Sen. Sanders praises Youth Chess Day turnout, skills, fun
March 20, 2026
Shake hands and come out playing. Photo courtesy Sen. Sanders' office
Dear fellow Vermonters,
This past Saturday 180 young people from around our state joined me and my staff at the Vermont State University in Randolph for our fourth annual Youth Chess Day. It was a great turnout and a great day.
In the morning, students new to the game had the opportunity to learn and hone their skills from mentors from the UVM Chess Club, Middlebury College Chess Club, as well as chess experts Michelle Sagalchik, Eric Hutchins and Trevor Plizga. I thank them all very much for their help.
After lunch, kids of all ages sat behind chess sets throughout the gym, shook hands and began playing. Quite a sight.
The winners in the three age categories were: Wilder Bernstein, Isaac Bloom, Nolyn Combs (1st-3rd grade winners). Harsha Chadive, Ava Duzgalski, Henry Gallo (4th-5th grade winners). Blake Bentley, Vivek Chadive, William Clere (6th-12th grade winners).
Chess is a game that originated thousands of years ago in India and is played throughout the world. It demands focus and mental discipline and requires players to develop strategy and a response to changing situations.
At a time when attention spans are in decline, and when kids spend too much time on their screens, these are important intellectual skills that need to be strengthened in our younger generation.
And, not unimportantly, playing chess is a lot of fun.
Here is what some of the kids and parents had to say:
"It’s important because you need to use your mind here, and actually think. Think about the moves, the game and what your opponent is doing." — Raghu from South Burlington
“As a former teacher and homeschooling mom, it’s really important for my children to learn critical thinking, strategy, problem solving, frustration tolerance, patience and cooperation. We have always leaned into chess. We’ve encouraged them to play because it is a game that helps encourage all of those skills." — Alanna from Killington
To all the young Vermonters who participated: great job and keep it up. To any student interested in playing chess, I encourage you to ask your school or local library about how to start a club or meet-up group.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.
Sincerely,
Bernie
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is Vermont’s senior member of the U.S. Senate.