Chess tournaments in Maine: Where to look for the best ones?
Updated: Sep 29
Looking for chess tournaments in Maine? The Pine State's chess scene runs deeper than most people realize — real clubs meet from Portland to Presque Isle, and even a small public charter school recently produced a Maine State Championship team. And if you'd like to sharpen your game first, why not try a trial lesson with a master at MM Chess Academy?
Maine Chess Tournament Calendar — 2026–2027
Event | Date | Location | Source |
Maine Chess Championship | Usually March | Rotates statewide | |
Maine Scholastic Girls' Championship & Women's Championship | Usually April | Rotates | MECA |
May 2, 2026 | Baxter Academy, Portland | MECA | |
Bob Solinger Memorial Tournament | Usually May | Maine | MECA |
June 24, 2026, 5:00–7:30 PM | Rivalries Sports Pub, Falmouth | ChessMaine | |
Maine Scholastic Team Chess Championship | Usually April | Maine | MSCA |
Maine Scholastic Individual Chess Championship | Usually May | Maine | MSCA |
Farmington Open Chess Tournament | Usually October | Farmington | Farmington Chess Club |
Cobscook Institute MLK Jr. Day Tournament | Usually January | Lubec | Cobscook Institute |
Cobscook Institute Winter Classic | Usually February | Lubec | Cobscook Institute |
Bangor Open Chess Tournament | Usually January | Bangor | Bangor Chess Club |
Bangor Blitz Chess Tournament | Usually March | Bangor | Bangor Chess Club |
Farmington Blitz Chess Tournament | Usually December | Farmington | Farmington Chess Club |
Looking for tournaments in another state? Check our full tournament finder.
The official Maine state affiliate of the US Chess Federation, and the main promoter of chess activities statewide. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting chess from scholastic to adult levels.
📍 Quick Facts
Membership: $12/year adult, $6/year student
President: Wyatt Hendrix2024
Maine Chess Player of the Year: Molly Teftt (Brunswick High School, three-time Maine Girls State Champion, co-founder of the Brunswick Scholastic Chess Club)
Official source: chessmaine.org | Events
MECA organizes or sponsors:
Maine Chess Championship — the annual state championship, five rounds of Swiss play, winner qualifies for the National State Champion of Champions.
Maine Scholastic Girls' Championship & Maine Women's Championship — winners qualify for the National Girls Tournament of Champions and National Women's Open.
Bob Solinger Memorial Tournament — honoring a former MECA president, three sections (Open, U1800, U1400).
Maine Scholastic Grand Prix — a season-long series, September to May, K-12.
A comprehensive news and resource site for Maine chess, run by Daniel C. DeLuca since 2004, maintaining Maine's most complete club directory.
📍 Official source: chessmaine.net | Full club directory | Facebook group
Real Chess Clubs in the Portland Area
Baxter Academy Community Chess Club — Portland's only tuition-free STEM public charter high school. Their fledgling chess team, formed in 2023, won the 2024 Maine State Scholastic Chess Championship and went on to compete at nationals near Washington, DC. Coached by National Master Majur Juac, who originally taught chess in emergency shelters for asylum-seeking families before joining Baxter.
📍 Meets: Tuesdays, 3:00 PM, 185 Lancaster Street, Portland, ME 04101
Contact: Anna Klein-Christie (Anna.kleinchristie@baxter-academy.org)
Portland Chess Club (real Maine club) — meets at The Market Basket Supermarket cafeteria seating area, Westbrook.
📍 Meets: Sundays, 10:00 AM
Contact: Lee Doucette (lfdoucet@maine.rr.com)
University of Southern Maine Chess Club — USM Portland Campus (Falmouth St).
📍 Contact: DJ Pelletier (chessatusm@gmail.com)
South Portland Chess Club — Wednesdays, 5:30–9:00 PM.
South Portland High School Chess Club — student-run, meets Wednesdays after school, 2:15–3:15 PM, room 101. Participates in the Maine Scholastic Grand Prix.
Westbrook Chess Club — Saturdays, 8:00 AM.
Weekend Anime (Westbrook) — anime/gaming store hosting drop-in chess every Saturday, 12:00–8:00 PM, no fee or membership required.
MSCA: Maine Scholastic Chess Association
A nonprofit supporting scholastic chess statewide, affiliated with US Chess and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, offering scholarships and awards.
Maine Scholastic Team Chess Championship — teams of four, grades K-12, four sections.
Maine Scholastic Individual Chess Championship — individual event, four sections, five rounds.
Cobscook Institute — Lubec
An educational nonprofit for eastern Maine, with a chess program led by FIDE Master Jarod Bryan, director of MSCA.
MLK Jr. Day Chess Tournament — one-day, four sections (Open, U1600, U1200, U800).
Winter Classic Chess Tournament — two-day, five-round Swiss, four sections.
Chess Tournaments in Farmington
Farmington Chess Club — meets Fridays at the Farmington Community Center. Runs the Farmington Open (October) and Farmington Blitz (December).
Chess Tournaments in Bangor
Bangor Chess Club — meets Tuesdays at the Bangor Public Library. Runs the Bangor Open (January) and Bangor Blitz (March).
Chess Tournaments in Biddeford
Biddeford Chess Club — meets Wednesdays, 6:00–9:00 PM, McArthur Public Library. Runs monthly Blitz (1st Wednesday), Rapid (3rd Wednesday), and Quads (5th Wednesday when applicable) tournaments.
Chess Tournaments in Sanford
Sanford Knights Chess Club — meets Tuesdays, 5:00–8:00 PM, at rotating Sanford locations. Runs a Club Championship (first six Tuesdays of the year) and a monthly Rapid Tournament (3rd Tuesday).
Waterville Chess Club
Active for over 30 years, meeting at multiple casual Waterville-area locations weekly (Muskie Community Center Wednesdays, Dunkin' in Oakland Mondays, Five Guys in Waterville Tuesdays).
More Maine Chess Clubs (via ChessMaine's directory)
Dirigo Chess Club — Rivalries Sports Pub, Falmouth, Wednesdays 5:00–7:30 PM.
Auburn Chess Club — Wednesdays, 3:00 PM.
Augusta Chess Club — Tuesdays, 6:00 PM.
Saco Valley Chess Club — Tuesdays, 6:00 PM.
Orrington Chess Club — Mondays, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM, Orrington Library.
Together Place Chess Club — Mondays, 10:30 AM.
Turner Memorial Library Chess Club (Presque Isle) — Thursdays, 4:00 PM.
Van Buren Chess Club — days vary, 2:30 PM.
📍 Full directory: chessmaine.net/chessmaine/clubs
Conclusion — Ready to Take Your Game to the Next Level?
From a refugee-turned-National-Master coaching a state championship team to a genuine statewide club network stretching to Presque Isle, Maine's chess community is far richer than a quick search suggests. 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
Is there really a "Portland Chess Club" in Maine?
Yes, but it's smaller than you might expect — it meets Sundays at 10:00 AM at The Market Basket Supermarket in Westbrook, just outside Portland.
What happened with Baxter Academy's chess team?
Formed in 2023 and coached by National Master Majur Juac, the team won the 2024 Maine State Scholastic Chess Championship in its very first year and competed at the national K-12 championship near Washington, DC.
When is the Maine Chess Championship?
Usually held in March, rotating locations statewide, organized by the Maine Chess Association (MECA).
Is there chess in northern Maine, away from Portland?
Yes — the Turner Memorial Library Chess Club in Presque Isle and the Van Buren Chess Club both serve Aroostook County.
Who runs Maine's official chess club directory?
ChessMaine, run by Daniel C. DeLuca since 2004, maintains the most complete list of active clubs statewide.
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