Our First All-Girls Nationals!
The 17th Annual KCF All-Girls National Chess Championship returned to Chicago this year, after Covid cancelled the over-the-board championship event two years ago. This national championship event is exclusively for girls under 18 years of age, consisting of six rounds played over three days with a time control of 90 minutes per side._a3a8b.jpg)
L to R: Sarah May, Ranae Bartlett, Christina Yang, Caroline Wang, Nirvana Rajbhandari and Julie Goldston.
First-time competitors Discovery Middle School from Madison, Alabama made history at the 2022 All Girls Nationals when they won 1st place team in the U16 section! Team members Christina Yang, Caroline Wang, and Nirvana Rajbhandari led after every round. Their coach for the tournament, Sarah May, competed in this event herself, nine and ten years ago.
Why All-Girls Tournaments?
Our girls from Madison really enjoy playing in All-Girls tournaments. There is something empowering when you see other girls like you in such large numbers. They loved meeting girls from other places and wished they had more time to just hang out socially before the competition begins. They enjoy that “no boys are allowed.” If your state does not host an All-Girls state event, plan to do one next year to help your girls prepare for nationals.
The Discovery Middle School girls had competed the weekend before in the online ChessKid USA Girls & Women Championship, and also won 1st place team in the middle school division. They had also competed at Alabama’s All-Girls State Chess Championship in February, but All-Girls Nationals was on a completely different level in terms of size, competition, and fun! All the girls and family members who accompanied them wanted to return next year because they had such a great time.
Discovery Middle School team members before the start of Round 5 on Sunday.
Chicago is a great place to visit
Chicago offers a lot of fun sightseeing opportunities, so if you plan to compete, give yourself enough time to arrive and spend a day exploring Chicago. Definitely book your flight to return on Monday, so you can enjoy the awards ceremony on Sunday evening before going home. Be sure to try Chicago-style pizza while you're there!
Want to be part of the fun next year? Make plans now to attend 2023’s All-Girls Nationals in Chicago, held between April 28-30. The Kasparov Chess Foundation and Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation run an excellent tournament. Read more here: http://allgirls.rknights.org/.