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

CHESS Sunday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

The Contra Costa Chess Club welcomes players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Station Shopping Center! Come and go anytime from 3:00p.m. on through closing time as you make new friends and perhaps even renew old friendships!

Last Wednesday's highlights included a fun, tight, session-ending match of "Hand & Brain" Chess that saw the Matt & Alexander team besting the Andrew & Patrick team! Each session usually features a chess puzzle to solve, with the prize of a free tall Starbucks drink of choice going to the first player to solve the puzzle on his or her first try!

See you soon!

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

CHESS this Sunday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Enjoy the really nice weather and stop in for some fun, challenging chess over the boards at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Shopping Center! We are there every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, located just up from the intersection of Clayton Rd. and Ygnacio Valley Rd., on the border of Clayton and Concord, CA...!

Last week we welcomed more new players, and Antonio and Tyler come to mind, along with Alisa and her friend! Players of all ages and skill levels are welcomed to come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time! There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, with the prize of a free tall Starbucks drink of choice going to the first player to solve it on the first try!

See you soon, 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, March 8 and Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Join us this Sunday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 11th as well, as we meet every Sunday and Wednesday for fun, challenging chess over the boards at our regular Starbucks venue, located in the Clayton Shopping Center! Come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. to closing time (9pm), and be game to make new friends and even to renew old friendships!

There are no dues, and there's no purchase required (but it would be nice, after all). There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon, as we welcome players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to masters and all in between! Looking ahead, as we begin Daylight Savings Time (starts Sunday!) and roll into warmer weather, we will start having rated tournaments!

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

CHESS this Sunday, March 1st and Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Last Sunday's session drew up around 30 players plus friends that made the fun and challenge of playing chess over the boards at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Shopping Center even more welcoming for players of all ages and skill levels. Several players also came by for our regular Wednesday session, and the matches were just as much fun and challenging.

We certainly will meet again, as usual, this coming Sunday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 4th, 2026, same place, same time (from 3pm thru closing time, come and go anytime). There are no dues, and there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Irakli won the prize last Sunday, and Alexander won it by being the first to solve Wednesday's puzzle on the first try!

Last Sunday's highlights included welcoming new players to the club, and welcoming back players we haven't seen for quite a while! We welcomed Arav, Pravin and Magdu; we also welcomed David back from a short absence; and, from a very, very long time away, Tom H. who was there with Jackie! National Master Rich K. was also there, and he bested several of the club's top players who put up some very good games. Among players over the chess boards in Starbucks and the tables outdoors (good weather!) were Daniel C., Matt, Irakli, Sam, Anghel, Alexander, Mark S., Samuel and Alex, our other Samuel, new player Jim, as well as Andrew, Jacob, Shevin, Chiru, and Mike T. . . . Who did I miss?

With the weather warming up and Daylight Savings Time coming within a week or so, our Sunday and Wednesday sessions are the perfect times for enjoying chess as opportunities also arise for making new friends, and even renewing old friendships! See you there!

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

CHESS this Sunday, Feb. 22nd and Wednesday, Feb. 25th, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone!

Despite the chill and some wet weather, the turnout of players of all ages and skill levels for our last two sessions was indeed impressive. Additionally, even more new players came by and introduced themselves and were quite welcomed by the more regular players. Among the players there for the first or second time were Jay, Aiden, Charlie, Mark S., Robert and Mike, and Jim along with about three others whose names I did not catch. Several regular players brought smiles to the group for playing instructive chess with newcomers like Angel, Mayume, and Malaia. Jacob stood out by taking the initiative to help two others new to the scene.

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. on through closing time at our regular Starbucks venue, located in the Clayton Shopping Center. We certainly meet again this Sunday, January 22nd and next Wednesday, January 25, 2026, same place and time as players can come and go anytime; there are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice).

There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player who solves it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Last Sunday's prize was won by Patrick, and last Wednesday's prize was won by Matt. Who will solve this week's puzzles (which will be a challenge, for sure!)?

In closing, so very many thanks and much appreciation must go to all those who wished yours truly, still in slow motion in the slow lane of life, a speedy and lasting recovery from a recent surgery. See you soon, 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, February 15 and Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Last week's sessions drew more newcomers to our club, as we welcomed Aiden, Jonathan, Robert and Mike, among a couple of other new players that came by to play and/or observe the fun and challenge of chess over the boards in a community coffeehouse setting!

Players of all ages and skill levels were there, and credit goes to club regulars such as Ben C., Benoit, Andrew, Matt, Irakli, Tony, Lou, Diego, and several others, including Jacob, Angel, Mayume and Malaia for helping make the new and newer players feel at home.

We meet every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon at our regular Starbucks venue located in the Clayton Shopping Center. Players can come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time. There are no dues. There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Ben won the prize a couple sessions ago, and holds bragging rights for solving last Wednesday's puzzle, albeit on his second try!

Looking forward to seeing you this coming Sunday, Feb. 15th and Wednesday, Feb. 18th, and be open to making new friends and renewing old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, February 1st and Wednesday, February 4th at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

We meet Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to closing time in the Clayton Shopping Center, as players of all ages and skill levels can come and go anytime to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards! There are no dues, and there often are other board games to play. Additionally, there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Our sessions last week saw several kids and adults come by to play chess and other games! We welcomed even more new players, such as Katosh, Dave, and Jay. Along with making new friends, club members renewed old friendships by welcoming back Kitty, Bob C., John S., Johnny H., and National Master Rich K.!

See you there for sure this Sunday, February 1, 2026, and hopefully, next Wednesday, February 4, 2026, same time, same place!

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

CHESS this Sunday, Jan. 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards this Sunday, January 25 and Wednesday, January 28, 2026 in the warm and friendly community atmosphere of our regular Starbucks venue, located in the Clayton Shopping Center!

Come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time (8:00p.m). Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome, from beginners to experts and masters! There are no dues, and there is no purchase required (but it would be nice, of course). There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player to solve it on the first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

Whether you are a new player or a regular, don't be surprised if you make new friends and perhaps even renew old friendships! Over our last couple of sessions, we've had the pleasure of welcoming a couple of players named Alexander, and another by name of Zach!

Last, and certainly not least, congratulations to Red for topping his division at the recent MLK weekend tournament at the Concord Hilton!

See you soon!

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

CHESS this Sunday, January 18 and Wednesday Jan. 21st at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

The 17th Annual Golden State Open gets underway this long Martin Luther King holiday weekend at the Concord Hilton, and only a small handful of our club's regular players appear to have registered for the competition within at least five divisions, as of this writing.

Our chess club will therefore meet as usual this Sunday, January 18, 2026 at our regular Starbucks venue (in the Clayton Shopping Center), from 3:00 p.m. through to closing time, as players of all ages and skill levels can come and go anytime to enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards among new and old friends in a community coffeehouse setting without any dues or tournament costs.

We'll also meet on Wednesday, January 21, as we do every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, same time, same place, for the game of chess and perhaps even other board games, along the way to making new friends and even renewing old friendships!

For both Sunday and Wednesday sessions, there usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon, maybe even at the Concord Hilton this weekend!

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

CHESS this Sunday, Jan.11th and Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

There's lots more fun, challenging chess over the boards this Sunday, January 11 and Wednesday, January 14th at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Shopping Center, just up from the corner of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Clayton Rd.! Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome to come and go anytime from 3:00 p.m. to closing time; there are no dues; and, there's no purchase required (though it would be nice, since the venue is free...).

Our sessions last Sunday and Wednesday, despite some rather chilly and wet weather, an aggregate total of nearly 30 players came by to enjoy the game of chess! We always enjoy welcoming new players and companions at virtually every session, and last week we welcomed Jack and Mark; Winston, Ella, and Catherine; Anjel and Ivan and Yarida; Mayume, Melaia, and Carla; Soo kim; and James B.!

Welcoming them and engaging them in games were Ben C., Mike T., Tony T., Jacob, Lou, Rose, Andrew N., Max, Nathan, Arian, Arun, Carl, Sol, Irakli, Chris T., and Meredith, with some feasting on fresh made cookies and caramel corn brought in by a good friend of ours!

There usually is a chess puzzle to solve, and the first player who solves it on his or her first try wins a free tall Starbucks drink of choice! Max solved last Sunday's puzzle to win his tall Strawberry Lemonade! However, no player was able to solve last Wednesday's puzzle without a hint, as it was indeed a tough one!

Perhaps we'll see you at this Sunday and Wednesday's sessions, as there may even be several players practicing for next long weekend's 17th Annual Golden State Open Tournament at the Concord Hilton! Don't be surprised if you happen to make new friends, and even renew old friendships!

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

CHESS this Sunday, January 4th & Wednesday Jan. 7tlh at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone...!

Enjoy the fun and challenge of chess over the boards as we welcome players of all ages and skill levels --- from beginners to masters --- to play at our regular Starbucks venue in the Clayton Shopping Center, at 1536 Kirker Pass Rd., just up from the intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and Clayton Road!

We are there every Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. thru to closing time, as 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 the first try winning a free tall Starbucks drink of choice!

See you soon, and don't be surprised if you make new friends and perhaps even renew old friendships every time we meet!

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