Other Opportunities for Enjoying Chess
State Chess Championship Tournaments (scholastic)
The Ohio Scholastic Chess Association oversees five championship tournaments every year, two of which (the Middle School Championships and the High School Championship) are played concurrently at the same site. Typically these four events are played at different sites in Ohio from year to year. To find current information, when available, check out the links under the Coming Events heading.
Girls Championship
Only girls may play in the Girls Championship tournament, which is normally played between late February and early May. The Championship section (K-12 Open) plays a two-day schedule, two rounds on Saturday and two on Sunday, with a time control of G/90; +30. Non-championship sections play a one-day schedule on Saturday with a time control of G/30; d5.
Elementary, Middle School and High School Championships
The Elementary Championship is a 5-round, 1-day tournament (Saturday only) that includes grades K through 5. The Championship section for grades K-5 has a time control of G/45; d5. The winner of this section qualifies for the national Rockefeller Elementary Championship tournament and receives a $250 stipend to help defray the related costs. Other sections sections might be offered with the same or a different time control.
The Middle School and High School Championships are 6-round, two-day tournaments, with four rounds played on Saturday and two rounds played on Sunday. The Middle School Championship includes grades 6 through 8. The time control is G/60; d5 for rounds 1-3, and G/90;d5 for rounds 4-6. The winner of this section qualifies for the national Barber Middle School Championship tournament and receives a $250 stipend to help defray the related costs. The High School Championship includes grades 9 through 12. The time control is G/60; d5 for rounds 1-3, and G/90;d5 for rounds 4-6. The winner of this section qualifies for the national Denker High School Championship tournament and receives a $250 stipend to help defray the related costs. Other sections sections might be offered in either tournament with the same or a different time control.
For the first time, these three tournaments will all be played concurrently on April 26-27, 2025, at the same venue, The Wellington School, 3650 Reed Road, Columbus, Ohio 43220. Here is a link to the tournament flyer, which provides current tournament details.
Grade Level Championships
The Grade Level Championships event is a 5-round, 1-day tournament, played in November, with each grade (K through 12) as a distinct section (all players must play in the section for their grade). The time control for grades K through 5 is G/30; d5 for all rounds. The time control for grades 6 through 12 is G/45; d5 for all rounds.
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.
Open Chess at the Library (non-rated recreational play, all ages)
Please note that due to the impending demolition and reconstruction of the Symmes Library, the future of the Symmes chess program is in question after September 20, 2024. We will update you on this webpage as information becomes available.
In the meantime, the program has migrated to the Blue Ash branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and meets once each month, on the third Tuesday. 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. For more information see the Symmes Chess Club flyer. 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.
Cincinnati Open Quads – March 27, 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm
A quad is a four-player round robin, in which you will play one game with each other person in your quad. Quads are organized by rating: the entrants are sorted by USCF Quick rating, and each group of four is a quad. The time control will be G/24;d5 – this year, the quads will be quick-rated only. Round 1 starts at 7:00 pm. Rounds 2 and 3 will start 5 minutes after the last game is finished in your quad. USCF membership is required, but notation is not required. The winner of each quad receives a free entry to the 2025 Cincinnati Open – a $120 value! Ties in a quad will be decided by our tie-break method.
Onsite registration starts at 6:15 and ends at 6:45. You can also register in advance online through the link below so you get guaranteed pairing. Please sign up today for https://cincinnatichessclub.com/event/cincinnati-open-quads/.
Cincinnati Tornado
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 ChessEarth website: https://chessearth.com/tournament-hall/.