Welcome!

The Seattle Chess Foundation was formed in June, 2000 to provide leadership and funding for chess in the United States. The Seattle Chess Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization.

PURPOSE: Education and Excellence for All

The SCF will support chess as an educational tool for children.  Various studies regarding chess discuss how chess expands the cognitive ability of children. Increase in cognitive learning translates into an increase in self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth.

We will also promote excellence in chess through various programs and events. The most notable event will be the US Chess Championships each year, in which the top men and women players from the US will compete for the honor of becoming the US Chess Champion. We will create a world-class event that brings together the chess community and the public-at-large to showcase chess at its highest levels. We believe that this event will inspire young people to pursue chess and the active development of their minds.

We will encourage and promote chess for every child. Chess is accessible to all people regardless of age, gender, race or physical ability. Specifically, we will focus on encouraging young women and minorities to fully participate in this activity. We intend to develop specific programs and opportunities to attract these groups.

HOW: Chess and Technology

The SCF intends to be a catalyst to build a chess center in Seattle. This facility will be a focal point for chess. We intend to provide first-class instruction for teachers on how to teach chess, a good venue for instruction, competitive play for our youth and a gathering place for the chess community in general.  Our idea is to try to locate this center in a easy accessible area where we can weave ourselves into the educational fabric of the community.

We intend to make full use of the internet.  Chess is exploding on the web and we will equip our center with a world-class technology base.  Through this connection our children will be able to learn from and play with children from all over the world.  Chess is a universal language and we will use this language to integrate ourselves into the national and international chess and educational community.  Use of the web will enable us to link directly to these communities. In particular we hope to work closely with the United States Chess Federation and the Chess in Schools program headquartered in New York City. Working with these organizations and many others we can use chess to help inspire intellectual pursuits in our community and country.

US vs. China Summit Match

After successfully staging the US Chess Championships in Seattle in September 2000, the SCF will be hosting a friendly match between the US and China over four rounds from March 12 - 18, 2001.  All details will be finalized in the near future. The event will be held at the Harbor Club in downtown Seattle.  Each team will have 13 players, six general players (+ 1 reserve), two female players (+ 1 reserve), 2 under 18 players (+1 reserve), only 10 will play per round. Follow the link for more information such as who will participate, when the rounds are and the like.

SCF Founding Underwriters

In order to capitalize the efforts of the Seattle Chess Foundation, we have received commitments from a number of outstanding people who are united by their recognition of chess as a powerful educational tool and its inherent beauty.

The funds will be used to provide initial funding for the championship and to build the infrastructure of the organization. This multiple year commitment will allow us to position ourselves as a stable organization. Going forward, we will approach additional individuals, foundations and corporations for the funding necessary to secure the permanence of these programs. The Seattle Chess Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization and its tax ID number is 912051499.