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