The US Chess Trust, Your Partner in Community Chess
When my husband and I started a chess club at Dundee Elementary School in tiny Dundee, Oregon, we had a lot of enthusiasm and a budget of zero. Assuming we would fund some equipment ourselves and cobble together the rest with hand-me-downs, we immediately announced our exciting plans. Lucky for us, I happened to be friends with Al Lawrence, Managing Director of the US Chess Trust. When Al found out about our club, the Trust donated ten durable scholastic sets to our program. Soon we had dozens of players using these resources!
The US Chess Trust offers a wealth of resources for anyone interested in promoting chess in their community.
What Is the US Chess Trust?
The US Chess Trust is a charitable organization established in 1967 to promote the game of chess for everyone. The Trust supports chess in many ways, from providing equipment to funding the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis, MO. The Trust is an important sponsor for multiple awards and scholarships each year, and funds headlining tournaments for scholastic chess players. The US Chess Trust partners closely with the US Chess Federation (USCF) and other chess organizations to foster chess in communities around the country.
US Chess Trust for Youth: Chess Sets for Title I Schools and Others
If you’re starting a scholastic chess club in your community, you may qualify for the Chess for Youth Free Sets & Boards program! The Trust shipped 800 free sets in 2023. Per Al Lawrence, “We always encourage applicants!” This program is open to clubs that serve Title I students (see below for Title I description). You may also reapply if expanding your qualifying program to include more students or schools.
If you’d like to apply, fill out the application found here.
Two hints for success:
- You must supply the name of the current principal of the school hosting your club, the Trust will verify this information.
- Be sure to use the correct school address, and make sure someone will be available to accept the shipment at that address.
Not connected to a school? The Trust also supplies free sets to libraries, senior centers, and military/veteran programs! Just note in the comments section of the application what kind of organization you’re partnering with.
The US Chess Trust Public Library Initiative
Another great new program spearheaded by the Trust is the Public Library Initiative. Partnering with local chapters of the US Chess Federation and public libraries, the Trust shares the costs of in-person chess instruction sessions at the library. Highly qualified local USCF members provide the instruction. If you are connected to a library or a USCF affiliate and want to participate, email Al Lawrence at al@uschesstrust.org for more information.
Free Publications Available from the US Chess Trust
An invaluable resource offered by the Trust is “A Guide to Scholastic Chess-11th Edition” by Dewain R. Barber. This 76-page downloadable handbook is free to schools and scholastic chess club sponsors. This guide will help you from the first time you think about starting a club to attending your first national tournament.
“Learn to Read and Write Chess” by Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield is another highly useful publication for teaching chess. This free-to-download instructional workbook will teach players how to correctly write down their games in standard chess notation—a required skill to play in any USCF tournament! Learning chess notation is essential to any serious study of chess.
Awards for Scholars
The most prestigious award of the Trust is the Samford Fellowship. Samford Fellows are the elite players of the scholastic chess world. Former recipients include GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Irina Krush, and GM Wesley So, names that might be familiar to you. The Samford Fellowship is awarded to students who show talent and achievement at chess and the drive to become a grandmaster. The best of the best, Samford Fellows have the potential to challenge for world titles one day.
Scholar-Chessplayer Awards are open to high school juniors and seniors who excel in school and represent chess at its best in their communities. In 2024, the award was worth $1,500, with a total of $9,000 awarded. This award may be used to further their education in chess and beyond. Additionally, a new category was created in 2023 to recognize players with lower ratings who exemplify the spirit of chess as ambassadors.
Tournaments Sponsored by US Chess Trust
The Trust has been a sponsor of several national scholastic chess tournaments, including the GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions and WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions. These tournaments bring together the best players from each state to compete for titles, scholarship awards, and the opportunity to continue on at even higher levels. This aspect of the Trust is continually evolving to promote chess for everyone.
Trust the Trust
The US Chess Trust is passionate about its mission to reach as many people as possible with the wonderful benefits of playing chess. If your school or organization meets the requirements of the Chess for Youth Free Sets Program, applying for an equipment grant is easily done online. After all, the kindergartner you teach to move a knight properly might someday be a Samford Fellow!
Additional Resources
For more information about any of the programs offered by the US Chess Trust, email Al Lawrence at al@uschesstrust.org. Many thanks to Al for his help with the information in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Title I refers to the section of Federal education regulations meant to ensure certain groups of disadvantaged students receive fair, high quality educational instruction and opportunities. For more information about Title I, check out the Federal Office of Elementary and Secondary Education website. Your school principal will be able to help with this information.
The answer is a qualified “yes.” While you will not be eligible to get free sets and boards through the Chess for Youth program. The other resources of the Trust are still available to you. Downloadable publications on chess clubs and chess notation are available to everyone. Also, if you have outstanding high school students, encourage them to apply for the Scholar-Chessplayer Scholarship Award. In the event that you're in the Saint Louis, Missouri area. The World Chess Hall of Fame would make a great field trip for your chess students. Admission is free!
The US Chess Trust strives to respond to applications as quickly as possible. Once your application is reviewed and approved, sets are shipped within 2-4 weeks. However, keep this in mind when you apply. You don’t want your much anticipated delivery to come while school is out and be misplaced.
The Samford Fellowship is a very selective process. Candidates for this award are playing at the top levels of national and international chess and apply by invitation.
However, the Scholar-Chessplayer Award is open to all. Qualifications are listed here. If one of your students meets these qualifications and would like to apply. The Trust publishes a call for applications on its website. Check back frequently for the 2024/2025 invitation to apply.
The US Chess Trust is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and accepts donations from everyone. As a small organization with no office or full-time staff. They strive to use contributions for the expansion of chess to everyone. This online donation form allows you to earmark your support for any of the Trust’s stated missions or make a general donation.