NY Scholastic Chess League

By Chess Max Academy

Welcome to Scholastic Chess League

The league runs from September 20^th to June 13th, culminating in an awards ceremony on June 20th, 2026 to honor the best individual players and teams, the venue for which and the special guest appearances to be announced later.

Venue: League 8-12 years old: 110 West 79th ST, New York, 10024

Venue: League 13-18 years old: 466 6th Avenue, New York, 10011

When you register by clicking the link below:

Players ages 4-12 opting for the 12 and Under League, please find Under UWS location Chess League 2025-2026 in the classes selection
Players ages 13-18 or otherwise opting for the 13-18 League, please find under West Village location Chess League 2025-26 in the classes selection.

If you have any questions:

Email: [email protected]

Call: (917) 695-2154

Click Here to Register

Participation

The entry fee is $550 per player, granting access up to 15 events out of the 30 events held throughout the season. Entry fee is not refundable, once the league starts.

A player’s total score will be based on their Grand Prix points earned in up to 15 events.

Registration for each event is on a first-come, first-served basis. Maximum capacity for a tournament is 64 players.

Each team must have a minimum of two players and a maximum of four players.

League Dates

2025
Sep: 20, 27th
Oct: 4, 11, 18, 25th
Nov: 1, 8, 15, 22nd
Dec: 6, 20th

2026
Jan: 10, 17, 24, 31st
Feb: 7, 14, 21, 28
Mar: 7, 14, 21st
Apr: 4, 18, 25th
May: 9, 23rd
Jun: 6, 13th

League Eligibility

Categories: 18 and Under, 16 and Under, 14 and Under, 12 and Under, 10 and Under, 8 and Under.

Age Group 4 – 12yo USCF 600+ Min Rating
Players on any USCF scholastic Top 100 list also eligible.

Age Group 13 – 18 yo 1000+ Min Rating

The first 256 participants who register for the League will be accepted, with a limit of 128 players in the 12 and Under age group and 128 players in the 13-18 age group.

Time Control:

All tournaments will feature 3 rounds with a Game 25 delay 5 format. Players will be required to use a clock and provide game notation. The tournaments will be rated by the USCF.

Prizes:

Individual Prizes:

* 1st places in all categories: $4000 CASH or all-expenses-paid trip to the World Youth Championships with a coach or parent (with expenses up to $6000).

* 2nd place in all categories: One full-day workshop (6 hours) with a choice of Grandmasters such as Hans Niemann, Maxim Dlugy, Boris Avrukh, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Joel Benjamin, Gregory Kaidanov, or Alexander Shabalov (valued between $1000-$3000).

* 3rd place in all categories: two semesters of online classes at Chess Max Academy (value – $1100) or one week of camp at Chess Max Academy (value -$825).

* 4th place in all categories: one semester of online or in-person classes at Chess Max Academy (value – $550).

* Specially designed trophies for top individuals.

* Additional Prizes will be announced later as we secure additional sponsorship for the event. We expect to have a prize fund of $100,000.

* Guaranteed Prize Fund: $75,000.

Team Prizes:

* Cash prizes for top teams in each age category: 1st place: $1500; 2nd place: $1000; 3rd place: $700

* Categories: 18 and Under, 16 and Under, 14 and Under, 12 and Under, 10 and Under, 8 and Under

Team Requirements:

* Teams will have their average age determined at the start of the season and it will remain fixed throughout.

* Teams must consist of players from the same school or chess program, and there can be no more than a 3-year age gap between the youngest and oldest player.

* Teams cannot be formed by simply agreeing to be on the same team; they must be based on school or chess program or coach affiliation.

Tournaments and Grand Prix Points

Grand Prix Points Distribution:

Grand Prix points will be awarded to both individuals and teams based on their performance in tournaments:
* Tournaments with over 20 entries in the age category (counted for two simultaneous or same sequence number events for team points).* 1st place: 10 points, 2nd place: 7 points, 3rd place: 5 points, 4th place: 3 points, 5th place: 1 point (Points will be split without tiebreaks and carried over to two decimal points, rounded up).
* Tournaments with 10-20 entries in the age category 1st place: 8 points. 2nd place: 5 points, 3rd place 3 points, 4th place 2 points, 5th place 1 point.
* Points will be split in case of ties, and no tiebreakers will be used. Points will be awarded separately for each category, with up to 15 different point awards possible in both individual and team competitions per event. Additional prizes, sponsored by the League, will be announced in advance.
* Participants must have a valid USCF ID and represent the United States in competitions. Foreign players are not eligible.

Participation

* Players will accumulate Grand Prix points based on their individual and team performance.
* The entry fee is $550 per player, granting access to 15 events out of the 30 events held throughout the season
* No player or team may participate in more than 15 events.
* Registration for each event is on a first-come, first-served basis and will open exactly one month before each event. Maximum capacity for both locations is 64 players. The event registration will be closed at that time. If you need to withdraw from the event, please notify the organizers as soon as possible, to allow players on the wait list to join. “No shows” that fail to let organizers know at least two hours before the start of the event, will be penalized from playing in further events.
* Each team must have a minimum of two players and a maximum of four players.

Event Procedures

Each event will be split into three groups based on age:

For 12 & Under League into the 8 & Under, 10 & Under, and 12 & Under groups.
For 18 & Under League into the 14 & Under, 16 & Under and 18 & Under groups.

Players may play up if they choose, but once they choose a section, they cannot move down during the League Season.

Players may move up during the year, but do not have to move up as they become older, as long as they were of correct age at the start of the season.

All events will be drop off only to accommodate players most comfortably. There will be no Team Room available during the events and parents and coaches are requested to wait outside the premises between rounds. This will insure that our locations will be mobile-free and potential cheating possibilities will be significantly reduced.

We expect all events to take place from 1-5pm, so coaches can take the time at our premises to analyze games with their students after the events, space permitting. If needed, Chess Max Academy coaches will be present to help with the analysis of players’ games.

We hope this event will create a transformative environment for the talented chess youth that will bolster players’ efforts to become better chess players!