Joy and Fun At The ChessKid National Festival

 Check Out the Highlights and Big Winners!

 

The ChessKid National Festival has wrapped! The event was nothing short of sensational. ChessKids and their families immersed themselves in the thrill of live chess, met and played with their favorite chess stars and friends, and celebrated the game like never before.

 

 

431 kids participated in tournaments featuring traditional matches, blitz, and bughouse games. They even met some of the coolest chess stars around, like GothamChess and the Botez sisters!

 

 

The festival was also packed with fun side events, including Chess Fencing, Hula chess, pie throwing, and a live chess-themed band! It was a blast for so many ChessKids and their families, and we hope everyone remembers it for years. 

 

                           Benjamin Blundercheck and the Poisoned Pawn performing at the 2024 ChessKid National Festival. 

Check Out the Highlights

You can re-watch all rounds of the tournaments on our Twitch channel and catch all the live broadcasts on YouTube.com/ChessKid. You can also view the games from the festival on the Chess.com events page.

 

 

 

The ChessKid National Festival Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the ChessKid tournaments! These incredible kids played exceptionally well, and their hard work paid off! We can't wait to see what amazing things they accomplish next!

 

 

Individual Standings

 

 

Team Standings 

 

See the full tournament standings here!

 

Testimonials

 

What was your favorite part of the festival?

"Playing chess and meeting new friends." - Muhammad, Kid

"[The kids] enjoyed meeting all these people they see on YouTube or the ChessKid videos... and the bughouse tournament, they all loved [that]." - Ryan, Parent

 

How does this tournament compare to other tournaments?

"You can tell that the whole festival [and] tournament was geared towards kids and the family. There was lots to do for the player, my daughter, but also her younger sister, and my husband. So it was really a family fun-filled event compared to other events." - Anita, Parent

From a parent's perspective, how has chess helped with your child's development?

"Chess is great because it does help with critical thinking skills, training [to] slow down... in academics, taking his time and thinking things through before making decisions... This game is [beautiful] and I think it has helped [my son] develop discipline and confidence in other areas of life." - Terrence, Parent