Lancaster-Lebanon Chess Team Tournaments - IU13
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Lancaster-Lebanon Chess Team Tournaments

Home > Students & Families > General Education (PreK-12) > Student Activities (General Education) > Academic Competitions > Lancaster-Lebanon Chess Team Tournaments

Chess Tournament

The Lancaster-Lebanon Chess Team Tournaments are designed to gather elementary and middle school teams of students in a formal yet relaxed tournament setting. Participants meet students from varying grade levels and schools as they compete in a game they love. Building self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and strategic thinking come along with the fun. Skill levels will vary, but students should understand the game and be ready to play four rounds of chess with opponents from public and nonpublic schools. Teams register online through their schools. The Additional Information links below can be helpful in preparing for the tournament. NOTE: The Lancaster-Lebanon Chess Team Tournaments are not USCF rated.

2026 Tournament Information:

Registration opens: Monday, December 1, 2026

Registration deadline: Monday, March 16, 2026

  • Elementary Chess Team Tournament (Grades K-5)
    • Wednesday, April 15, 2026
    • 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    • Flyer
  • Middle School Chess Team Tournament (Grades 6-8)
    • Thursday, April 16, 2026
    • 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    • Flyer

Location: The Conference and Training Center at IU13

Cost: $150 per four-person team (attending alternates- $10 each)

Number of Teams/Students Per District: 2 teams of 4 students per district (up to 2 alternates per team)

Contact: Meredith Yoder, meredith_yoder@iu13.org

Additional Information

If you are interested in registering for this academic competition, please email Meredith Yoder at meredith_yoder@iu13.org.

Our Tournament Story …

Due to the academic value and appeal of chess to young people, IU13 worked with National Master Thomas Magar to create resources to share with elementary schools who were interested in developing or improving student chess clubs. IU13 hosted the first Lancaster-Lebanon Elementary Chess Tournament in 2011 in order to bring students together for diverse competition and learning. In response to great interest, a middle-school chess tournament was added in 2018. These student competitions have become annual events at IU13, thanks to the support of the Lancaster-Lebanon Education Foundation.