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

CHESS this Sunday, July 31, 2022 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . . !

The Contra Costa Chess Club meets every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, from 3:00pm on through closing time at our usual Starbucks venue located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center, just a couple of driveways up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd. in Concord. We meet again this Sunday, July 31, 2002, as the club continues to grow, with new players coming by practically every time we meet!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between. Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). Additionally, the first player to solve the day's chess puzzle on thefirst try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! No player was able to solve last Wednesday's chess puzzle, but there will be another for this coming Sunday's session.

Last Wednesday's session was quite a lot of fun, with as many as 8 youngsters enjoying the afternoon, with most playing chess over the boards with new friends, including adults as well as other kids they met for the first time! Among the kids that day were Evan and Zane with their Dad Igor; Ohm and Sia with their Mom Hira; Myles and his Mom Ly; and, Ian, Jojo, and Kaden with their Mom Paige ! (I hope I got all the names right and spelled them correctly). The adults that joined the fun, challenging games were Sam, John Ht., Mike T., Tony T., Yancy, and Ronald C.-- and, thanks to Ronald C., there was quite an exhibition of chess that amazed adults and kids alike in playing, with odds on clock time given, Bullet Chess, Blitz, and even Blindfold Chess !!

It was also nice to see the kids' parents socialize with each other, including with some adults who were there, such as Ken, Dan, Mikey O., Gregg, and Ernie, who are well known to the club organizer and some players, all in the spirit of making new friends and renewing old friendships!

So then, we meet again this Sunday, July 31st, same place, same time, and I hope to see as many there as before, perhaps even more since we see more players on Sundays! For those players who are members of the US Chess Federation, we will once again soon be having our club tournaments, using Quad and other formats, stay tuned!

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

CHESS this Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . . !

Join us for fun, challenging chess over the boards this Wednesday, July 27, 2002, 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! That's just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd. in Concord!

This Wednesday will see several kids that enjoy the game of chess, along with our regular players plus at least one master if not two, who clearly enjoy and appreciate the game, too! We're also at Starbucks every Sunday afternoon, same time, same place! Last Sunday saw Sam, Mike T., Chris N., Setsal, Kevin, Tyler, visiting player Barak from Silicon Valley, and new player to the club, 12-year old Serg, who played just about everyone from classic games to blitz, winning every game except perhaps one! We also welcomed Serg's mom Anastasia, who knew quite a bit of chess!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between! Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). Additionally, the first player to solve a chess puzzle on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! While no player solved last Sunday's puzzle on the first try, it was Serg who managed to figure it out!

So then, come on by, make new friends and/or renew old friendships! See you there,

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

CHESS this Sunday, July 24 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . . !

We meet for fun, challenging chess over the boards every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00p.m. on through closing time at the Starbucks located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center! That's just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd. in Concord!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from novices to masters and all in between! Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). Additionally, the first player to solve a chess puzzle on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Congratulations went to Tony for solving the puzzle on the first try!

Last Wednesday saw quite a few players enjoy the afternoon playing chess. There were even a couple of chess Masters there! Enjoying the game along with friendships new and renewed were Mike T, Tony, Matthew, Sam, Yancy, Hossam, Ronald C., Rich K., Bert, Olaf, and Carl!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

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

CHESS this Wednesday, July 20th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . .!

There's fun, challenging chess over the boards every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time at our usual Starbucks venue, located just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd., at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Shopping Center!

We will meet again this Wednesday, from 3:00pm on, and there will be a chess puzzle challenge for early arrivals: The first player to solve the puzzle on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

At least half a dozen or more players enjoyed chess over the boards this past Sunday, and it personally was great to be back! Among the players there were Sam, Yancy, John H.,Tony, Chris N., and we welcomed two players new to the club, Kevin and Skip!

We welcome players of all ages and skill levels, come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice). There's interest in starting up club quads or other club tournament formats. Let me know if you're interested!

See you soon,

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

CHESS this Sunday, July 17 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . .!

There's chess over the boards as usual from 3:00 p,m, through closing time at our 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!

We continue to meet every Wednesday and Sunday afternoons at the same time, We welcome players of all ages and skill levels. Come and go anytime, there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice)!!

[I have been remiss in sending out these emails over the past month or so due to my having to deal with some rather tough health issues that even required a couple of trips to the ER. I am under a doctor's care and orders now, and will be able to be at Starbucks again to enjoy the game of chess and, most of all, your friendship and company! I am thankful for several players among so many other friends and associates for taking the time to check on me, even just to simply say hello and ask how I'm doing.]

Looking forward to seeing as many of you tomorrow and at future sessions!

-- Mike T.
Contra Costa Chess Club
US Chess Federation
Affiliate Club ID #6024746

CHESS and Lots of It this Wednesday, June 15 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone !

There's lots of chess this Wednesday afternoon, June 15, 2022, compared to recent sessions, as we expect to see at least a couple of new players mix it up with us for the fun and challenge of chess over the boards at our usual Starbucks venue! There may even be a couple of kids there to improve their games!

Come by anytime from 3:00p.m.on thru closing time, and early arrivals will 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!

I'll be there from start to finish (I'm finally back healthy as can be again, no Covid!). Last Sunday saw Tony T. and Chris N. play several games, and it looked like Tony was getting the better results, but there was no quit in Chris N., that's for sure!

See you there,

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

CHESS this Sunday June 12th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone . . . !

There's chess over the boards as usual at our usual Starbucks venue this Sunday, June 12, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time!

I've recovered, and chances are excellent that I'll be there, with a chess puzzle for you to try to be the first to solve to win a free tall Starbucks drink of your choice!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday, same time same place, with new players coming by quite often, so help me meet and greet and play the great game of chess!

See you soon,

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

CHESS this Wednesday, June 8th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone,

Chess over the boards is still on the books this Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at our usual Starbucks venue, from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time.

Unfortunately for me, I cannot make it to this session, nor other activities, until I test negative fo Covid! It shouldn't take too long, as I'm fully vaccinated and double boosted.

See you there soon,

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 5th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We meet once again for sure from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time at our usual Starbucks venue this Sunday, June 5, 2022. Expect to meet a new player or two for the challenge and fun of the game of chess!

Players there early will 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!

See you there,

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

CHESS this Wednesday, June 1st at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Every Sunday and Wednesday after 3:00 p.m. through closing time at our usual Starbucks venue features chess over the boards for players of all ages and skill levels! We're there again this Wednesday, June 1, 2022, come and go anytime!

This past Sunday saw several players, several tournament tested, having fun over the chess boards, on or off the clock. Sam, Chris B, Cameron, Trey, Irakli, John E., Mike T., and Tony T. played, with Sam the first to solve the chess puzzle on the first try to win a free Starbucks drink!

See you this Wednesday, or soon after,

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

CHESS this Sunday, May 29th at Starbucks!

Hello!

There's chess over the boards for players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters, this Sunday, May 29, 2022, from 3:00p.m. on through closing time at our regular Starbucks venue, located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., Clayton, CA. Come and go anytime, no dues, no purchase required! Players arriving early for the better tables 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!

This Sunday's chess puzzle will be a tough one!

This past Wednesday's session didn't get going until about 4:30 pm or so. It must have been the heat? I had to leave for the Steely Dan Concert (with Snarky Puppy) at the Concord Pavilion, and was glad to receive a message that as many as nine chess players did indeed get together at Starbucks for the grand game of chess.

I hope all are in good health and spirits this long Memorial Day Weekend!

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

CHESS this Wednesday, May 25 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

More chess over the boards!

Where: at our usual Starbucks venue.

When: 3:00 p.m. on through closing time, every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon. Come and go anytime. Players there early 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!

Who: All players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters!

No dues, no purchase required ( but it would be nice).

Nice to see several players come by last Sunday, a couple of whom we haven't seen in a while: Chris N., Chris B., Mike T, Diego, Johnny H., Cameron, Matthew, Brandon, and Ranen!

See you soon,

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