Chess in the Schools thanks Chess24 and GM Psacal Charbonneau for helping with this unique online event to support Chess in the Schools. Special thanks to GM Sam Shankland, GM Andrew Tang, IM John Bartholomew,…
About Us

Mission Statement
Chess in the Schools fosters the intellectual and social development of low-income youth through chess education.
“Before, I thought chess was for people smarter than me but now I feel smarter than before knowing how to play chess. I also have more patience now. Thank you again for going out of your way to come every Tuesday to teach us to play chess.”
- Chess in the Schools Elementary School Participant

Why Chess?
At Chess in the Schools, we believe in the power of chess to change lives. To date, we have taught more than 500,000 of New York City's most underserved children, inspiring them to greater achievement. Each day, we are proud to help kids grow, one move at a time. Our impact is demonstrated by classroom teachers responses to our annual survey:
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- More than 96% of teachers reported that CIS’s chess program were effective and that they would want it to return.
- 97% of teachers reported that chess had a meaningful positive influence on their students.
- 85% of teachers reported that their students applied the lessons of chess beyond the chess board.
- 91% of teachers reported the growth of analytical and logical reasoning skills in their students.
- 82% of teachers reported improved understanding of math concepts.
- 91% of teachers reported improved ability to concentrate.
- 94% of teachers reported improved cooperation skills in their students.
- 86% of teachers reported improved social skills and behavior in their students.
2020 Survey
Photo Credit: Erik Bardin
Featured Event
Frequently Asked Questions
New York City Public Schools which have been designated as Title I are eligible to apply for participation in our School Program. If you are interested in participating in our School Program, please click here to send an inquiry.
While any official staff member from a NYC public school can apply, the application process must be approved by and have the full support of the principal.
Individual students are not eligible to participate in our School Program independent of their school being an official partner. However, NYC students are welcome to register for our tournaments regardless of whether their school participates in our School Program.
Unfortunately, our programs are only available to NYC Public Schools in the 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens).
Yes, we typically allow entrance to the College Bound Program to those who previously participated in the School Program. However, exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.
No, Chess in the Schools is a NYC-based program. Please refer to the United States Chess Federation for information on nationwide chess programs.
There is no cost for students to participate in our programs. However, for schools that participate in our School Program, a fee applies.
Board of Directors
Mark E. Maher
Chair
Senior Legal Counsel, Spotify
Daniel Ryan
Secretary
Managing Partner, Sincerus Advisory
Cody Smith
Treasurer
Retired Partner of Goldman Sachs & Co.
Kwadwo Acheampong
Director
Director, Prudential Fixed Income
Lawrence B. Benenson
Director
Principal, Benenson Capital Partners, LCC
Praju Doshi
Director
Director, Credit Suisse
Debbie Eastburn
President & CEO
Chess in the Schools
Andy Lerner
Director
Managing Partner, IA Capital Group
Chun Lin
Director
Director, Credit Suisse
Gustave K. Lipman
Director
CEO, Voyager Analytics USA
Dhruv Sharma
Director
Director, PwC LLP
Andrew C. Smith
Director
Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Dave Stein
Director
Solution Architect, Adobe
Richard B. Wagner
Director
Vice President, ABILITY Network
Mike Walsh Peissis
Director
President, Vetta Inc.
Anthony Sandrik
Director
Global Head of Talent, Omidyar Network
Jonathan Zald
Director
Director, PJT Partners
Lewis B. Cullman
In Memoriam
Philanthropist
Board of Advisors
Lev Alburt
Maurice Ashley
Ipek Bakir
Erik Bardin
John Bartholomew
Peter Bassey
Nikita Bear
Cohlie Brocato
Pascal Charbonneau
Nikken Cullman
Ronald J. Daniels
David Danziger
Howard Dodson
Kimberley Doo
Jon Edwards
Ellen V. Futter
Anna Ginzburg
Eric Gioia
Betsy Gotbaum
Vartan Gregorian
Agnes Gund
Evan Hunter
David Joerg
Roman Kazan
Richard C. Levin
David MacEnulty
Robert MacNeil
Beatriz Marinello
Przemyslaw Matecki
John Merrow
Shivan Persad
Frank H.T. Rhodes
Aia Sarycheva
Charles E. Schumer
Jennifer Shahade
Shahnawaz Sheikh
Michael Shuman
Jacob Spitzer
Vanessa Sun
Stanley Switalski
Zack Weiner
Alexandra Wiener
Staff

Debbie Eastburn
President & CEO

Nicole Alston
Office Coordinator

Ronald Boocock
Director, School Program

Chano LaBoy
College Bound Director

Carmen Morales
School Program Manager

Elena Ryabova
Director of Development

Shaun M. Smith
Director, Programs

Will Staso
College Bound Coordinator