Our History

In 2014, a group of parents, educators, and leaders from the Chicago chess community came together with a shared vision: to bring the benefits of chess to youth across Chicago, particularly in underserved communities and schools. They were inspired by the growth and learning their own children experienced from playing chess and wanted to ensure that more children could access these opportunities.

Among the early contributors were Michael Cardinale and Jerry Neugarten, who brought invaluable experience to the effort. Michael, a long-time youth chess organizer and leader in the Illinois Chess Association and President of the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago, laid much of the groundwork for scholastic chess in Chicago by organizing free tournaments and fostering a supportive chess community. Jerry, a retired prosecutor, played a key role in shaping the vision for the foundation and its mission to empower youth and bridge opportunity gaps.

Together with other dedicated founders, they established the Chicago Chess Foundation to create a nonprofit organization that would use chess as a tool to develop academic, social-emotional, and leadership skills. The collective efforts of this group have helped transform chess into a powerful catalyst for change in the lives of children and families throughout Chicago.

Today, CCF continues this legacy by providing free chess programs that support students’ growth both on and off the chessboard.

Our Mission

We give all children of Chicago—with a focus on low-income communities—the opportunity to learn, play, and compete in chess at no cost.

Our Vision

To positively change the lives of Chicago youth and contribute to the betterment of our community with the transformational power of chess.

Our Values

Diversity | Community | Growth | Caring | Joy | Respect | Focus

where we work

Meeting the Chess challenge

The formation of the Chicago Chess Foundation signals a significant change in the Chicagoland chess community.

Here’s how we intend to meet the challenge:

  • Building Capacity. CCF recruits, trains and mentors teachers, chess players, parents and volunteers able to help build a new system for Chicago.

  • New Programs. CCF provides startup advice, training and resources to new club directors, coaches, and school administrators.

  • Making Chicago Competitive. High-quality tiered coaching aimed at students at all levels of ability helps clubs build capacity to participate in state and national championships.

  • Tournaments. CCF hosts free scholastic chess tournaments for Chicagoland students in grades K-12. Find out more about upcoming and past tournaments on our programs page.

  • Summer Camps. CCF hosts free summer camps, giving Chicago students with a safe space to develop both chess and life skills during the summer holiday.