Chess Tournaments in Chicago
Rated and unrated chess tournaments, quads and club nights in the Chicago area — and what to expect if it is your first one.
What is on
Illinois has one of the strongest scholastic scenes in the country, with regular quads in the suburbs and a large state championship each spring.
| Event | Format | Who it is for | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Chess Center Wednesday Quads✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026Three-round quad round-robins at G/25 +5; free for your first two events, CCC membership required after, registration closes 6:15 PM. (The Loop (Printers Row), Chicago) | Quad | All skill levels; USCF dual-rated | Every Wednesday (listed through Dec 31, 2026) |
| Chicago Chess Center Saturday Swiss✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026Weekly rated Swiss at the Chicago Chess Center with entry listed at $25-40. (The Loop, Chicago) | Swiss | Open (1600+) and Under 1600 (1000-1599) sections | Weekly Saturdays |
| Evanston Tri-Level✓ Verified 14 Aug 20264-round Swiss at G/40 d5, one of Evanston Chess's bimonthly rated tournaments. (Levy Senior Center, Evanston) | Swiss | All skill levels, grouped tri-level | Every other month (e.g., Sep 12, 2026) |
| Evanston 3x3✓ Verified 14 Aug 20263-round Swiss at a slower G/60 d5 time control, alternating months with the Tri-Level. (Levy Senior Center, Evanston) | Swiss | All skill levels | Every other month (e.g., Nov 7, 2026) |
| Greater Chicago K-12 Championship✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026The city's official scholastic championship, run by Renaissance Knights with the Kasparov Chess Foundation and CPS; 574 students from 122 schools in 2026. (McCormick Place, Chicago) | Scholastic | All players grades 12 and below | Annual (15th edition in 2026) |
| Illinois Open & Blitz✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026The Illinois Chess Association's flagship annual state open, held Labor Day weekend. (Lisle (western suburbs)) | Open | Open to all; USCF-rated, USCF membership required | Annual (Sep 3-7, 2026) |
Always check the organiser’s own page before you travel. Dates, venues and sections change, and no directory is a substitute for the source.
Who runs chess here
The organisations behind the listings above — their own calendars are the authoritative source for dates and entry details.
- Illinois Chess Association — State federation; maintains the statewide tournament calendar covering open, scholastic, and Illinois Chess Tour events. — their calendar
- Chicago Chess Center — Club at 47 W Polk in the Loop running weekly USCF-rated quads, Swisses, and blitz events. — their calendar
- Evanston Chess — North-suburban club running rated tournaments every other month plus Wednesday night casual chess (18+). — their calendar
- Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation — Nonprofit organizer of the Greater Chicago K-12 Championship, CPS playoffs/championships, and the KCF All-Girls National Championships. — their calendar
- Chicago Academic Chess (CPS) — Chicago Public Schools chess program; 2026-27 in-person scholastic tournaments hosted at Manley Career Academy High School. — their calendar
If this is your first one
Start with a quad if you can find one. Four players, three games, everybody near your child’s strength, finished in an afternoon. A Swiss is fine too — nobody is eliminated and pairings follow your score — but it is a longer day and the first round can be a mismatch.
Plan for the whole day even when the chess is only three hours. There are gaps between rounds, and the awards ceremony always runs late. Bring a book and food.
The full version is here: Is my child ready for their first tournament?
Looking for a coach in Chicago?
We do not run a coach directory, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What helps more is knowing what to ask before you hire anyone — a coach’s own rating predicts very little about whether your child will improve.
How to choose a chess coach · Club or private coach?
Running something in Chicago?
List your event — free, forever
There is no fee, no account and no catch. Send the details and it goes into this page and the national directory. We link straight to your own entry page, so the traffic is yours.
Running a club rather than a one-off? Say so and we will list the recurring schedule once rather than every date.