Family Chess Fest 2025

Let’s kick off summer together and celebrate with a community get-together! Join us on Saturday, May 31 at Tuley Park for our first-ever Family Chess Fest — a community fundraiser full of fun, games, and good vibes.

Whether you're a chess enthusiast or just looking for a great way to spend the day with your family, there's something here for everyone:

♟️ Friendly outdoor chess games for all ages
🧠 FREE chess lessons at the top of every hour
🎵 Music, food trucks, and local vendors
🎨 Kids’ activities and prizes
🪙 Silent Auction, 50/50 Raffle & chess merchandise
💛 And plenty of opportunities to support free chess programs for youth across Chicago!

♟️ Why Your Gift Matters

When you donate to the Chicago Chess Foundation, you’re doing so much more than supporting a game, you’re investing in opportunity, equity, and a future where every child has a fair chance to succeed.

Through our flagship Rook, Rattle & Roll program, we bring free, high-quality chess instruction to more than 2,000 students across Chicago each year. Most of these students come from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, where access to safe, enriching afterschool activities is limited, but the need is great.

And here's what we've seen:

• 🧠 Improved academic engagement — Students report increased focus and confidence in the classroom.
• ♟️ Growth in problem-solving and critical thinking — Skills that transfer far beyond the chessboard.
• 💬 Increased social-emotional learning — Chess teaches patience, resilience, and respect for others.
• 💡 A sense of belonging — For many students, CCF programs are the first time they’ve felt seen and challenged in a positive way.

Your support helps bridge the opportunity gap. It ensures that every child, regardless of zip code, can learn to think strategically, win with grace, and lose with dignity.

Every donation makes a difference.

Whether it’s $25 to help buy chess boards, $250 to support coaching, or $2,500 to fund an entire season at a school, your generosity powers our mission.

Together, we’re building minds, building confidence, and building community one move at a time.

🙏 Thank you for standing with us.