Chess tournaments in New Jersey: Where to look for the best ones?
Updated: Oct 1
Looking for chess tournaments in New Jersey? The state hosts the single biggest team chess tournament in the entire United States every February, plus a dense year-round circuit of scholastic and club events. And if you'd like to sharpen your game first, why not try a trial lesson with a master at MM Chess Academy?
New Jersey Chess Tournament Calendar — October 2026 to 2027
Event | Date | Location | Source |
Oct 23–25 or 24–25, 2026 | Princeton, NJ | Continental Chess Association | |
Sunday, Nov 22, 2026 | Brookdale Community College, Lincroft | NJSCF | |
Morris County Fall Open | Usually October/November | Morristown, NJ | New Jersey Chess Club |
World Amateur Team & U.S. Team East | Usually mid-February (2026 edition: Feb 14–16) | Parsippany Hilton | NJSCF / US Chess |
Atlantic City Open (& Blitz Championship) | Usually early April | Atlantic City, NJ | US Chess (200 enhanced Grand Prix points) |
2026 NJ Elementary and Junior High School Championships | Spring 2026 (check exact date) | Brookdale Community College | US Chess |
Chess for Kids, Games Galore! | Every Thursday, 5:30–6:30 PM | West Windsor Public Library | NJSCF |
ICA Glen Rock Quads | Weekly, ongoing | Glen Rock, NJ | ICA |
Looking for tournaments in another state? Check our full tournament finder.
The World Amateur Team East — America's Biggest Single Tournament
Held every February at the Parsippany Hilton, the World Amateur Team & U.S. Team East is, according to its own Wikipedia entry, the biggest single-section tournament held in the United States. It's organized by Steven Doyle, the youngest person ever elected US Chess President (1984–1987), who also wrote a weekly chess column for The Star-Ledger for 30 years and now serves as Mayor of Island Heights, NJ. Teams of 4 (with one optional alternate) compete in a 6-round Swiss, with a team rating cap under 2200.
📍 Quick Facts
2026 edition: Feb 14–16, Parsippany Hilton
Entry fee: $290 (early) / $350 (after Jan 15)
Official source: njscf.org/usate-2026
The state's official US Chess affiliate, organizing the World Amateur Team East, the NJ K-12 Grade Championships, and the NJ Open, plus supporting youth programs statewide.
📍 Official source: njscf.org | Tournament reports
Chess Clubs Across New Jersey
Westfield Chess Club — offers Quads, Octos, or Swiss tournaments (occasional scholastic events), with lower sections for beginners.
ICA (International Chess Academy) — over 20 years providing chess lessons, tournaments, scholastic camps, and math enrichment. Schools in Glen Rock and Teaneck, NJ, just outside NYC. Runs the weekly ICA Glen Rock Quads.
South Jersey Innovation Center (SJIC) — weekly chess events for all skill levels and ages, Mt. Laurel, NJ.
Bergen Chess Mates — Ridgewood, NJ, offering chess classes, tournaments, and social events for all ages.
Chess Kings & Queens Academy — the same organization we found training Abhimanyu Mishra to become the youngest Grandmaster in history at their North Carolina location; they also run a New Jersey chapter.
West Orange Chess Club, Diplomat Chess, and King's Chess Club — additional NJ clubs listed by NJSCF.
Conclusion — Ready to Take Your Game to the Next Level?
From the biggest team chess tournament in America to a genuinely dense local club scene, New Jersey's chess community is one of the most active on the East Coast. At MM Chess Academy, every coach is a certified, master-titled player — National Masters, International Masters, Woman International Masters, and Olympiad team members among them — ranking in the top 0.1% worldwide. Founded by National Master Misha Vilenchuk, we've taught over 700 students, many of whom have gone on to win national competitions and earn their own Master titles.
FAQ
What is the World Amateur Team East?
Held every February at the Parsippany Hilton, it's the biggest single-section chess tournament in the United States, organized by Steven Doyle, the youngest-ever US Chess President.
When is the Eastern Chess Congress?
The 2026 edition runs October 23–25 or 24–25 in Princeton, NJ, organized by the Continental Chess Association.
When are the NJ K-12 Grade Championships?
Sunday, November 22, 2026, at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.
Is there free weekly chess for kids in New Jersey?
Yes — "Chess for Kids, Games Galore!" runs every Thursday at the West Windsor Public Library.
Who organizes chess tournaments in New Jersey?
The New Jersey State Chess Federation (NJSCF), the state's official US Chess affiliate.
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