The 2024 OSCF Co-Ed State Team Championship will take place March 16, 2024, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Formerly known as the OSCF K-12 School Team Championship, this event returns for its fifth year as the largest nationally rated team event in Oregon.
As in past years, the event will be open to all school-aged chess players in Oregon. Students who don’t have teams may register as individuals, after which the tournament director will place them on a team. There will be no limit to the number of five-member teams each school can register.
The OSCF Board voted overwhelmingly in favor of one new rule: Beginning in 2024, the team championship will be a Co-Ed Event, meaning each team may have a maximum of three male players.
This decision aligns with OSCF’s gender equity goals as outlined in the Oregon Chess Project. In the last year, female participation grew from 9% to 14%. OSCF aims to more than double that number in 2024.
The new rule drew immediate support from partner organizations.
- Puddletown Chess pledged over $6,000 in scholarships to train novice female players for the championship. “Puddletown is thrilled with the decision to make the 2024 Team tournament a Co-Ed event,” said Co-Founders Zoey Tang, Ishaan Kodarapu, and Austin Tang.
- Chess4GirlsPDX pledged an additional $2,500. “I strongly believe that all members of the chess community possess a responsibility to bridge this gap and motivate girls in the sport to pursue their interest,” said Founder Nesara Shree.
- Rose City Chess is launching several programs aimed at increasing the number of girls in after-school chess clubs. “We believe structural change is required to achieve our goals for gender equality. This new format gives every chess club an incentive to make positive, lasting change,” said Chad Lykins, OSCF President and Founder of Rose City Chess.
Additional details regarding registration, schedule, and rules will be posted by Winter 2023 on the OSCF website at www.oscf.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Chad Lykins
President, Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation
oscf@oscf.org
About the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation (OSCF)
Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation (OSCF) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that promotes, supports, sponsors, and coordinates scholastic chess activities in Oregon. It organizes the OSCF State Championship, OSCF K-12 Co-Ed State Team Championship, OSCF Scholastic Open, and the OSCF All-Star Tournament.
About the Oregon Chess Project
Oregon Chess Project launched in 2022 a ten-year collaborative initiative to increase Oregon’s representation at every level in the scholastic chess community, from those who are learning the rules for the first time to those competing for a world championship.
