CHESS this Sunday, March 24th at Carl's Jr. & Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

There's lots of chess to be played over the boards this Sunday, March 24, 2024, at both Carl's Jr. Restaurant (for the club's USCF-rated tournament that starts at 10:45 a.m.) and after 3:00 p.m.at our regular Starbucks venue, located at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., which is just across the side parking lot from Carl's Jr., within the Clayton Shopping Center!

USCF-Rated Club Tournament, Sunday March 24, 2024:

(As of this writing, more than 12 players have expressed serious interest in competing, with at least 10 players confirming their participation.)

Requirement:  Current membership in the US Chess Federation.  To join or renew, simply go online at www.uschess.org.  The Tournament Director (TD) needs to validate a player's current membership and current rating, or whether a player is unrated or has a provisional rating before the tournament starts.  This validation is mostly done well before the start.

Location:  Carl's Jr. Restaurant (across the side lot from our regular Starbucks venue).

Format:  3Rd.-Quads, or 4-Rd.-Groups of 6 or more players, depending on number of entries and spread of current ratings.

Start Times: 10:45a.m.; NLT 12:30p.m.; NLT 1:45p.m; and, for larger groups, NLT 3pm.

Time Control:  G/40;d.10.  Please have your chess clock set and available as needed.

Entry Fee:  $25 paid/confirmed before 03/24/2024; $30 otherwise, on 03/24/2024.

Cash Prizes: As in all our club tournaments, at least 90% or more of entry fees are returned as cash prizes (1st and 2nd Place for Quads; and, for groups of 6 or more players, paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Places.  Amounts to be determined based on number of entries and prize fund).

Visitors/Observers:  Visitors or observers are welcome and of course are expected to not comment or react to any of the chess moves or matches in progress.  Visitors are also welcome to play chess among other non-participants of the tournament, but on tables that are clearly separate from the tournament participants.

After the tournament, it is common for players to either stay at the restaurant or go over to Starbucks across the way to go over their games and even play more chess! Therefore, this Sunday our usual club session goes on as usual at Starbucks from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time! As always, players of all ages and skill levels are welcome, there are no dues, and there's no purchase required. There may even be a chess puzzle to solve, with the player solving it on the first try winning a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! (Our session last Wednesday saw more than a dozen players, with another new player, named Max V., joining us, as Matthew impressed all by being the first to solve the day's chess puzzle on the first try! His prize that day was one that Kevin donated for the occasion: a 2024 desk calendar featuring one chess puzzle to solve for each remaining day of the year!

Any questions or need for more info regarding any of the above, just let me know, and I hope to see as many of you as can make it this Sunday, be it at Carl's Jr. or Starbucks!

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