Every four years, the three Spring Nationals - High School, Junior High and Elementary Chess Championships - are combined into one chess "extravaganza" called SuperNationals! This year, SuperNationals will be held, once again, at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN, May 12 - 14. We are expecting to have a record-breaking event, with over 5,500 participants!!
Kicking off the main event will be Former World Champion GARRY KASPAROV!! He will be the Guest Speaker at the Opening Ceremony and will also be making the first move at some of the Championship Sections. GM Kasparov will also be signing his books purchased at the event bookstore during designated times on Friday and Saturday. Be sure to check the schedule in the program booklet. The link for the schedule is also available at the tournament webpage.
In addition to former WC Kasparov, an All-Star lineup of Guest Grandmasters will be contributing to the festivities. On Thursday afternoon, 2016 U.S. Women's Champion IM/WGM Nazi Paikidze will be conducting a 30-board simul. On Friday morning, she will join chess promoter, author and commentator GM Maurice Ashley in a 34-board tandem simul, while seven-time U.S. Women's Champion GM Irina Krush will join World Olympiad Gold Medalist GM Sam Shankland in a separate tandem simul. Space for the simultaneous exhibitions is limited, so be sure to sign up quickly! After the main event starts, all four Guest GMs will be conducting lectures and playing Blitz with SuperNationals participants!
National Champion titles, individual and team, will be earned in seven Championship Sections, but all players, including beginners, will find a section to fit their skill level. In addition to the Championship Sections, there are 14 "Under" sections and four sections for previously unrated players, one of those for K-1 players rated under 500/Unrated. All told, there are 25 sections for players of all skills, from beginners to Senior Masters!
Leading the early registrations, so far, is a trio of players from the West Coast: Cameron Wheeler (rated 2502) and Craig Hilby (2482), both from California, and Bryce Tiglon (2438) from Washington. They are among the 17 masters already registered.
As already mentioned, we have five sections, counting the K-1 U500/Unrated, for previously unrated players. For those, and others who may be beginners, we have two 2-hour chess camps, one on Thursday afternoon and one on Friday morning, led by "Coach Jay" Stallings and his team of coaches. There is a fee for those camps, and space is limited, so be sure to check the information page and sign up early for one of them.
Check out the three instructional YouTube videos that have been prepared specially for SuperNationals participants, coaches and parents. They are: SuperNationals 2017 Format and Rules , The Good Chess Parent , and You Should Know This. Here are the links:
Also check out the video What Does US Chess Mean to You?