For many young chess players, competing at the National Scholastic Chess Championships represents the pinnacle of their school chess journey. It’s more than just a tournament, it’s a celebration of hard work, teamwork, and passion for the game. Students from across the country gather to test their skills, meet new friends, and represent their schools and communities on one of the biggest stages in scholastic chess.

As the new school year begins, Chess in the Schools (CIS) students and instructors are already hard at work preparing for this exciting event. Several of our partner schools have made Nationals an annual tradition, and the road to get there starts early — with lessons, practice games, and a shared commitment to growth both on and off the board.

Behind every student and every team stands a dedicated CIS Instructor, a mentor, teacher, and motivator who guides them not only through tactics and openings, but through the mental and emotional challenges of competition.

To learn more about this journey, we spoke with CIS Chess Instructor Tristan Stovall, who teaches at P.S. 279, in the Bronx. Tristan shared his experiences, insights, and the powerful impact that chess has on his students both in the classroom and beyond.

1. Getting Started

• How long have you been an instructor with Chess in the Schools, and how did you get started teaching chess?

Tristan: I’ve been a CIS instructor since 2017, so that makes it eight years for me. But I’ve been teaching for 12 years total. I started teaching in 2013 at a middle school in the Bronx, MS 361. I worked there for three years, and that’s actually how I found out about Chess in the Schools. I wanted to bring my students to tournaments, discovered the program, and eventually applied to work here. That’s how I got to Chess in the Schools. 

• What do you enjoy most about working with your school’s chess team?

Tristan: I currently work at one school, P.S. 279 – The Urban Knights in the Bronx. I love working there because I’ve been there since day one, so it’s my eighth year now. I’m very familiar with the teachers, coordinators, and principal. The chess coordinators, Vincent Bogert and Samantha Velez, are both passionate about chess. Vinny has been with the school since 1996 and is a Learner Award Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Having coordinators who love chess makes my job easier and more enjoyable.

It’s also a K–8 school, so I get to teach students from third grade and see them grow through middle school. I’ve even taught siblings — sometimes three or four from the same family. For example, I’ve taught students like Matthew, whose older brother, sister, and cousins were also in the chess club. I’ve seen some of my former students go from seventh grade all the way to college. It’s amazing to teach different generations.

2. Preparing for Nationals

• What does preparation for Nationals look like for your team, both in the classroom and beyond?

Tristan: Preparation for Nationals is a year-long process. There’s the financial side — fundraising, hotels, plane tickets — and then there’s the instructional side. It starts from day one: encouraging kids to attend chess club, practice at home, and participate in tournaments. CIS Saturday tournaments are the best preparation for Nationals. You can’t think about Nationals if you’re not playing competitively.

At P.S. 279, once we know which students are going, we create focused prep sessions for them. Last year, 13 students went to Orlando, so we ran practices specifically for those players. One way we prepare is by simulating tournament conditions — for example, having students play full 90-minute games with notation. Mr. Bogert also uses a technique where players pause after 10 moves and must wait two minutes per move to practice patience and analysis. We teach them to manage their time and avoid rushing through games.

We also explain the structure of Nationals — seven rounds over several days — so there are no surprises. The only thing they can’t really prepare for is the scale: 5,000 kids playing at once! But otherwise, they’re well-prepared.

•  What are some specific strategies or exercises you use to help students prepare for high-pressure games?

Tristan: We like to get the kids ready by simulating real tournament conditions. For example, we’ll have them play full 90-minute games while keeping notation, just like they’ll do at Nationals. Mr. Bogert also has this great technique where after about ten moves, the players pause and have to wait two minutes before making their next move. It really helps them slow down, think carefully, and learn how to manage their time instead of rushing.

We also spend time talking about what to expect at Nationals, seven rounds spread out over a few days, the long hours, and the focus it takes to stay sharp. The only thing we can’t really prepare them for is the sheer size of it all. When they walk into that hall and see thousands of kids playing chess at once, it’s always a big “wow” moment. But aside from that, they go in confident and ready.

3. The Experience of Nationals

• Does the team dynamic change once the students are at Nationals?

Tristan: Absolutely. Nationals transforms the team. Before COVID, we went every year — Atlanta in 2018, Dallas in 2019. After the pandemic, we had to rebuild from scratch with beginners. Going back to Nationals made it real again — that we’re a serious, competitive team.

P.S. 279 has a long tradition, they’ve gone to Nationals every year from 1996 to 2019. The principal and staff really celebrate our trips. When we left for Nationals, the principal held a send-off assembly for the kids. Everyone knows that our chess club competes both locally and nationally.

• How do you help students handle both victories and losses during the tournament?

Tristan: We have a motto: “We don’t lose — we win, we draw, or we learn.” Every result is a learning opportunity. We review games with notation to understand what went well and what didn’t.

We also stress sportsmanship — shaking hands before and after games, showing respect regardless of the result. And I always encourage students, never scold them for losing. Every game is part of their growth.

4. The Role of the Instructor

• How do you mentally and emotionally prepare your students for the challenges of a national competition?

Tristan: I try to be as transparent as possible. I tell them exactly what to expect, the environment, the schedule, the level of competition. Since our students already play in Saturday tournaments, they know what big events feel like. I just explain that Nationals are the same, only larger.

We also simulate tournament conditions and show them photos of what it’s like. My goal is for no student to ever say, “You didn’t tell me this would happen.” I pride myself on fully preparing them.

• What’s the most rewarding part of taking your team to Nationals each year?

Tristan: Seeing the kids’ journey. Watching how they grow from the start of the year to the end is incredibly rewarding.

I love the camaraderie that forms. For example, two students, Jade and Melissa, became best friends through chess and now go to Nationals together. Another family — the Lazaro siblings — almost had all three brothers and sisters attend together. And Matthew became the fourth member of his family to go to Nationals.

It really feels like a family affair.

• How do you think the experience of Nationals helps shape your students — as players and as people?

Tristan: It teaches them hard work and perseverance. The opportunity to go to Nationals is not handed to anyone, you have to earn it. Students learn dedication, consistency, and teamwork. It’s not about being the best player but about showing commitment.

Even if they lose every game, if they show effort, they’re showing the qualities that get them to Nationals. That lesson — that effort matters more than outcome — stays with them.

5. Reflection and Advice

• What lessons do you hope your students take away from this experience?

Tristan: I hope they form lifelong bonds. Ten or twenty years from now, I want them to still be friends because of chess. I keep in touch with many alumni, some are now in college, some visit the school, and they still talk about how chess shaped them.

It’s amazing to see those connections last beyond the classroom.

• What advice would you give to other instructors who are preparing their students for Nationals?

Tristan: Going to nationals is a team effort, it’s not a one man job. You have to work with the coordinator, the principal. I could have not done without the help of Vinny, Samantha, and P.S. 279 principal Jean Dalton. They love Chess in the schools. I am just a small cog in the wheel to make the whole thing work. It’s a group effort. Some of the kids have met students from other states, for example one of my students Melissa became friends with a girl from Hawaii. A girl from the Bronx can meet a girl from Hawaii all because of chess. 

• How do you celebrate your team’s achievements after the tournament?

Tristan: 279X is really good at that. Last year we had a party during the chess club, we showed videos and pictures of what they did. I showed my regular classes what they did. We like to celebrate their achievements regardless of the result.  

Personal Note: Being a Bronx native, born and raised in the South Bronx, I take pride in working in the same community that raised me. It feels good to give back, maybe in a small way, but in a deeply fulfilling one. If someone had told me 20 years ago that I’d become a teacher, I would’ve thought they were crazy. Now, I’m impacting kids and watching them grow through chess and education.

I’ve taught in many Bronx schools, and I truly love working in my community. The Bronx is often unfairly labeled as a dangerous place, but seeing kids use chess to rise above those obstacles and stereotypes is one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher.

One of my former students, Brianna, even earned a full scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis, a perfect example of how far our students can go.