Other Opportunities for Enjoying Chess
State Chess Championship Tournaments (scholastic)
The Ohio Scholastic Chess Association oversees several championship tournaments every year, as listed below. Details vary among the different tournaments and sometimes from year to year. Sometimes more than one of these tournaments are played concurrently at the same venue. To find current information, when available, check out the links under the Coming Events heading.
- The Girls Championship is open only to girls in grades K through 12. The highest-finishing player in the championship section who accepts represents Ohio in the Ruth Haring National Girls’ Tournament and receives a stipend to help defray the related costs.
- The Elementary Championship is a one-day tournament (Saturday only) that includes grades K through 5. The highest-finishing player in the championship section who accepts qualifies for the national Rockefeller Elementary Championship tournament and receives a stipend to help defray the related costs.
- The Middle School Championship: The Middle School Championship includes grades 6 through 8. The highest-finishing player in the championship section who accepts qualifies for the national Barber Middle School Championship tournament and receives a stipend to help defray the related costs.
- The High School Championship includes grades 9 through 12. The highest-finishing player in the championship section who accepts qualifies for the national Denker High School Championship tournament and receives a stipend to help defray the related costs.
- The Grade Level Championships event is a one-day tournament with each grade (K through 12) as a distinct section (all players must play in the section for their grade). The winner of each section is the Ohio State Champion for that section and year.
Historically the Grade Level Championships has been played in November; all the other tournaments are played on one or more dates in late winter or spring.
Thunder Chess Academy
Sign up for weekly online chess classes for just $30 a class. We have beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes, so we will have a place for your child. Classes are grouped by skill level and capped at 6 kids to ensure that every kid can get the individual attention they need to grow. We have many very experienced chess coaches, including the 2023 Ohio Chess Champion.
For more information, check out our website or contact Justin Storn at jtstorn@gmail.com.
Queens United Girls Chess Club
The Queens United Girls Chess Club meets on the second Monday of each month online via Google Meet. This program is organized by Queens United, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering female chess players to increase chess accessibility and build community, led by ambassadors Sanvi Jha and Sonali Kulkarni, local high school chess players.
The Girls Club welcomes all K–12 girls from across the nation who are interested in chess and female empowerment. No prior experience is necessary. Each month, girls have the opportunity to meet others in chess, play fun games, participate in interactive lessons, and enjoy activities that help build a strong community of girls in chess. The program is designed not only to teach chess, but also to create connections and help bridge the gender gap in the game.
The club occurs from 7:30 until 9:00 pm EST, and participants may join or leave whenever they choose within that time period. Click here for a flyer for the October 13 meeting.
To register, please visit https://www.queensunitedchess.
Open Chess at the Library (non-rated recreational play, all ages)
A chess program meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Blue Ash branch of the Cincinnati Public Library. The Blue Ash branch is located at 4911 Cooper Road, one block east of the intersection of Cooper Road and Kenwood Road. This program offers the opportunity for people of any age to drop in whenever they want to play games recreationally, get some coaching from more experienced players, or learn the game from scratch in an informal and unstructured setting. Play is from 6:30 until 8:30 pm, and players may arrive and leave whenever they choose within that time period. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Jeff Davis at jeffdavis@cinci.rr.com.
Cincinnati Chess Club (casual and rated play, all ages)
The Cincinnati Chess Club meets regularly on Thursday nights at the Deer Park Community Center, aka Francis R Healey Community Center (Chamberlin Park), 7640 Plainfield Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236 from 6:30 until 11:00 pm; players may arrive and leave whenever they choose within that time period. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome. Parking is available on the outlying streets if the parking lot is full. See the Cincinnati Chess Club website for more information.
Chess Earth Events
Tornados: The Cincinnati Tornado is a one-day, four-round Swiss tournament, usually with an Open section and one or more under sections, and offers cash prizes. There is now a tornado on the last Saturday of every month, organized by Robert Chenault of ChessEarth. The playing venue is currently the Wyoming Baptist Church, 170 Burns Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45215. Good food is available onsite. For details, check out Robert’s chess calendar.
Clermont County Chess Club (casual and rated play, all ages)
The Clermont County Chess Club meets regularly on Tuesdays beginning at 4:00 pm at Withamsville Church of Christ, 846 Ohio Pike (State Route125, about 1 mile east of I-275), Withamsville, OH. Players arrive and leave whenever they choose from 4:00 on. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome. See the Clermont County Chess Club website for more information.
Chess Activity in Other Places
Robert Chenault maintains the best calendar of chess opportunities on his Chess Earth website: https://chessearth.com/tournament-hall/.