News Archives

2007-08 School Year

For the latest news, read the recent NW WA Scholastic Chess Memo .

Oct. 29, Nov. 19, Nov. 26: NWL Autumn Grand Prix

Nov. 5: NWL Speed Bughouse Blast

Northwest High School Chess League 2007-2008 Season

Dec. 15: Skagit Chessfest

Jan. 12: Whatcom County Championships, Lynden

Feb. 2: International Chess Jam 2008

Kickoff, Beta and Gamma PreSeason Action Chess Octagonal Tournaments
Oct. 28 Ferndale, Nov. 18 Bellingham, Dec. 2 Sedro-Woolley

For results of the many Seattle area events attended by NW WA players, such as the State High School, Middle School and Elementary Championships, visit the Tournament Reports page of the Washington High School Chess Association website.

01-02 School Year

Hot Summer Chess Grand Prix 2002
Summer of 2002, four tourneys at the Bellingham Public Library

Samish Summer Chess Camp 2002
July 8-11, 2002 at Samish Elementary, Sedro-Woolley

Chess Challenge 2002
June 1, 2002 at Cascade MS, Sedro-Woolley

Spring Octagonals
April 29, 2002 at Fairhaven M.S., Bellingham

2002 Washington State Elementary School Chess Championships
April 13, 2002 at Tumwater H.S.

Washington State Middle School and Junior High Chess Team Championships
March 9, 2002 at Islander MS, Mercer Island

Skagit Scholastic K-12 Chess Jamboree
March 2, 2002 at Edison Elementary, Bow-Edison

Washington State High School Chess Team Championships
February 22-23, 2002 at Issaquah HS

WHSCA Northwest HS Chess League
2001-02 Season

Whatcom County Middle School Chess League
2001-02 Season

Chess Jam 2002
February 9, 2002 at Ferndale HS

Washington State High School Individual Chess Championships
January 25-26, 2002 at Meadowdale HS, Lynnwood

1st Speed Blitz Bughouse Chess Funday
January 19, 2002 at Kulshan M.S., Bellingham

Edison Chessfest
November 26, 2001. Edison Elementary in Bow-Edison now has the record for largest tournament ever held in Northwest Washington, with 236 participants battling it out in 5 sections. 13 champions, as 1st place in each grade (including Kindergarten) was awarded.

Pre-Season 2001 Kickoff, Beta, Gamma Tournaments
Three Monday night tournaments in Fall of 2001, using the Octagonal format, Game/30 time controls. A total of 20 octagonal sections and 172 participants.

Whatcom County Scholastic Chess Championships
November 17, 2001. 140 players, all Whatcom County students and residents, converged in Lynden. The new County Champions are Ry Entriken, High School; Peter June, Middle School; Thomas Witecki, Elementary, and Niall Quinn, Primary Champion.

00-01 School Year

Hot Summer Chess 2001 Grand Prix
Noel Abbott of Sedro-Woolley and Michael Draper of Ferndale share the Grand Prix trophy after three chess evenings in June, July and August. Octagonal format tourneys, held at the Bellingham Public Library.

Summer Camps 2001
Listing of summer camp opportunities, both the major national ones and in the Pacific Northwest area.

Spring Series 2001
April 23, May 14, 2001. Northwest Chess League sponsored Octagonals, with medals for the winners.

Samish - Cascade Chessfest
May 11, 2001. 42 Skagit County players gather for some fun Octagonal action.

2001 State Elementary Championships
March 24, 2001. A horde of 731 qualified chessplayers converge in Vancouver for a magnificent safari into the chess jungle. Lynden's Lane Van Weerdhuizen shares the title!

2001 State Middle School Team Championships
March 10, 2001. Eight middle school teams from Whatcom and Skagit counties made it to the State Championships!

Washington State Junior Open
March 17, 2001. Quite a few locals competed in this USCF-rated event, held at Meadowdale H.S. in Lynnwood.

State High School Team Championships
Feb. 23, 24 2001. Mount Vernon, Lynden, Sedro-Woolley, Sehome, Meridian and Ferndale are the six NWL teams who qualified and attended the Big Dance, STATE. They took it, and they dished it out!

Chess Jam 2001
Feb. 10, 2001. Ferndale: 102 students from Canada to Seattle competed. Ethan Neff 1st Overall, Jason Lee of Canada 1st Junior.

Northwest H.S. Chess League
Ferndale regains the title, Lynden 2nd, Meridian ekes out third in an evenly matched season.

Skagit M.S. Chess League, Whatcom M.S. Chess League
Dec., Jan. 2001. The middle school leagues are growing! Five teams in the first season of the Skagit M.S. League, six in the Whatcom M.S. League's second season.

State H.S and M.S. Individual Championships
Jan. 26,27 and Feb. 3, 2001. Lynden's Ethan Neff tied for 2nd in State, and the Sedro-Woolley team took home a trophy (just edging Lynden). At the Middle School version, Fairhaven's Michael Binder and Lynden's Matt Kurtis seized trophies, having tied for 2nd Reserve.

State M.S. Action Championships
Jan. 13, 2001. Local teams descend from the North and score big in Lynnwood! For example: Vista 2nd in State!

Edison Elementary Chessfest
Dec. 16, 2000. Yes, 152 (!) players from K-8 travelled to Bow through the ice and snow! Whoa!

Whatcom County Scholastic Chess Championships
Nov. 18, 2000. Largest tourney ever held in Whatcom Co., with 121 players K-12 appearing in Lynden.

Elementary School Chess
The old Elementary Chess web page, with article on the Bellis Fair Chess for Kids club, and various news blips.

Pre-Season Tourneys 2000
Reports and crosstables of the Kickoff, Beta and Gamma tourneys, held Fall 2000.

Hot Summer Chess 2000
Three chess evenings in June, July and August, Octagonal format. Held at the Bellingham Public Library, with everyone from 1st graders to visiting Canadian experts.

99-00 School Year

Spring Series 2000
Three chess evenings in March, April and May, Octagonal format.... 12 sections total!

Theresa Tromp Tourney 2000
April 23, 2000 -- Jeanette Ritsema defeats Bert Rutgers in the final round to take the crown in Lynden. You go girl!

Chess State - High School
Well done! Lynden 4th, Ferndale 5th in State, and two All-Stars emerge to boot!

Chess Jam 2000
The premiere open scholastic event of NW Washington took place this year on February 12 in Ferndale. A total of 60 students enjoyed the battle royale, and a pair of Lynden whiz kids won both sections.

WHSCA Northwest HS League, 99-00 Season
The second season finishes with a bang, as Lynden pulls out a come-from-behind maneuver to seize the Northwest League title!

Whatcom Chess League, 99-00 Season
It's in the books! Lynden Middle School takes the crown in the first season of the Whatcom Co. middle school chess league.

PreSeason Action Tourney, Burlington
Nov. 29, 1999 -- 52 chessplayers make front page news in the Skagit Valley Herald as they joust over the 64 squares.

1999 State Mini-Team Tournament
Nov. 13, 1999 -- Ferndale and Sedro-Woolley each sent two teams to this annual state-wide event. Here's how they fared in the field of 40 teams.

The Fall Tromp
Nov. 13, 1999 -- Meanwhile, back in Lynden, 50 students gather to enjoy the royal game and thank Therese Tromp for sponsoring another great event.

Bellingham Fall Open
Nov. 20, 1999 -- The Bellingham Chess Club regularly sponsores USCF-rated events for all ages. Twelve woodpushers turned out for their most recent party.

Kickoff Action Chess Tourney
Oct. 18, 1999 -- One Monday evening 36 high schoolers from Whatcom and Skagit schools convened at the Meridian H.S. cafeteria to "kickoff" the school year with a little friendly competition.

98-99 School Year (Partial)

Chess Jam 99
May 15, 1999 -- Students from Blaine to Tacoma, from 4th to 12th grades showed up to play at Ferndale High. The dust has settled and here are the results of the High School, Junior, and Speed Chess tournaments.

1999 State High School Team Championships
Feb. 27, 1999 -- Six teams from the young Northwest League went to State. Here's how they did at the biggest high school tournament in the history of Washington State chess.

1999 Theresa Tromp Chess Tournament Results
March 27, 1999 -- Ben VanderWoude goes undefeated! Congratulations, Ben, and to all the participants of Lynden's premiere scholastic tournament.

1998-99 Northwest High School Chess League
Feb. 8, 1999 -- The chess league for area high schools finished its inaugural season, with Ferndale and Lynden checkmating their way to the top of the ten team field. Here's the full story with round-by-round action.

The Pre- February 1999 Page
One big web page with the following headlines:

• Locals Contend at State Individual Championships
• Lynden Player Ranks #1 in State
• Northwest Chess League Approaching
• Bellis Fair Kids' Chess Club
• Chessmania at the Fair
• Chess Jam '98
• VanLeeuwen Takes the Tromp
• Lynden Places 18th at '98 State