1,251 players from 35 states competed in Round Rock, Texas near Austin to determine the nation’s top middle school chess players ROUND ROCK, TEXAS: The 501(c)3 US Chess Federation’s 2023 National Middle School (K-8) Championship took place from April 21-April 23, 2023 at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. A total of 1,251 players from 35 states competed.