CHESS this Wednesday, June 28th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

This past Sunday, Sam C., Mike T., Tony, Kevin, Ben, and Jordy were on hand to welcome over the chess boards new players Dara, Devin, Dole, Tucker, and young Jackson! It was also so nice to meet Alison, who is Jackson's mom; Michelle, Ben's spouse; and Emily, who was there with Jordy and Darra! By the way, Sam C. solved the chess puzzle on his first try to win a free tall Starbucks drink!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, 3 p.m. on through closing time. Players come and go anytime, no dues, no purchase required (though it would be nice). All ages and skill levels are welcome, from novices to masters! There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first one to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink!

Looking ahead:

USCF-Rated Club Tournament July 16, 2023:

Location: Carl's Jr.Restaurant (across the parking lot from our usual Starbucks venue).
Format: 3 rounds for Quads; also for groups of 6 or more players, Swiss Syst.
Start Times: 1st Rd. 12:30 p.m.; 2nd Rd. NLT 2:00 p.m.; 3rd Rd. NLT 3:30 p.m.
Time Control: G/30;d.10 (30 minutes per side, with a 10-second delay per turn).
Entry Fee: $20 paid on or before 07/15/23; $25 if paid on 07/16/23.
Cash Prizes: as usual, 90% or more of Entry Fees are returned as cash prizes, amounts to be determined based on number of entries.
Requirement: Current membership in the US Chess Federation. To join or renew, go online at www.uschess.org.

(Note: Players not participating in the tournament are welcome to observe matches, or play chess with other non-participating players at the restaurant or back at Starbucks).

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

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 25th at Starbucks!

Hello!

Challenging and fun chess played over the boards is certainly the thing to do this Sunday afternoon, from 3:00 p.m. through closing time (players can come and go anytime) at our usual Starbucks venue, located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center just a couple of driveways from the corner of Concord's Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd.

We also meet Wednesday afternoons, same time, same place. All ages and skill levels are welcome, from beginners to masters! There are no dues, and there is no purchase required. Players there early usually have a chess puzzle to solve, and the first one to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Last Wednesday's session saw Bert, Tony, Mike T, Tony, Sam C., Matthew, Red, John S., Mike S., and Ben mix it up over the boards! We never know whether at any session there will be less than 10 players, or 20 or 30 or more players, so come by and make new friends, renew old friendships, if you haven't been by in a while!

We'll have a USCF-rated club tournament in late July, with a time control of G/30;d.10. Stay tuned for more details, see you soon!

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

CHESS this Wednesday, June 21st & Sunday, June 25th at Starbucks!

Hello!

As we meet for chess over the boards every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time at our usual Starbucks venue, our next sessions are this Wednesday, June 21 and Sunday, June 25th. We're located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just a couple driveways from the Concord, CA corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd.

Some of our club's players competed in the National Open, Las Vegas Chess Festival in Las Vegas this past weekend! While I don't know all the results yet, I can say my chess was a disaster(!) . . . however . . . I had a great time with new and old friends (both fellow travelers and several Las Vegas locals) at, shall we say, the Las Vegas "scene." It all made the trip worthwhile even though the late, late nights took their toll at the chess boards, but I'll probably be back next year, with a better chess game! (I think I've said that before, lol.)

Last Wednesday's session at our Starbucks was certainly fun, and included meeting yet another new player, Brian, with his wife Susan! There to enjoy the afternoon and early evening last week were Tony, Mike T., Mike S., Duncan, one of our two newer players named Ben, John S., Mark M., Irakli, and even Matthew dropped by to say hi with his daughters and little son, as did Erin and her chess playing sons Evan and Zane!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels. There are no dues. Players come and go anytime, and there's no purchase required (but it would be nice). There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first one to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon and, by the way, we will have a USCF-rated club tournament sometime in late July, so stay tuned!

- MikeT.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024764

CHESS on Wednesday, June 14, at Starbucks!

Hello!

For fun, challenging chess over the boards, we meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, from 3:00 p.m. through closing time, at our usual Starbucks venue, located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., right on the border of Concord and Clayton, Calif., just a couple driveways up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center! Players come and go anytime, all ages and skill levels are welcome; there are no dues, and there's no purchase required (but it would be nice). There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first one to do so on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

This past Sunday's session saw nearly 20 players and companions enjoy an afternoon and early evening of chess, with at least 2 more new players welcomed to the club: Lucas, with his mom Stacy; and, Ben with his wife Michelle! There to welcome them to the scene were: Kevin, Sam C., Mike T., Jordy, Roman, Aaron, Duncan, Meredith, Reza, Tony, Olaf, Matthew, and Sabina with her younger brother and her Dad!

Our next session of course is this Wednesday, June 14, and we expect to see at least a couple players practicing for the Las Vegas Chess Festival & National Open, which starts in Las Vegas this Thursday evening and winds up on Sunday. Other club players going are probably already packed and on their way!

Our next USCF-rated club tournament will be sometime late July or mid-August 2023. Stay tuned, and thanks much for your interest and friendship!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #A6024764

CHESS this Sunday, June 11th at Starbucks!

Hello!

Last Wednesday's session saw at least 15 players come by for an afternoon and early evening of chess over the boards at our usual Starbucks venue! We welcomed Kayla and her mom (visiting from Michigan thru Vacaville, we hope to see them again!), and with them for the fun and challenge of the game were Aaron, Roman, Red, Mike T., Yancy, Sam C., Vernon, Henry and his kids Ian, JJ, and Kayden, and Vernon as well as Diego! Did I miss anyone? Both Yancy and JJ, at different times, were able to solve the chess puzzle!

We meet again this Sunday from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time, same place --- and several players might actually be there even earlier, to practice to be even more prepared for a rather large tournament coming up next weekend . . . in Las Vegas!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, there are no dues, and there's no purchase required, as players come and go anytime. There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first one to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon,

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

CHESS this Wednesday, June 7th at Starbucks!

Hello!

Just a shorter note this time, to welcome new players young Angel, and Roman's bro Aaron to the club! Along with Roman, Angel, and Angel's Dad were Mike T., Tony, Fordy, Yancy, Kevin, Olaf, and Mark M. enjoying an afternoon of chess over the boards at our usual Starbucks venue last Sunday!.

We meet again this Wednesday afternoon, as we do every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome, there are no dues, come and go anytime, no purchase required (but it would be nice). There usually is a chess puzzle, and the first one to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink!

See you soon!

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