CHESS this Wednesday, Aug. 31st at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, from 3:00 p.m. through to closing, at our usual Starbucks venue located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd., in Concord. Last Sunday saw 10 players enjoy chess over the boards, including some Chinese chess using discs, as taught by Ranen, and even a game of "960 chess" played by Sam and Mike T. Also there were Chris N., Kevin, Setsal, Yancy, Reza, Ron, and Irakli. No player solved the chess puzzle (but Yancy came very close)!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, and there are no dues, nor is there a purchase required (but it would be nice). Come and go anytime! We meet again this Wednesday afternoon, August 31, 2022.

Club Tournament this Weekend, Sat. Sept. 3 & Sun. Sept. 4, 2002

Our chess club will be holding a USCF-rated tournament this coming Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 & 4, starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Carl's Jr. Restaurant, located across the side parking lot from our Starbucks venue. Chess players who are not in the tournament are still welcome to observe or enjoy chess at either Carl's Jr. or Starbucks on those days.

So far there are 8 players signed up for the tournament, with at least 2 or 4 more about to join. The format looks good for 2 groups of 5 or more players each, for no more than 3, 4 or 5 rounds each group, with the Time Control G/45.d5. Each member must be a current member of the US Chess Federation.

Entry Fee: $20 paid on or before 08/31/22; $25 if paid after 08/31/22.
Cash Prizes: 85%-90% of entry fees are returned as cash prizes. Quads pay 1st ($42) & 2nd ($32) Places; Other formats pay 1st, 2nd and 3rd Places, with prize amounts to be determined based on number of entries.

If you have any questions or need more information, let me know.

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Sunday, August 28, 2022 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time as players come and go anytime. At least 19 players enjoyed chess over the boards this past Wednesday: Chris B., Patrick D. (been a while!), Matthew, new player Angel, Tony T., Alwin, Sam, Yancy, Nandu, John E., John S., Hossam, Mike T., Ron, Irakli, Setsal, Eric M., and Hira's youngsters Ohm and Sia. Our usual Starbucks venue had chess players at it on tables both indoors and outdoors!

We meet again this Sunday, August 28, 2022. We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters. Our Starbucks location is at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the corner of Clayton Rd. and Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Concord. There are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice).

Next Weekend Sat. Sept 3rd & Sun. Sept 4th: The club will host a USCF-rated tournament. It will be held at the Carl's Jr. Restaurant, which is just across the side parking lot from Starbucks. Players who are not in the tournament can still play unrated chess, but only among themselves, either at Starbucks or Carl's Jr., on either day. Observers are also welcome.

There are currently at least 7 players entered in the tournament. As mentioned in previously, the specifics -- aside from the requirement that participants be current members of the US Chess Federation -- are as follows:

Entry Fee: $20 paid on or before 08/31/22; $25 if paid after 08/31/22.
Time Control: G/45.d5 Game clocks must be set for 45 minutes for each side with a 5-second delay.
Start time: 2:00 p.m. on both Sept. 3 & 4, 2022. The second match of the day will begin no later than 4:00 p.m., but may start earlier if all earlier matches have been completed. If necessary, a match to complete the tournament can be scheduled for either the following Wednesday or Sunday, same time, same location.
Format: Either Quads (3 rounds); or, no more than 4 rounds if five or more players (5 rounds if 10 or more) in a group. Every effort will be made to group players in a manner as to avoid obvious mismatches using either a Round Robin or Swiss pairing system.
Location: Carl's Jr. Restaurant, location as stated above.

Let me know if you have questions or need more info,

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Wednesday, August 24th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Four more new players came by this past Sunday: Jared, Nate, Joe and Romel ! There to welcome them were Mike T., Kevin, Sam, Mike B., Eric M (long time no see!), Irakli, Tony T., Connor Rdl, Ethan, Olaf, Reza, Setsal, Reza, and Matthew, for a total of at least 18 players, (did I miss anyone?) with lots of chess over the boards going on both inside and outside our usual Starbucks venue!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time at the Starbucks located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd. in Concord.

We next meet this coming Wednesday, August 24, 2022, and we welcome players of all ages and skill levels. There are no dues, and there is no purchase requirement. Early arrivals have a chance to be the first to solve a chess puzzle on the first try to win a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Our chess club will have a USCF-rated tournament on Sept. 3 & 4, as mentioned with specifics in our previous email to you. Let me know if you have questions or need even more information. Current membership in the USCF is required for participation.

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Sunday, August 21st at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

About twenty or so players came by to enjoy the play of chess over the boards this past Wednesday, including as many as three or four players new to the club: Matthew, Setsal, Connor Rdl, Irakli, Yancy, Tony T., Mike T., Alwin, Mark, Ron, Bert, John E., Henry & Ly's kids Ian, Jay-Jay, and Kayden, including Vernon, and Fahad, all there to welcome newcomers Nandu, Adio, and Albert (who was there with Kimberly)!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time, at our usual Starbucks venue at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., which is just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd., Concord, in the Clayton Shopping Center. This coming Sunday, August 21st, will, as usual, feature a chess puzzle that earns whichever player is the first to solve it on the first try a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! No one was able to win the freebie last Wednesday!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice).

USCF-Rated Club Tournament: Starts Saturday Sept. 3 & Sunday Sept. 4. Tournament matches may be started on a subsequent Wednesday or Sunday, as needed, to complete the tournament. Location: Carl's Jr. Restaurant, across the side parking lot from Starbucks. (We've held Chess and Scrabble tournaments there before).
Time Control: G/45.d5
Entry Fee: $20 if paid on or before 08/31/22; $25 if after 08/31/22. See previous email on the subject if you have questions regarding the increase after 08/31.
Required: Current membership in the US Chess Federation. Unrated players, or players with provisional ratings, are eligible as long as USCF membership is current.
Format: TBD: Quad sets (3 rounds), or Round-Robin sets (no more than 5 rounds), depending on number of players.
Prizes: Cash prizes for 1st and 2nd in Quads; 1st thru 3rd for other formats. At least 80-90% of entry fees are returned as prizes, with the balance used for USCF fees and maybe a sandwich for the TD.

If you have any questions or need more info, let me know, see you soon -- and thanks to all who've asked how I'm doing -- the surgery's done and I'm well on the mend!!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone !

At least 15 players came by last Sunday for chess over the boards at our usual Starbucks venue! Having fun with Classic as well as Blitz Chess were Diego, Karthik (with Rajita), Ethan, Ron, Mike B (been a super long time ago, one of the originals), Sam, Irakli, Ranen, Tyler, Alwin, Mike T., Kevin, Reza, and even Hossam and Dodie dropped by, with flowers!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, from 3:00 p.m. through closing time, at the Starbucks located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the corner of Clayton Rd. and Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Concord. We meet again this Wednesday, somewhat of a special day for me as I apparently flew through surgery with flying colors and can actually expect to see everyone that's going to be there even though it's still during recovery period. Let's play chess!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, come and go anytime, there's no purchase required (but it would be nice) and enjoy new friendships as you also renew old ones, which happens every session it seems!

Our last e-mail featured info about our USCF-Rated Labor Day Weekend Tournament:

When: Sat. Sept. 3 & Sun. Sept. 4.

Start Time: 2:00 p.m. each day.

Where: Carl's Jr. Restaurant, across the side parking lot from Starbucks. (I've held several official chess and scrabble tournaments there).

Format: TBD (1, 2 or more Quads; or 2 Divisions of 5 or more players each; Round Robin or Swiss, depending on number of players, no more than 5 rounds max.) Great care will be taken to ensure avoid clear mismatches in establishing the groups.

Entry Fee: $20 paid before 08/31/22; $25 if paid after 08/31/22. Why the increase? It's an administrative fee for the chore or resetting the divisions and 1st round pairings to accommodate (and welcome) players who decide at the last day or minute to join.

Required: Current membership in the US Chess Federation. Players with current classic USCF ratings, as well as those with provisional ratings, and new, unrated USCF members are welcome to compete! I will need to check for each player's full name and USCF ID# and current rating for proper inclusion and pairings in the tournament, and for reporting of results to the USCF. New members bear with me on this, it's standard TD stuff.

[Noted: As of this writing, 2 players (Sam & Setsal) have already paid in. Two other players will have a $5 discount at time of payment, for having contributed to our club's annual USCF affiliation dues.]

Any questions or need for additional info, let me know, see you over the boards!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Sunday Aug. 14th at Starbucks + Club Tournament News!

Hi Everyone!

Another fun, challenging afternoon of chess over the boards took place this past Wednesday at our usual Starbucks venue, featuring at least two more players new to the club, Duncan and Karthik (with Rajita), welcomed by Mike T., Sam, Tony T., Yancy, Bert, Connor Ri, Ohm, Sia, John E., and John S.! Additionally, it was great to see new friendships made, including those with and among Rajita, Manjit, and Hira!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time, come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters, and all in between. Players arriving early usually have a chance to solve a chess puzzle on the first try to win a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! By the way, Ohm solved last Wednesday's puzzle!

USCF-Rated Club Tournament Sept. 3 - 4, 2022:

The Contra Costa Chess Club will hold a club tournament this coming Labor Day Weekend, from Saturday, September 3, 2022 through Sunday, September 4, 2022. Starting Time each day will be at 2:00 p.m. It is possible that the final matches may be completed on either Monday Sept. 5, 2022 or the following Sunday, September 11, 2022. There will be two divisions, based on observed play and current classic USCF-ratings (including for those who are new,unrated USCF members and those with provisional ratings), to promote fair pairings and to avoid possible obvious mismatches. At least 10 players indicate they will compete. At least two more have expressed interest..

Entry Fee: $20 if paid on or before Wednesday, August 31, 2022; $25 if after 08/31/22.

Time Control: G/45.d5 [chess clocks must be set for each side to have 45 minutes with a delay of 5 seconds.]

Location: Carl's Jr. Restaurant (Across the side parking lot from Starbucks -- several chess and scrabble tournaments have been held there.)

Cash Prizes: To Be Determined and announced prior to the start of first matches, based on format and number of paid entries (e.g, Quads = 1st and 2nd Place; or, with 5, 6 or more players = 1st, 2nd and 3rd Places, with 80%-90% of paid entries returned in cash prizes, ensuring enough is left over to remit to USCF for ratings services,and to cover basic local admin costs, which might include a sandwich and a drink for the TD to wolf down and guzzle, ahem.

Required: Current US Chess Federation membership. I'll need to know your current rating; and, if a new USCF member, or competing for the first time in our club tournament, your full name as registered with USCF and USCF ID#.

Let me know if you have questions or need more information, see you soon!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Wednesday, August 10th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . . !

At least a dozen players dropped by this past Sunday for chess over the boards at our usual Starbucks venue. A few players we haven't seen in a while: Art, Mark, and Rich K. joined Yancy, Sam, Tony, Mike T., Irakli, Myles (with Tom and Mila), Chris N., Connor Ri., and Matthew, as we all welcomed yet another player new to the club: Arian!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m through closing time. Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase requirement (but it would be nice). We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, and players arriving early have a chance to be the first player to solve a chess puzzle on the first try to win a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

There's more players that want to play in a club tournament, and we just may get one started next Sunday, August 14th! So far it looks like we'll have enough for 2 Quads, or even two groups of six players, with each group playing in a round-robin format! As of this writing, club tournament players will be Sam, Matthew, Myles, Setsal, Connor Ri., Irakli, Yancy, Mike T., and at least two more players who've only indicated strong interest through email, whereas the ones named above indicated strong interest in person.

Club Tournament Format: Either Quads (3 matches each player), or 6-player Round-Robins (5 matches each player); EF=$20; Time Control = G/45.d5. Location: TBD (either Starbucks, Carl's Jr. across the way, or at a nearby residence); Entry Fees are returned as cash prizes TBD for 1st and 2nd in Quads, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd for RR's. Current membership in the US Chess Federation is required. Note: if there are more than 6 players in any group, a Swiss Pairing System will be used for 5 matches for each player.

If you have questions or need more info, just let me know. See you soon!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746

CHESS this Sunday Aug. 7th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Last Wednesday's session saw at least 22 players enjoy the afternoon playing chess over the boards! There were 4 new players: Nishant, Lorenzo, and brothers Kevin and Blake! Welcoming them were Mike T., Bert, Hossam, John S., John E., Myles ( with Ly and later Tom), Tony T., Setsal, Matthew, Chris N., Serg (with Anastasia), Sam, Yancy (who solved the chess puzzle), Connor R., and Ronald C. himself! We even got a short visit from Herb! It did seem that everyone there had a good time over the chess boards, with the side benefit of making new friends and renewing old friendships!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time at our usual Starbucks venue located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd. in the Clayton Shopping Center, which is just up from the corner of Clayton Rd. and Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Concord. Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). Players arriving early enough have a chance to be the first player to solve the chess puzzle on the first try to win a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

We will have a USCF-rated club tournament soon. The entry fee will be $20 and already there are five players getting in on the action: Setsal, Matthew, Yancy, Tony T., and Mike T., with more to join. All entry fees are returned as cash prizes for players finishing 1st and 2nd in Quads, or -- in other formats -- 1st through 3rd or 4th places depending on the number of players, with enough funds left over to remit to the USCF for ratings updates, and maybe a sandwich and a drink for the TD (Tournament Director). Tournament site will be either at the TD's residence nearby, or at a quiet restaurant across the parking lot from Starbucks. Time Control: G/45.d5 (Game in 45 minutes per side, with a 5-second delay). No more than 5 or 6 rounds, with players committing to playing their matches over no more than 3 weeks. When to start: How about Sunday Aug. 21 or Aug. 28? Let me know!

See you soon,

-- Mike T
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID # A6024746

CHESS this Wednesday, August 3rd at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

This past Sunday's chess session -- all games over the boards -- was a lot of fun, although there weren't as many youngsters there as there were last Wednesday. However, Hira was there with her kids Ohm and Sia (who kept waiting for Myles to play chess with), and Prevdi and Vandana were there with Suhas, an 8-year-old phenomenal chess player under the guidance of Ronald C.!

We also met a few players new to the club: Ron, Carlos, and Connor Ri. !! They were welcomed by Tony T., Mike T., Sam, Ronald C., Vernon, Matthew, and Yancy (who solved the chess puzzle on his first try). Did I miss anyone who was there, if so, my apologies.

We meet Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time (come and go anytime), at the Starbucks located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the Concord corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd.

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between. There are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). Players arriving early have a chance to be the first player to solve the day's chess puzzle on the first try to win a tall Starbucks drink of choice!

We have club tournaments in different formats, from Quads to larger formats needing the Swiss Pairing System. Stay tuned for the next USCF-rated contest, and do let me know if you are interested (current USCF-membership required).

See you soon, with sincere wishes for everyone to be in the best of health,

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024746