12th Annual!

This free and friendly series of meet-ups, spearheaded by Sunrise Mayor Michael J. Ryan in cooperation with Mayors from throughout South Florida, draws attention to the benefits of chess in both the academic environment and in our community. 

Each Mayors' Chess Challenge event provides an opportunity for players of all ages, novices and experts alike, to join in the fun with elected officials and community leaders. Instructors from the National Scholastic Chess Foundation are on hand to help those new to the game. 

See below for the 12th annual 2026-2027 schedule:

City of Cooper City
August 29. 2026 - 9 am to 11 am
Pool and Tennis Center
11600 Stonebridge Parkway
954-434-4300 xt 272

City of Sunrise
September 19, 2026 - 10 am to noon
SAC Multipurpose Center
11501 NW 44th Street
954-746-3250

Town of Davie
October 3, 2026 - 10 am to noon
Pine Island Multipurpose Center
3801 South Pine Island Drive
954-797-1181

City of Weston
October 10, 2026 - 10 am to noon
Weston Community Center
20200 Saddle Club Road
954-389-4321

Town of Southwest Ranches
October 17, 2026 - 10 am to 1 pm
Southwest Ranches Town Hall
13400 Griffin Road
954-343-7452

City of Lighthouse Point
October 24, 2026 - 9 am to 11 am
John Trudel Community Center
4521 NE 22nd Avenue
954-784-3439

City of Tamarac
October 31, 2026 - 10 am to noon
Tamarac Community Center
8601 West Commercial Blvd.
954-597-3461

City of Deerfield Beach
December 12, 2026 - 10 am to noon
Hillsboro Community Center
50 Hillsboro Technology Drive
954-250-4069 

City of Miramar
January 16, 2027 - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Sunset Lakes
2801 SW 186th Avenue
954 602-3198

City of Plantation
January 23, 2027 - 10 am to noon
Volunteer Park
12050 W Sunrise Blvd.
954-797-2140

City of Parkland
January 30, 2027 - 9 am to 11 am
Recreation and Enrichment Center
10559 Trails End
954-757-4107 or
954-757-4121

City of Oakland Park
February 6, 2027 - 10 am to noon
North Andrews Gardens Community Center
25 NE 56th Court 
954-630-4373

City of Pompano Beach
February 20, 2027 - 10 am to 1 pm
Sample McDougald House
450 NE 10th St.
954-786-4148

City of North Lauderdale
February 27, 2027 - 10 am to noon
North Lauderdale Teen / Recreation Center
701 SW 71st Avenue
954-724-7061

City of Hollywood 
March 20, 2027 - 10 am to 1 pm
David Park Community Center
108 N 33rd Ct.
954-967-4236

City of Boca Raton
March 27, 2027 - 10 am to 1 pm
Boca Raton Public Library
Downtown Library Branch
400 NW 2nd Avenue
561-393-7963

City of Coconut Creek
April 3, 2027 - 10 am to noon
Recreation Complex
4455 Sol Press Blvd.
954-545-6633

City of Lauderhill
April 10, 2027 - 11 am to 1 pm
Veterans Park
7600 NW 50th Street
TBA

City of Coral Springs
April 17, 2027 - 10 am to noon
Kiwanis Park
500 Ramblewood Drive
954-345-2107

City of Dania Beach
April 24, 2027 - 10 am to noon
C.W. Thomas Park
800 NW 2nd Street
954-924-3884 x3701

City of Fort Lauderdale
May 1, 2027 - 10 am to 1 pm
Riverland Park
950 SW 27th Avenue
954-828-5320

City of Pembroke Pines
May 8, 2027 - 9 am to 11 am
Club 19 at Pembroke Lakes
Golf & Racquet Club
10500 Taft Street
954-392-2127

City of Delray Beach
TBA

City of Wilton Manors
TBA

City of Miami Beach
TBA

City of Lauderdale Lakes
TBA

 

For general event questions, please call (954) 747-4600.  

Sunrise: Proud Winner of the U.S. Chess Federation's "2015 Chess City of the Year" Award!

Chess in the educational environment has been a popular topic among researchers – many of whom report a strong correlation between learning to play chess and academic achievement. According to a landmark 2000 study published in the journal “Research in the Schools,” students who received chess instruction scored significantly higher on all measures of academic achievement, including math, spatial analysis, and non-verbal reasoning ability.

The City of Sunrise has collaborated with community partners to promote the scholastic benefits of chess by encouraging the development of after-school chess clubs in all schools; providing privately donated chess sets to each Sunrise public school; establishing an “adopt a chess club” program; and hosting family fun chess nights at local restaurants. In addition, the City facilitates the following chess initiatives:

Open-Play Chess
Free open-play chess sessions are held each Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Sunrise Athletic Complex (SAC) Multipurpose Center (11501 NW 44th Street, Sunrise 33351). People of all ages and skill levels, including those who have never played chess, are invited to participate in supervised open play. Thanks to the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess, free instruction is provided.

Open-play chess creates year-round opportunities for friendly competition and learning, and supplements the work of school-based groups in Sunrise. For more information, call (954) 747-4600.

Free “Champions of Chess” Student Tournament
The City of Sunrise began hosting its annual Champions of Chess tournament in 2012. This free event for students in elementary, middle and high school is facilitated by the National Scholastic Chess Foundation. Visit National Scholastic Chess Foundation  for upcoming tournaments.  Registration required and portal will be available closer to event date.

Saturday, May 2, 2026
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Sunrise Athletic Complex Multipurpose Center

 

"First Move” from America's Foundation for Chess
During the 2013-2014 academic year - and for the first time in Broward County history - students in second and third grade received formal chess instruction as part of their school curriculum. This innovative pilot program involved 40 classrooms at Village Elementary, Banyan Elementary and Discovery Elementary - all in Sunrise - and was a collaboration of the School Board of Broward County, the America’s Foundation for Chess “First Move” program, and the City of Sunrise Police Department. The award-winning, standards-aligned "First Move" uses chess as a learning tool to enhance the core curriculum while improving students’ critical thinking and test taking skills. Through this program, students nationwide have demonstrated better understanding of math concepts at an earlier age and developed gains in reading and comprehension. 

Thanks to Mayor Ryan’s advocacy and the overwhelming support of administrators, faculty, parents and students, “First Move” adopted in second and third grade classrooms in public schools countywide.

For more information about First Move, visit firstmove.org.

National and Local Recognition
Sunrise's scholastic chess initiative has been recognized for excellence by prominent organizations.

• Sunrise was named Chess City of the Year for 2015 by the United States Chess Federation (US Chess). The City was selected for this prestigious honor by the Executive Board of US Chess “in recognition of the positive impact [Sunrise] citizens have made on chess in America.” 
• The U.S. Conference of Mayors named Sunrise one of “Most Livable” Cities in America for 2015 on the strength of its scholastic chess programs and Mayor Ryan's support of community-based chess.
• The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance - Broward County's leading economic development organization - presented Sunrise with its 2016 Education Partnership Award. The award recognized the role of chess as an economic development tool - developing the critical thinking skills the next generation needs in order to innovate and succeed in the workforce.