Preparation guide
How to prepare for US Chess Scholastic National Championships
National championships separated by grade, age and rating, so beginners are never paired against masters.
Some preparation needed · Kindergarten through grade 12. At the Grade Championships each grade has its own section and players must play in their corresponding grade section.
Where the points actually are
Chess improvement below master level is overwhelmingly about tactics and about not losing pieces. Studying openings deeply is the most common misallocation of effort by improving juniors. Tactics puzzles daily, reviewing your own losses, and basic endgame technique produce far more rating points per hour.
Topic breakdown
- 01Tactics
- Pins, forks, skewers, discovered attacks, deflection. The overwhelming majority of games below expert level are decided by a tactic. Daily puzzles are the highest-return activity available.
- 02Endgames
- King and pawn endings, basic rook endings, opposition. Knowing these converts drawn positions into wins and saves lost ones.
- 03Openings
- Learn the ideas behind one opening for white and one for each main reply as black. Do not memorise long lines; understand the plans.
- 04Analysing your own games
- The single most neglected activity. Review every loss without an engine first, then with one, and write down what you actually missed.
- 05Clock management
- Losing on time in a winning position happens constantly at scholastic level. Practise at the time control you will actually play.
A study plan that works backwards from the date
- Ongoing Twenty minutes of tactics puzzles every day. This is not glamorous and it is what raises ratings.
- Two months before an event Play rated games regularly, online or locally, at a slow time control. Blitz does not prepare you for a classical tournament.
- One month out Review your last twenty losses and categorise them: tactic missed, endgame technique, time trouble, opening confusion. Attack the largest category.
- The week before Light tactics, sleep, and a quick refresher of your opening repertoire. Do not learn a new opening in the last week.
Tips that come from the format itself
- Sections are by rating as well as grade, so play rated local events first. Arriving unrated puts you in an unpredictable section.
- Analyse your losses without an engine first. The engine tells you what was best; only you can find out what you were thinking.
- Multi-day tournaments are physically demanding. Sleep and food affect results more than most juniors expect.
- Free tactics training is abundant. Lichess is entirely free with no paid tier and its puzzle trainer is as good as anything sold.
Practice resources
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US Chess national events calendar
The live calendar of national scholastic championships. This is the page to work from; US Chess's own older 'Scholastics' menu link still points at a site last updated in 2015.
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2026-27 Scholastic Regulations
The current regulations governing sections, eligibility and tiebreaks. Read this before entering a national event.
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National K-12 Grade Championships
Details, entry and hotel information for the K-12 Grade Championships.
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Join US Chess
Membership is required to play rated events and is what gives you a rating.
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Upcoming rated tournaments
Find local rated events to establish a rating before entering a national section.
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Lichess
Completely free, no paid tier: play, puzzles, studies and analysis. The best free chess resource that exists.
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ChessKid
Chess training built for younger children with age-appropriate moderation. Free tier available.
Past papers and official materials
- Past national championship results and crosstables
US Chess publishes ratings and event crosstables. Look up any player or past event.
Skills this builds
- Opening preparation
- Tactical calculation
- Endgame technique
- Clock management
- Composure across a multi-day event