About the tournament
The annual All-Girls chess nationals attracts stronger players every year. This year, the 2026 All-Girls Chess Nationals took place in Chicago, Illinois, from April 10-12. There were 6 sections: U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18, with 6 rounds over 3 days.
My experience
In the first round, I got a completely winning position on move 8, winning a piece out of the opening. However, I became too confident and a few moves later I realized that I had made a critical blunder which would allow my opponent to come back into the game! Luckily, she missed it and the rest of the game went smoothly. Then, in the second round I was again paired against a lower rated opponent, and I played somewhat quickly in the opening, but then I realized that I had missed a chance. I tried the same idea on the next move, but my opponent found a nice way to avoid losing material. The game quickly became quite complicated, with both sides getting chances, but ultimately, we agreed on a draw as the position fizzled out. At this point, I did not think that my tournament was going super well, but I just had to focus on the next games. In the third round I managed to trap my opponent’s queen, and in the fourth we played many moves of theory before I forced a draw with a repetition (see below position).
With 3/4 points after 2 days, I thought that the only way for me to have a chance at a podium spot would be if I managed to win my last 2 games the following day.
In round 5 I got a dominant position out of the opening, but then allowed my opponent to equalize, with the game ultimately ending in a draw. At this point, I didn’t think I had a chance at the podium any longer, but it was important to play a good last game nevertheless. Knowing that I had to win, I started spending a lot of time in the opening, trying to get some kind of advantage. However, I was soon down 30 minutes on the clock despite only being on move 13 (see below position)! However, she then made a mistake allowing me to grab the initiative. I managed to win the game and ended with 4.5 out of 6 points and finished third place!
The tournament in a greater context:
This year was the 21st edition of this annual tournament. It helps girls meet other girls in chess and build friendships in chess. Additionally, the winners in each category are invited to participate in international events such as the FIDE World Youth or World Cadet. This year the tournament saw a record number of participants: 601. This highlights the growing number of girls playing chess, a trend that will hopefully continue.