Upcoming championships and events:
About Chess Program
4-time National Champions
- The Newsroom - Checkmate: UTRGV wins fourth national chess championship
- Chess Over The Years - A Timeline of the UTRGV Chess Program's Success
Chess has been an important part of our university, and has acted as a metaphor of the vast human potential that our region holds. Chess Team successfully competes in tournaments at the state, national and international level, under the leadership of Chess Coach (Grandmaster) Bartek Macieja with support of Program Manager Colt Smith-Munoz.
UTRGV won four US National Collegiate Chess Championships [President's Cups; in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2025 (Co-Champions)] and two Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships [in 2015/16 (Co-Champions) and 2024/25].
In 2018, 2019, and 2025, UTRGV was named "The Chess College of the Year" by the US Chess Federation. In 2019, in recognition of the success, Chess Team was invited to the Texas Capitol in Austin, and honored by the State Governor, the Senate, and the House of Representatives: Watch the video.
Recognitions in 2025:
The U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings, February 6, 2025
The Texas House of Representatives, May 8, 2025 (Recognized at 14:57)
The Texas Senate, May 8, 2025 (Recognized at 22:11)
The Commissioners' Court of the Cameron County, May 6, 2025
The Brownsville City Commission, May 20, 2025
Not only did UTRGV succeeded nationally, but it also dominated world collegiate chess. In 2021, UTRGV finished first in team classification of the World University Blitz Chess Championship. In 2021, 2022, and 2024 UTRGV won the Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup (the most prestigious worldwide collegiate tournament). In Spring 2022, UTRGV won the Collegiate Chess League (the biggest collegiate tournament in the world).
Chess Program organizes local and international tournaments, holds camps, trains area coaches, and presents community outreach chess classes for local community members on a regular basis, particularly through Chess Academy. Finally, Chess Program supports Chess Club - a student organization serving dozens of chess enthusiasts.