A free, growing list of rated and unrated chess tournaments, quads and club nights across the United States — organised by metro area, and written for parents who have never been to one.
Quads Swiss events Series & clubs
| Event | Where | Format | Who it is for | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Rated Quads✓ Verified 28 Jul 2026Three games against players of similar strength. The standard first rated experience. | Chicago | Quad | K–12, rated and unrated | Monthly, most Saturdays |
| Scholastic Championship (state)Large multi-section event. Book accommodation early. | Chicago | Swiss | K–12 by grade section | Annual, spring |
| Weekly Club NightUnrated casual play. The cheapest way to get games in. | New York | Club | All ages, all strengths | Weekly |
| Grade ChampionshipsSections by single grade rather than range, so pairings are tight. | New York | Swiss | K–12 by exact grade | Annual, winter |
| Rated Quads✓ Verified 25 Jul 2026Short format, finishes in an afternoon. | Dallas–Fort Worth | Quad | K–12 | Twice monthly |
| Region Scholastic OpenUnrated section available for first-timers. | Los Angeles | Swiss | K–12, sections by rating | Several times a year |
| Club Rated SwissMixed-age. Good step up once a child is comfortable in quads. | Atlanta | Swiss | Adults and juniors together | Monthly |
| Junior Grand PrixPoints accumulate across events, which keeps children returning. | Phoenix | Series | Under 18 | Season-long series |
Always check the organiser’s own page before you travel. Dates, venues and sections change, and no directory is a substitute for the source.
Two things are worth knowing before you look at any of these. Almost every scholastic event is a Swiss, which means nobody is eliminated and after each round your child is paired with someone on the same score — so a child who loses their first game plays other children who also lost theirs. And a quad is four players who each play the other three, which is the gentlest possible first rated experience because every opponent is near your strength by construction.
We wrote both up properly: Is my child ready for their first tournament? and What is a quad tournament? Neither asks you to sign up for anything.
There is no fee, no account and no catch. Send the details and it goes into the directory and on your city page. 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.