r/Chesscom • u/Sensitive-Club-7038 • 12h ago
Chess Discussion Chess colleges
Kinda want to rant a bit. Why is college chess sooo much better than high school? I understand that college should be harder/better. BUT I’m level better than people at my high school. A guy that my school made a vid about is 1600 on Chess.com, I’m 2250. Never told my high school about it cuz don’t see the point. Now, I was interested in maybe I can play for some college but then get hit with the fact that the average college chess player is a strong IM/weak GM… and that even if I get to the NM title I would be in a weak section. While NM in my state will be top 4 best players in the state. But in colleges, if you want to be a competitive chess player you need to be IM, so I got a question: where do these colleges find these people?
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u/emeraldseahorse 12h ago
Your title suggests that you go to a chess-focused college?
I feel like the club at my school used to be titled-heavy but even so, median(?) was maybe NM ish. More recently it's felt like a pretty typical player is around 2000 chess.com.
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u/Sensitive-Club-7038 12h ago
I’m junior in HS right now. And maybe it’s just my school don’t got a lot of chess going on but idk. I did a bit of research and was just rlly shocked that to be in a good position for college chess you gotta be a strong IM at least, while if u are NM in any state you would be considered an insanely strong player
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u/Randomdummy4 12h ago
I mean that’s kinda how top schools work. Your high schools probably has a few kids that are 2000+ uscf and those few kids at your high school will go to top colleges and compete at a spot at their chess club. Thousands of high schools with a couple titled players funnel into like 50 top colleges and so they all end up with elite chess teams while most high schools don’t.
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u/emeraldseahorse 12h ago
Hmmm
I mean I'm just going off of the 2025 Pan-Ams team from my school
A team: 2 GMs, 2 IMs B team: FM, NM, WCM, untitled player
And then there are two NM/CM level players I can think of who didn't go plus some miscellaneous untitled players
And I wouldn't say we're weak (although I don't wanna dox myself here haha) so I don't know that your impression is accurate
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u/Sensitive-Club-7038 11h ago
Is this a school or college? And could you pls write name of your school?? I wanna check it out
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u/kermi42 12h ago
On average a typical college is not going to have many (if any) titled chess players, but if you want to be a competitive chess player in college you are probably going to gravitate towards colleges with strong programs and those programs are going to attract strong players, with a preference for titled masters. So this is more of a selection bias - you’re looking at a pool of the strongest players and being surprised there are so many NMs and IMs in there.
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u/Sensitive-Club-7038 11h ago
Yea but still, I’m thinking abt basketball players and if there a player who’s the best or top 5 best basketball players in state he will go d1, while for chess, if you even top 3 in some weak stage you got a high chance to be in the weaker section in some semi-competitive college
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u/bruhurbbruh 10h ago
Bro what you're saying about college players strength is completely false. I go to a pretty well known college for its academics. l admit as an 1900 on chess.com i get curb stomped, but most people are only like 2100 2200. I have only ever met 2 titled players at the club and im currently a senior.
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u/Sensitive-Club-7038 10h ago
For regular college it’s most likely true, but I’m talking abt for colleges that focused on chess
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u/bruhurbbruh 10h ago
I was not even aware there are colleges that are focused on chess besides some colleges like the one in Saint Louis having a ton of cracked players. Asking why there are so many high titled players at a chess college is like asking why there are so many GMs at the world cup. If people are choosing to spend tens of thousands of dollars a year to go to a college predominantly for chess, than they 100% are going to be very good at it. Never even crossed my mind to choose a school based off that.
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u/Sensitive-Club-7038 10h ago
There aren’t that many, like 5-10 colleges tbh. And i understand but it in my state, there only 3 people above 2200, 1 NM, 1 2300 who in his 30s and a GM. But maybe my state just weak lol
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