Here is a selection of media articles, featuring Sunil Weeramantry and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation that help us tell our story.
Among Sunil’s most personal successes was coaching his stepsons, Asuka and Hikaru Nakamura. In February 2022, Chess Life for Kids had a feature article about Asuka who still holds the record for most US scholastic chess titles of all time!
Then in February 2023, Chess Life for Kids featured Hikaru and Sunil in articles. Asuka and Hikaru’s stories were also told in a cartoon! (PDFs courtesy of USChess.)
2019 Sunil marked 40 years since starting the chess program at Hunter College Elementary School. The program became a national model for curricular chess. The September 2019 issue of Chess Life includes an excellent feature story. (PDF courtesy of USChess.)
In South Florida, the NSCF has been training teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working with children to incorporate chess into their programming since 2014. A workshop hosted by the City of Sunrise Police Department was featured in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. (November 7, 2019)
On September 3, the Scarsdale Inquirer ran a feature story on William Graif, one of Sunil’s students and a frequent coach for us. In August, William won the Canadian Junior Chess Championship. (September 3, 2019)
The NSCF brought International Master Joshua Colas to visit some of its programs in Broward County, Florida. The visit was featured in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. (March 28, 2019)
2018 During 2018 USCF Elementary Nationals, Sunil was interviewed by Ben Johnson for his Perpetual Chess podcast. The two discussed Sunil’s career in chess, both past and present, and plans for the future, as well as some general insights in competitive chess and chess in education. You can see the lead-in and hear the interview by clicking this link. (May 22, 2018)
NSCF’s community programs serving Broward County, Florida were featured in the April 2018 edition of Chess Life, the official magazine of the US Chess Federation. (PDF courtesy of USChess.)
In its March 2018 issue, WAG Magazine published a feature story with Sunil Weeramantry and Alan Abrams, co-authors of the NSCF’s textbook “Great Moves” that teaches chess and history.
2017 In February 2017, Greenwich Country Day School produced a video about the NSCF chess program at the school. The NSCF has been teaching at GCDS for over 30 years!
Chess educators explore connections between chess and the arts… This article about the Queen’s Journey event from last Fall is on the English edition of ChessBase. It shares the education context of why we produced this ballet-music-history-and-chess performance. (January 30, 2017)
2016 En espanol! An interview with Sunil from Gibraltar ran in papers in Spain as well as on the Spanish-language edition of ChessBase. (April 2, 2016)
This Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel article about the Mayor’s Chess Challenge series features NSCF/Sunrise Chess Center chess teacher Robert McKenzie. (March 7, 2016)
2015 In November 2015, Sunil was featured as part of Red Bull’s mini-doc series “Urban Recreation.” The episode: Street Chess. Part Game, Part Con is a fascinating look at New York City’s vibrant urban chess culture.
Bronxville Elementary Students Learn Chess. This article about one of the NSCF’s after school programs, and instructor Silvio Rosato, ran on The Patch, an online newspaper. (November 11, 2015)
Radio: Author and NSCF board member Betsy Berns Korn shared a parent’s perspective on the benefits of chess for children on 1490 WGCH radio in Greenwich. (January 27, 2015)
2014 Two of our young NSCF students at the Brunswick School are using their knowledge and enthusiasm for chess to help others. The Greenwich Time ran a very nice feature story! (December 3, 2014)
A 2014 visit by Uganda’s Junior Chess Champion and all-around inspirational success story, Phiona Mutesi, and her coach Robert Katende generated press coverage for NSCF on the Westchester Journal News website on April 30th (Ugandan Chess Queen Speaks to Westchester Students) and on May 8 (Chess Expert Wows Greenburgh Elementary School Audience). Earlier stories generated on this NSCF-sponsored tour across America included features on Chess.com, the chessdrum and other publications around the world.
“NSCF Chess Camps Help Prevent Summer Learning Loss and Teach Kids Skills for the Next School Year.” This article ran in the Pelham Post on May 9, 2014 and earlier in the Hartsdale Roundup.
A favorite from the archives, this video clip features Sunil’s chess program for lower grades at Hunter College Elementary School featured on PBS’s ever-popular “Sesame Street” program. (Clip courtesy of Sesame Workshop.)
In the August 2010 edition of Chess Life, National Master (now FM) Alec Getz wrote about his experience at US High School Nationals. Alec played on one of the Hunter teams coached by Sunil. (PDF courtesy of USChess.)
In the New York Times – In this 1999 article Sunil shares some of his teaching philosophy, while this 1992 article and a 1989 article feature the NSCF’s programs in White Plains schools. The earlier story is from when we were still called the Westchester Chess Foundation.
Finally, this June 1986 cover story in Suburban Life, a Sunday insert into The Journal News (Westchester County), featured some of the champion chess kids from the early days of the chess program at Ridgeway Elementary School.
The National Scholastic Chess Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Relevant IRS information is available on request.
