Around Town

Chess school founder seeks permanent home to expand program in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Children seated at a white table playing chess in a bright cafe, with chess clocks and spectators in the background.
Man with glasses and a maroon polo thinking over a chessboard during a game, pieces arranged in front of him at a table in a cafe-like setting.
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Tom Shupe is looking for a new home in Alexandria for a chess school.

Shupe describes himself as a U.S. chess expert and was previously an examiner with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for 12 years until 2023. That’s when he gave it all up to write for Chess.com and founded MVP Chess Center. Shupe currently teaches dozens of kids and adults and hosts weekly events and monthly tournaments at The Link co-working office (215 N. Payne Street) in Old Town.

“There’s so many great chess players in this area,” Shupe told ALXnow. “I’ve been an active member of the community for years, and we play in church basements, in hotels out by Dulles Airport, and it’s very inaccessible for families.”

Shupe also charges $75 an hour for private lessons.

Shupe’s dad taught him how to play when he was young, and he started playing competitively while living in New York City in his late 20s. A spinal cord injury forced him to refocus his competitive and social outlets, and he ended up joining the famed Marshall Chess Club. He said he’s modeling his nonprofit after that club and is looking for a permanent dedicated space in Alexandria to expand operations.

“The place that is the best candidate right now is retail in the Alexandria Commons [shopping center],” he said. “But it’s on a second floor, like an office space. The problem we run into with traditional office buildings is access and HVAC hours.”

MVP’s next match is the second annual MVP K-12 Chess Championship on Sunday, Oct. 11 at The Link.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.