5/1/21 NC Girls State Chess Championship

On May 1st-2nd, Chess2All hosted the official North Carolina Girls State Chess Championship. Chess2all is both a nonprofit as well as a President’s Volunteer Service Award Certifying organization, and is completely student-run. The organization was founded in 2018 by two teenagers in North Carolina: Alex Chen and Angela Chen; in fact, Alex Chen is actually the youngest National Chess Master in NC. 

This marks the first ever NC Girls State Chess Championship in the history of North Carolina to have been hosted by students. The two co-founders spent months working together in order to file a bid form, and eventually was chosen by the North Carolina Chess Association to host the tournament. 
The tournament along with its side events (Official NC Blitz and Rapid Championships) was a huge success, with a total of over 70 players. Arya Kumar, champion of the Open section of the NC Girls Chess Championship, was awarded a $300 scholarship to represent NC at the US National Girls K-12 Chess Championship. 
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Chess2all is a stellar example of not only the beautiful impacts of the game of chess, but also the leadership and dedication of students within our community. Both Alex and Angela grew up playing chess; Alex won the Bronze Medal in the North American Youth Championship, and Angela was  2nd at previous NC Girls State Chess Championships for 2 years in a row. Now, the two have continued their love for chess by hosting tournaments for other chess players in their community, showcasing their passion for the game as well as their initiative and diligence.