Are a chess player residing in the Keystone State, Pennsylvania? If so, this page is for you. Below is a guide with resources and links to the best resources for you to take advantage of and participate in to improve your Elo. We understand that it can be hard to find resources about chess when you live in the state, so feel free to read our Pennsylvania Chess Guide provided below.
Chess in Pennsylvania
For the past years, chess has been popular in different areas of the United States, including Pennsylvania. The state continues to grow its chess player community and is rising competence in the tournaments. Last 2020, Pennsylvania’s population statistics rose to 12.80M, and it is still one of the most densely populated states in the US. Hence, it’s natural to find a lot of people who share the same sports interest.
Currently, the Pennsylvania State Chess Federation is the primary resource center for chess in Pennsylvania. The PSCF is a non profit corporation that is affiliated with the United States Chess Federation (USCF), which sponsors and holds some of the biggest chess tournaments and championships. The Federation also records loads of information regarding the sports in the States.
Meanwhile, all the other information provided below is designed to assist people like you who are interested in knowing about chess in Pennsylvania. This post includes the organizations, clubs, events, and tournaments that where you can join and also data about other players.
Chess Scene in Pennsylvania
With many people interested in chess, Pennsylvania has become a great place to play the board game. Aside from many nearby chess clubs and organizations, the state also holds competitions and championships that are covered by news reports. It can be said that Pennsylvania is both a maker and home to chess masters. The state also keeps a regularly updating Top 100 chess players. It is a competitive and a good training ground for chess.
Grandmasters in Pennsylvania
Aside from FIDE keeping all the grandmaster details list in the United States, the Pennsylvania State Chess Federation (PSCF) also holds its record of the top 100 greatest and most active players in the state. Currently, the number one grandmaster in Pennsylvania is Alexander Shabalov, with a 2595 rating. He is among the greatest chess players in America, making it to the US Chess Hall of Fame last 2015.
Last 2019, Shabalov has brought home his excellence from the 23rd Annual Eastern Chess Congress. Aside from that, he also won the recent 52nd Annual Liberty Open Chess Tournament 2020. The second grandmaster is Bryan G. Smith holding a 2545 rating. Pennsylvania currently has these two grandmasters but also acknowledges other competitive IM chess players like Gregory Shahade, Thomas Bartell, Evan Park, Igor Khmelnitsky, and more.
Current Chess Ranking in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Chess Clubs
Perhaps, among the perks of residing in Pennsylvania is the fact that you can experience high-quality chess from almost a hundred different chess clubs and organizations available. Below are some of the leading Pennsylvania Chess Clubs that you may like to visit:
- Pittsburgh Chess Club – One of the oldest chess clubs that started in the middle 80s. The club is committed to guiding and helping chess players inside Pennsylvania.
- Main Line Chess Club – If you live in Ardmore, PA, Main Line Chess Club is the nearest place where you can go. The place has been used to accommodate competitions and tournaments along with Pennsylvania.
- MasterMinds Chess Club – Established in 2001, the MasterMinds Chess Clubs has become a training ground for beginners to expert players who are striving to improve.
- Amity Chess Club – Amity Chess Club is one of the most visited places when you live in Douglasville. Aside from a friendly environment, the club also helps players to wield their chess skills alongside others.
- Tredyffrin Library Chess Club – Tredyffrin Library’s Chess Club is a social organization to accommodate students from Wayne, PA, and anyone who would like to start their chess journey.
Pennsylvania Chess Tournaments
If you are in for unleashing your chess potential and skills and live in Pennsylvania, you won’t encounter any problems. That’s because the state is active and participative when it comes to chess tournaments. Below are some details of a few awaited competitions that may help you schedule for participation.
- Pennsylvania State Chess Championship 2022 – This is an all-out chess competition that accommodates grade schoolers up to middle high. It will be held on June 25-26, 2022.
- West Chester Club Swiss – This is a weekly competition for people who live in Pennsylvania. It is located at 130 West Miner St, West Chester, PA. You can join the swiss every Thursday as long as you’re fully vaccinated.
- Sunday Quads at USCF – This is a competition held every Sunday and started on June 05, 2022. To register, you can fill out a form in this google docs.
- Hershey USCF Open Quads and Scholastic – This is a pending tournament this June 2022, which is open to anyone living in Pennsylvania. You can refer to this page to gather data and register for the competition.
- SJIC Open Quads – This is one of the most awaited tournaments in Pennsylvania but still has no date and details announced. The competition is expected to be held at South Jersey Innovation Center. For updated news and information, refer to this page.
Pennsylvania Chess Shops
The following are some of the best chess shops you can visit in or near Pennsylvania.
- Main Line Chess and Games – The store has all of your chess necessities, such as boards and even books. It is located in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
- White Knight’s Game Room – This store offers all your chess game necessities but also sells some merchandise that you can wear. It’s located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Please note that the shop is closed every Monday.
- Six Feet Under Games – This store in New Holland, Pennsylvania, sells many sports equipment, including chess. It’s a shop for the whole family.
Conclusion
Pennsylvania, without question, is a great place to start, improve and master the art of playing chess. It has contributed a lot of history in the game and continues to support those who want to play. Aside from that, the place also has a lot of active chess players where you can get daily motivation. The grandmasters in Pennsylvania are not just known in the state but in the world. It’s enough motivation for everyone, including you, who is interested in chess. We hope that this Pennsylvania Chess Guide has helped you find what you are looking for.
I hope this guide on Pennsylvania Chess helped you. If you’re interested in other states, you can refer to the guide on Chess in the United States or a specific state like Indiana or Nevada.