than those won in later rounds)
- Opponents Cumulative – Same as above except this method is based on your opponents’ score (not applicable for Team tie breaks)
- Coin flip
Awards: Hundreds of championship-caliber individual team trophies will be awarded.
- Total of 10 Individual Podium Trophies awarded in each section.
- Except 10th grade (6 Podium Trophies), 11th grade (5 Podium Trophies), 12th grade (5 Podium Trophies)
- Individual players with the same tournament score as lowest “podium winner” but falling lower due to tiebreakers will still receive Tie Trophies (Winners of Podium Trophies are not eligible for Class Trophies).
Class Trophies for the top 2 in the following classes
- Note: the rating bands below are only for additional trophy determination. Every section is open to anyone in that grade.
| 12th Grade Championship | 1300-1599; 1000-1299; Under 1000. | |
| 11th Grade Championship | 1300-1599; 1000-1299; Under 1000. | |
| 10th Grade Championship | 1300-1599; 1000-1299; Under 1000. | |
| 9th Grade Championship | 1300-1599; 1000-1299; Under 1000. | |
| 8th Grade Championship | 1400-1699; 1100-1399; 800-1099; Under 800. | |
| 7th Grade Championship | 1400-1699; 1100-1399; 800-1099; Under 800. | |
| 6th Grade Championship | 1400-1699; 1100-1399; 800-1099; Under 800. | |
| 5th Grade Championship | 1100-1399; 800-1099; 600-799; Under 600. | |
| 4th Grade Championship | 1100-1399; 800-1099; 600-799; Under 600. | |
| 3rd Grade Championship | 1000-1199; 800-999; 600-799; Under 600. | |
| 2nd Grade Championship | 1000-1199; 800-999; 600-799; Under 600. | |
| 1st Grade Championship | 800-999; 600-799; 400-599; Under 400. | |
| Kindergarten Championship | 400-599; Under 400. | |
Trophies to top 5 school teams in 1st-7th grades, top 3 school teams in Kindergarten and 8-12
- Team scores will be based on the top 3 scores from each school in each section – teams of 2 allowed, but are at a disadvantage
We will also be giving away a VERY SPECIAL tournament keepsake for every player. Stay tuned for all the exciting details!
Team Rooms: Assigned on first come, first serve basis.
Reserve a Team Room for your school or chess academy by emailing info@officialchess.org.
- There are 60-85 person and larger 120 person private team rooms available. Rooms can be combined or shared to accommodate larger groups and smaller groups.
Coaches Corner: No personal coach to review your games and no Team Room? We have you covered! (Register for “Entry PLUS” at checkout)*
- Upgrade your experience and improve your chances at a title!
- You don’t have to come from a huge chess program or school to enjoy the advantages and benefits of on-site coaching
- Dedicated MASTER-level players and professional coaches will be on-site in the Coaches Corner, offering real-time game reviews, tips, and personalized advice in between rounds
- Gain insights in real time while your moves and reasoning is still fresh
- Quickly uncover critical mistakes and missed opportunities to strengthen your play and boost your chances in the very next round
- There’s no faster or more effective way to build both short-term results and long-term chess skills
- The list of coaches can be found at the end of this posting and will be continuously updated
Master Coaches (More will be added and subject to change at any time):
- Jon Edwards, Current Correspondence Chess World Champion and Correspondence Chess Grandmaster
- Eric Fleischman, Original Life Master, Candidate Master and National Master
- Steve Colding, National Master and Founder of Chess For Children
- Jay Richard Bonin, International Master (The “Iron Man” of Chess)
Entry Costs:
📅 Prices after 4/6/26
- Basic: $130
- Entry PLUS (includes Coaches Corner): $190
Prices after 4/15/26
- Basic: $150
- Entry PLUS (includes Coaches Corner): $210
📅 Prices after 4/30/26 – Current Prices
- Basic: $190
- Entry PLUS (includes Coaches Corner) $250
📅 Prices after 5/7/26
- Basic: $230
- Entry PLUS (includes Coaches Corner): $290
📅 On-Site Prices
- Basic: $280
- Entry PLUS (includes Coaches Corner): $340
- Tickets will be available for purchase at the venue. However, to avoid pairing delays and ensure a smooth start to the event, all on-site registrations and registrations after 9pm on 5/8/26 will automatically receive a ½-point bye for Round 1, even if purchased before Round 1 begins. Players will be paired normally starting with Round 2.
$15 per player service charge for refunds. Substitutions ok. No refunds or substitutions after May 2nd.
Other Notes:
- Please bring clocks. Players are responsible for knowing how to set and operate their clock.
- Boards will be for sale for $5 afterwards
- Chess sets, pencils and score sheets provided.
- US Chess membership through May 2026 is required.
- Notation books ok but cell phones must remain out of sight and turned off during tournament play.
- Notation required for all sections EXCEPT Kindergarten and 1st Grade sections
- A.I. or any electronic eyeglasses strictly prohibited in the tournament rooms.
- Parents not allowed in tournament rooms during matches.
- Parents must chaperone children at all times in between matches.
- By registering your child for the tournament, you acknowledge and agree that photographs and/or video footage may be taken during the event by authorized staff, media representatives, or partners for promotional and educational purposes.
- These images and video may be used (without compensation) in publications, promotional materials, websites, and social media platforms associated with the NYC Scholastic Chess Championships, its organizers, and affiliated partners.
- All players will have their names displayed in the tournament results and reports as typical with any US Chess Federation rated event.
- Official Chess reserves the right to refuse entry or revoke any registration at its sole discretion, or in accordance to rules and regulations set forth by US Chess including, but not limited to, adherence to the US Chess Safe Play Policies and Sanction List. https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/us-chess-safe-play-guidelines.pdf https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/sanctionedmembers_10202025.pdf
* Any details are subject to change at anytime but will be communicated well in advance of the tournament
Advance Entries: