Chess Tournaments in New York
Rated and unrated chess tournaments, quads and club nights in the New York metro area — and what to expect if it is your first one.
What is on
The densest scholastic calendar in the United States — there is usually something rated within reach on any given weekend.
| Event | Format | Who it is for | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall FIDE Monday✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026G/90 +30 classical event at the Marshall Chess Club, with a parallel Monday U1800 section for club players. (Greenwich Village, Manhattan) | Swiss | Open to players 1700+; FIDE rated (members only) | 6-round Swiss, one round every Monday at 7pm |
| Marshall Thursday Open✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026G/90 +30 weekly open at the Marshall Chess Club; the club also runs Weekly U2200 and U1600 sections on Wednesdays. (Greenwich Village, Manhattan) | Open | Open to all club members; FIDE rated | 6-round Swiss, one round every Thursday at 7pm |
| Queens Chess Club Championship and club Swisses✓ Verified 14 Aug 20262026 schedule includes the Arluck Memorial Swiss, Late Summer Swiss, and the 6-round Club Championship, all G/90;d5. (Floral Park, Queens) | Club night | Adults and juniors; non-members pay a $10 single-tournament membership fee | Friday nights only; 5-6 round Swisses run over consecutive Fridays (rounds start 7:30pm) |
| Westchester Chess Club Thursday tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026Long-running club hosted at the same Scarsdale venue since 2000; sign up in advance with the tournament director. (Scarsdale, Westchester) | Club night | Players of all ages and ratings; rated tournament participants must hold a current USCF membership | Thursday nights 7:30-10:30pm; tournaments last three to six weeks, one round per night |
| Chess In The Schools tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026All CIS tournaments are free, with both USCF-rated and unrated sections offered. (Various NYC venues (schools and parks across the boroughs)) | Scholastic | NYC students, regardless of whether their school participates in the CIS program | Multiple tournaments throughout the school year |
| NSCF Hunter Chess Tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026Part of the National Scholastic Chess Foundation series, which also runs White Plains and Bronxville youth tournaments in the suburbs. (Hunter (NYC)) | Scholastic | Scholastic players; usually USCF rated with unrated sections for lower grades | Monthly on Sundays, September through May |
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.
- New York State Chess Association (NYSCA) — State federation; runs the annual New York State Championship, America's longest-running chess tournament, plus state scholastic championships. — their calendar
- Marshall Chess Club — Historic Manhattan club running weekly and monthly FIDE/USCF rated tournaments nearly every night of the week. — their calendar
- National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) — 501(c)(3) non-profit producing recurring scholastic tournaments in NYC and Westchester (Hunter, White Plains, Bronxville). — 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 New York?
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 New York?
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.