CHESS this Sunday July 19, 2026 and Wednesday, July 22nd at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We/ve got lots of fun, challenging chess over the boards this Sunday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 22 for players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between! Players can come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. on through to closing time; there are no dues; and, the first player who solves the day's chess puzzle on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! We're always welcoming players new to the club, and this past week we welcomed Brody; and, for our first USCF-rated tournament of the year that took place last Sunday.... Debra W! We also welcomed back Kwaku, who after a very long absence came by Wednesday along with Jonathan and Justin; and, let's not leave out Diego...!

Tournament Results: 9 players competed in our first USCF-rated tournament of this year: David T., Irakli, Ben, Tony, Nicholas, ChrisDave, Debra, Mark VL, and Zach! After three rounds of very well played games, many of which came down to thrilling end games, the results are as follows: 1st Place went to ChrisDave, who won all 3 of his matches (3pts)! 2nd Place went to Mark VL, who won 2 matches after a tough draw (2+1/2 pts.!). 3rd Place was a three-way tie, with Irakli, Ben, and Zach finishing with 2 points each! Feedback on the tournament was overwhelmingly positive, with several players anxious to play another rated tournament, even at the same Starbucks venue despite all the possible distractions that somehow was part of the fun!

The results of the tournament have since been reported to the US Chess Federation with Ben C. 's much-valued help, and the resulting new ratings will soon be sent or otherwise communicated to all players who participated! Thanks to all for making it a fun, competitive, and successful tournament day!!

Looking ahead, figure the next one we have will be sometime mid-August, yes next month!

See you soon, and be open to meeting and making new friends, and perhaps even renewing old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, July 12, 2026 and Wednesday July 15th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We meet for regular fun, challenging chess over the boards every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time, as players of all ages and skill levels can come and go anytime at our main venue, the Starbucks located in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player to solve it on his and her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! The last two winners have been Zack and Irakli, who may be playing in this Sunday's USCF-rated Quads!

USCF-Rated Quads!

However, this Sunday, July 12th, for those regular club players game to play in USCF-rated matches, we will be organizing two USCF-rated Quads that will start at no later than (NLT) 1:00 p.m.! Participating players must be at our Starbucks by 12:30 p.m. to register and pay, in cash, the $30 entry fee. Players must have, or have access to, a chess set and chess clock.

Participating players must be current members of the US Chess Federation. Note: Players were polled weeks in advance, and several chose to play at our Starbucks venue despite possible distractions within the business.

Details: 3Rds; Time Control G/30;d10. 1st Rd NLT 1:00pm.; 2nd Rd. NLT2:30pm; 3rd Rd NLT 4:00pm. All rounds can start sooner than stated if all players are ready. Prizes to 1st and 2nd Places only, as follows: 1st Place $60; 2nd Place $50. Remainder of entry fees of $30 from each player goes mostly to the USCF for ratings, and maybe the TD might get an ice tea.

See you there, and be ready to make new friends, perhaps even renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, July 5, 2026 and Wednesday, July 8th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Join us for fun, challenging chess over the boards this coming Sunday and Wednesday afternoons (the 5th and 8th of July, respectively) at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! Come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. through closing time (8:30 p.m.) in a friendly, community coffeehouse atmosphere where you're likely to make new friends and perhaps even renew old friendships!

There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the first player solving it on his or her first try winning a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! The last puzzle to be solved on the first try was this past Wednesday's puzzle, and Zach was first to solve it on the first try to win the prize!

USCF-Rated Quads!

Looking ahead, who's still game to play in USCF-rated Quads on Sunday, July 12 ??
Details: 3Rds; Time Control G/30d10. First round NLT (no later than) 1:00 pm; Second round NLT 2:30 pm (or sooner if all players are ready); Third round NLT 4:00 pm (or sooner if all are ready). Players must have, or have access to, a chess set and chess clock.
Entry Fees: $30 per player, paid before the first round.
Prizes: to 1st Place ($60) and 2nd Place ($50) only, with remainder to USCF for ratings fee.
Venue: Starbucks, 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., in the Clayton Station Shopping Center. Players have been polled in advance, and are willing to play at our Starbucks venue despite possible distractions within the business.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 28, 2026 and Wednesday July 1st at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, and our sessions are ever more lively as new players always come by to enjoy chess over the actual boards instead of just on their phones, laptops or home desktops! Expect to welcome more players new to the club this summer, to include players we haven't seen in a while!

We're located in the Starbucks within the Clayton Station Shopping Center, which is just a couple driveways up from the intersection of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd. Players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between, are welcome to come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. thru to the 8:30 p.m.closing time!

There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve. The first player to solve it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Last Sunday's puzzle prize went to Jacob, and Chrisdave won Wednesday's prize!

We'll look forward to seeing you enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards in an active community coffeehouse atmosphere, ready to make new friends, and perhaps even to renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 21, 2026 and Wednesday June 24th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Fun, challenging chess (as usual!) the afternoons of this Sunday, June 21st and Wednesday, June 24th at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. thru to closing time to enjoy the game of chess with or without clocks.

There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player to solve it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Looking ahead, our first club tournament of the year may very well be in early July, so stay tuned for the details! See you soon at the club venue, ready for chess and to make new friends and perhaps renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 14, 2026 and Wednesday June 17th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Get in from the heat and enjoy chess over the boards in our cool Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! Players of all ages are welcome - come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time every Sunday and Wednesday! First player to solve the session's chess puzzle on his or her first try wins a tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you this coming Sunday June 14th and Wednesday June 17th for some fun, challenging chess games, and be open to making new friends and perhaps even renewing old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, June 7, 2026 and Wednesday June 10th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Last week we welcomed more players new to the club --- Mark L., Jody, and Ronnie! Not a week goes by that we don't meet and greet and include in our chess club new players of all ages and skill levels!

We continue to meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00p.m. through to closing time at our regular venue, the Starbucks in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! Players can come and go anytime; there are no dues; and, there usually is a chess puzzle to solve. The first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you this week (Sunday June 7th and Wednesday June 10th), and let's start getting ready for our club's USCF-rated tournaments! The formats of these tournaments are essentially Quads or six-player groups playing 3 rounds G/40;d10. The venue is usually the quiet Carl's Jr. restaurant across the side parking lot from our Starbucks venue. Entry fees usually are in the $25 - $50 range, sometimes more. Players competing in our rated tournaments must be members of the US Chess Federation. For membership, just go online at uschess.com. 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 Sunday, May 31, 2026 and Wednesday, June 3rd at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Players of all ages and skill levels have been turning out in good numbers for every one of our fun, challenging sessions of chess over the boards! All types of chess games can be seen, from classic chess with or without a clock to speed games where tactics and guile can be immediately under time pressure!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. thru to closing time at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center, at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., just a couple driveways up from the intersection of Clayton Rd. and Ygnacio Valley Rd. Players come and go anytime, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve. The player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Last Sunday's winner was Daniel C., and this past Wednesday's winner was David V.

Players new to the club are welcomed during virtually every one of our sessions. Last week we welcomed Abel, and a dad and his two sons whose names I have yet to know as our venue got quite busy, often spilling out onto the tables outside!

This week, during our next session or two, don't be surprised to see a "Stratego"-style chess game called "Stealth Chess" being introduced by a local game store. Will you venture to play that game? And, on Wednesday, this writer will actually be challenging speed chess gamers John S. and Hossam at their own game to see who can hold the board... any other challengers? See you soon!

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

CHESS this Sunday, May 24, 2026 and Wednesday, May 27th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Just another short note to say our chess club meets, as usual, this Sunday, May 24th and Wednesday, May 27th, at our regular venue, the Starbucks in the Clayton Station Shopping Center, as we meet there every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time!

Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to come and go anytime; there are no dues; and, there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the first player solving it on his or her first try winning a tall Starbucks drink of choice! We welcome new players in virtually every one of our sessions, as we did last week, including Everett, quite the chess clock slammin' budding chess player!!

See you soon, game as well to meet new friends, and to even renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, May 17, 2026 and Wednesday May 20th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Just a short note to say that our chess club is quite active as usual every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3;00 p.m. to closing time at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center!

Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to come and go anytime; there are no dues; and, there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the first player solving it on his or her first try winning a free Starbucks tall drink of choice!

Players play with or without a clock, and are always game as well to make new friends, and renew old friendships as well...!

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

CHESS this Sunday, May 10, 2026 and Wednesday, May 13th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

We're at Starbucks in the Clayton Station Shopping Center every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time, where players can come and go anytime to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards! We meet again this Sunday, May 10th and Wednesday, May 13th as more and more new players are coming by to join us as each week goes by!

There usually is a chess puzzle to solve during each session, and the first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Last Sunday's session saw two solid chess players, John S. and Hossam N., who also happen to be two of the six original Founding Members of our chess club, the Contra Costa Chess Club, that has kept the spirit of an inclusive, community-based chess club that does not charge any dues, and welcomes players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between!

Last Wednesday we welcomed yet four more new players, Sonia and Francis and Thiago and Bryan! Last Wednesday's highlights included Irakli staving off several challengers as he won one 5-minute speed game after another during the closing hours of our Starbucks venue!

Our chess club will resume holding USCF-rated chess tournaments this summer, stay tuned! So then, join us and be ever so ready to make new friends, and yes, perhaps even renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, May 3, 2026 and Wednesday May 6th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

We meet again as usual at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center this coming Sunday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 6 --- as we do every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon to enjoy the fun and challenge of playing chess over the boards! Last Sunday's session was filled with chess players, as we welcomed 5 more players who joined us for the first time: Arun K., Greg, and Jeffrey, along with Lucky and Zephyr...! Our Wednesday session saw at least a dozen or more players enjoy the game, and we all look forward to more sessions ahead along with some fine weather!

We meet from 3:00pm through to closing time, and players can come and go anytime. There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the first player solving it on his or her first try winning a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Join us in a great community coffeehouse chess atmosphere, and be open to making new friends, and perhaps even to renewing old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 29th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Quite a few players of all ages and skill levels, perhaps as many as thirty or more including kids, parents and established club players, came by our Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center last Sunday to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards! We welcomed Joel and Sharon I. along with Aiden and Eryk to the club, and they certainly made a lot of new friends! Several players also came by to join the fun last Wednesday!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to closing time, and players can come and go anytime. There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve. The first player to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Last Sunday's winner was Alex! No player solved Wednesday's puzzle on the first try, but Tony T. gets bragging rights for eventually finding the tricky solution to it! Let's wish Tony safe and happy travels over the next few weeks, as we also wish the same for Irakli...!

Come join the friendly community coffeehouse chess atmosphere of our chess club, and certainly be open to making new friends, and perhaps even renewing old friendships! See you soon -----

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

CHESS this Sunday April 19 and Wednesday April 22nd at Starbucks!

Hello Everyone...!

Many heartfelt thanks to all well-wishers for my continuing recovery, despite a recent serious setback...! And thanks to all the chess players who continued to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Shopping Center! It is, after all, a most friendly setting for our chess community that continues to welcome new players of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels!

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3pm to closing time, and players can come and go anytime. There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the first player solving it on his or her first try winning a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Last Wednesday's winner was Lou...!

See you there soon, ready to make new friends, and perhaps even renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, March 29 and Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hello All,

Players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters, are welcome to join us for fun, challenging chess over the boards at our regular venue, the Starbucks located in the Clayton Station Shopping Center!

We are there every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time, so we hope to see you there this Sunday, March 29, 2026 and Wednesday April 1st (and don't be surprised if there might be an April Fools' Day joke or trick on the chessboards that day).

There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve. The player who is the first to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon, and expect to make new friends, perhaps even renew old friendships!

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