Mission

Chess in the Schools is a nonprofit that fosters the intellectual and social development of low-income youth through chess education.

What We Do

The School Program

The Chess-in-the-Schools School Program is a vital initiative that brings chess with its academic benefits into classrooms during the school day and provides after-school chess clubs for students in need.

All elementary and middle schools served by the School Program are classified as Title I – more than 40% of the students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch based on family income at or near the poverty line.

During the 2017-2018 school year, there are 47 elementary and middle schools in the School Program. That means 6,000 students will learn to play chess in this program this year.

The Tournament Program

The Chess-in-the-Schools Scholastic Tournament Program offers over 25 rated chess tournaments throughout the academic year. At each tournament there are between 400 and 800 competitors from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Chess-in-the-Schools organizes and directs these weekend events at accessible sites throughout the five boroughs. Tournaments are poignant displays of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and skill. As with all Chess-in-the-Schools programs, our tournaments are offered free of charge to competitors.

College Bound


The Chess-in-the-Schools College Bound program helps at-risk high school students graduate on time and go onto college. In this intensive after-school initiative, students from many different high schools meet at the Chess-in-the-Schools headquarters for academic support, college preparation, and chess instruction.


Project Chess

Project Chess aims to increase the number of public school educators in New York City that can effectively teach chess to students during the school day as part of a standards based curriculum and in after-school chess clubs as part of a safe, structured enrichment program. Project Chess provides workshops, materials, and support to help classroom teachers implement and grow a comprehensive chess program in their own school.