The Pawn Project

08/17/2026

♟️ THE PAWN PROJECT IS BACK—NOW AT BUSH TABERNACLE! ♟️

New School Year Opening Day • SEPTEMBER 14 • 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 BUSH TABERNACLE - a few blocks from Purcellville library!

FREE youth chess program • From elementary through high school
All levels welcome • mini-coaching from skilled players available

Come check out the 2026 Small Chess Club of the Year for the USA!

🛼+PLUS+ Bush Tabernacle IS SWEETENING THE DEAL! 🛼

Pre-Chess Hangout Available | 2–4 PM drop-in hours
FREE entry Includes: Music • Ping pong • Foosball • Air hockey
- Optional Skating: $8 (skates included) + $3 for Skate-Mate
- Punch Pass: 10 admissions at $6 each - Share with up to 3 skaters per day

Whether you're homeschooling, have an early release day, or just have that Monday afternoon free, this is an easy, low-key way to hang out with friends while we set up for chess.

♟️ 4–4:30 PM | WATCH THE RINK TRANSFORM
Return skates, grab a snack, take a break to hang out and watch the rink transform into a chess hall!

🍕 CONCESSIONS | OPEN 2–6:30 PM
Pizza $3 • Pretzel $3 • Hot dog $2 • Chips $1 • Candy $2 • Drinks $1–$2.50

Never been to Bush Tabernacle? Take a video tour! :
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CGqskiGCj/

❤️ When Community Comes Together, Our Youth Win!

Follow Us + check our FB Events tab or website for what’s next!

The Pawn Project:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_pawn_project/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePawnProject
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/ThePawnProject

Bush Tabernacle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Purcellvilleskatingrink
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushtabernacleskatingrink/
Website: https://www.bushtabernacle.com/

08/16/2026

It's awesome to see The Pawn Project making its name known on the map of US chess! Here's some IG love from our trip to the US Open: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbyySboIRw9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

08/09/2026

♟️🔥 FROM A KID’S LOCAL CHESS CLUB… TO A NATIONAL AWARD. 🔥♟️

We told you we had BIG news to wrap up the year. AND HERE IT IS. 🏆

Coach Truett just returned from the US Open in Grand Rapids, MI, where he attended the US Chess Awards Ceremony. And he came home with a NATIONAL AWARD.

🏆 THE PAWN PROJECT IS THE 2026 SMALL CHESS CLUB OF THE YEAR! 🏆

It was surreal to be honored among so many incredible names in chess, including:
• GM Michael Rohde & GM Dmitry Gurevich (FRANK J. MARSHALL AWARD)
• GM Fabiano Caruana (GRANDMASTER OF THE YEAR)
• GM Daniel Naroditsky (OUTSTANDING CAREER ACHIEVEMENT)
• FM Mike Klein (yes, Fun Master Mike from ChessKid)
• FM Sunil Weeramantry (DAN HEISMAN AWARD).

When it was time to recognize the chess clubs, The Pawn Project was called…RIGHT AFTER MARSHALL CHESS CLUB of NYC, one of America's most historic and prestigious chess clubs pumping out names like Bobby Fischer.

Coach Truett was the only child to step up to the podium. We are proud he represented The Pawn Project with such poise, confidence, and heart.

He finally met Adam Weissbarth of Silver Knights Chess Academy—someone he has wanted to meet for years. And he had the opportunity to meet remarkable others from the chess community like FM Sunil Weeramantry, Anand Dommalapati, and Carlos Chavez, Executive Director of Marshall Chess Club.

Watching the SMALLEST person in the room step up to the podium and mingle with chess elites was quite representative of what The Pawn Project is all about.

The smallest piece on the board. Often underestimated. Full of untapped potential —until somebody gives it room to move.

That’s the story of EVERY KID IN THE PAWN PROJECT. Every one of them are a pawn on the board of life. THEY ARE READY TO MAKE BIG MOVES AND THE PAWN PROJECT GIVES THEM ROOM to see just how far they can go.

The back rank clears the path for them all. To W David Hubbard and Shenandoah Valley Chess Club; to the Landsberger Foundation Grant, ChessKid.com grant, our donors , our volunteers, our families, our community supporters, YOU are the back rank.

This award belongs to you too. You took a 10 year old’s dream last summer and helped carry it all the way to NATIONAL RECOGNITION!

And, The Pawn Project is just getting started!

♟️ NEW TO THE PAWN PROJECT? ♟️ We're a 501(c)(3) providing FREE youth chess in western Loudoun County, VA.

Follow along — you don't want to miss what these kids do next. 🔥♟️

08/07/2026

This picture captures the end of one season—but behind the scenes, the next season is already taking shape. ♟️

The biggest announcement in The Pawn Project's history is almost here.

We're getting ready for an exciting new school year with new opportunities, new ideas, and some things we've never done before. We resume in September (keep Mondays open!), but not before we finish properly celebrating the success of our launch year.

Stay tuned. We're almost ready to share a big surprise!

07/26/2026

♟️ Week one of Summer Chess Camp is in the books — and wow, what a week!

Partnering with Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum in Wi******er, our campers got one-on-one coaching, daily group lessons on everything from chess etiquette to tournament skills, peer-matched games, and plenty of time to explore the museum.

But the real magic? Our summer leadership team. They showed up every single day with patience, energy, and a knack for meeting each kid exactly where they were. It was incredible to watch how much these campers grew in chess skill and confidence in just 5 days!❤️

📅 One more chance this summer!
Final camp August 10–14 (1–4PM) — open to 3rd–5th graders.

Registration Link: https://discoverymuseum.net/event/the-pawn-project-chess-camp-2/

07/25/2026

Our Summer Chess Meetup has been diagnosed with... being just a little horse. 🐴🤒

We'll be back in fighting form on Monday, August 3 instead of July 27. Thanks for understanding—we'll see you next week! ♟️

07/21/2026

🌍♟️ Happy International Chess Day!

What a perfect day to kick off The Pawn Project's first-ever Chess Camp!

Today, our Youth Leadership Team did an incredible job leading activities, encouraging campers, and creating a fun, welcoming environment where everyone could learn, play, and grow. We couldn't have asked for a better first day!

From royal courts to coffee houses... and today to our very first Chess Camp, chess has brought people together for over 1,500 years.

Celebrate International Chess Day by taking a journey through the fascinating history of the game we all love with this intersting video:

[The History of Chess (YouTube)](https://youtu.be/YeB-1F-UKO0?is=WXUcc1OCnvf2qDzh&utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Trace the storied history of the game of chess, from its origins in...

07/12/2026

Who knew chess could be this much fun? ♟️

July has been an absolute blast at our casual Summer Chess Meetups! From **blindfolded chess** to **bughouse chess**, there have been plenty of exciting games, new challenges, and more laughter than we ever expected. While there has been plenty of focused game play, it has been balanced with plenty of casual chess variant fun too. If the sound coming from the room towards the end of the meetings are any indication, chess might just be one of the funniest games around!

One of our favorite moments this month? Our youth founder chose to spend his birthday hosting a chess meetup because hanging out with this amazing group is one of his favorite things to do. ❤️

We're already looking forward to our **next meetup on July 27th**! Coach Truett will be introducing **Atomic Chess**, and he'll teach the variant so anyone who wants to jump in can learn and play—no experience with the variant needed.

06/21/2026

Like a good chess player, a great father leads with patience, strategy, and heart.

Today, we celebrate the dads of The Pawn Project. We are in awe of the countless ways you show up for your children—encouraging them, guiding them, and helping them grow into confident young leaders. Happy Father’s Day!