Southern California Chess Club Directory
HEMET:
The Hemet Chess Club meets 2:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sundays in
Steve's Burgers West, 240 S. Sanderson Ave. Rated tournaments, casual
play.
Free. Call Marcos Montes at (951) 252-5926 or write to
hemetchessclub2009@gmail.com. Web site: www.hemetchessclub.blogspot.com.
HUNTINGTON BEACH: The Hanley Chess Academy Chess
Club meets 7:00
p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fridays at 7390 Center Ave. Weekly rated tournaments
at 7:30 p.m., Action chess, blitz tournaments, casual play. No dues.
Bring your own equipment. Contact Joe Hanley at (714) 925-3195 or refchess@gmail.com.
Web site: www.hanleychessacademy.org.
HUNTINGTON BEACH: The HB Chess Café meets
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fridays in Café Enchante, 328 11th
St. Casual play, free chess lesson from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring
your chess set. No dues. Web site: hbchesscafe.com.
IRVINE: A group meets at lunch time (11:45 a.m. to
1:00 p.m.) Fridays at Knowlwood Restaurant, 14952 Sand Canyon Ave.
Speed chess, analysis. Bring equipment. Contact David Zechiel at david@zechiel.com.
IRVINE:
A group meets 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays at the Rancho Senior Center, 3
Ethel Coplen Way. Casual play, mostly seniors. Free. Call (949)
724-6800.
JOSHUA TREE: The Joshua Tree Chess Club meets 6:00
p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays at Faith Lutheran Church , 6336 Hallee Rd. in
Joshua Tree. Casual play, occasional tournaments, some instruction,
junior chess program. Contact Mark Muller at (760) 367-2311 or at muller29@roadrunner.com.
LA PALMA: The La Palma Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to
11:00 p.m. Fridays in Central Park, 7821 Walker St. Continuous rated
tournaments, blitz, casual play, free coffee, boards and sets provided.
Entry fees: $45 for three months of rated tournament play or $25 per
tournament, $5 less to La Palma residents. Call Mike Henebry at (562)
370-2146 or Leigh Hunt at (714) 635-0448 or write to mhenebry@aol.com.
Web site: www.lapalmachess.741.com.
LAWNDALE: The Alondra Park Chess Club meets 6:30
p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesdays at 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Rated
six-round tournaments at 7:00 p.m., speed chess or extra rated games on
seventh Tuesday, no smoking. Dues: $5/year plus $5/tournament,
$2.50/year for juniors. Call Richard Meller at (310) 227-2873. Web
site: www.geocities.com/alondra_park_cc.
LAGUNA BEACH: People gather to play chess at the
permanent chess table on the boardwalk.
LAGUNA
HILLS: A group meets 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesdays in
the Game
Master, Suite 1530 of the Laguna Hills Mall. Casual play. Free. Call
(949) 457-0290. Website: www.gamecenteronline.com.
LAGUNA WOODS: The Leisure World Chess Club meets
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays and 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursdays in
the Community Center building in Leisure World. Guests are welcome.
Casual play, ladder competition, occasional simul. Call John Griffin at
(949) 462-0722 or Stan Kahan at (949) 830-6699.
LONG BEACH: The chess room in Bixby Park, 130 Cherry
Ave., is open for casual play from noon to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays and noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays. Free.
LONG BEACH: Players gather for casual play at Golden
Burger, 2301 E. 4th St., after the chess room in Bixby Park closes.
Call the restaurant at (562) 434-2625.
LOS ANGELES: A group meets at 5:30 p.m. Mondays in
the Baldwin Hills branch of the public library, 2906 S. La Brea Ave.
Casual play, instruction for beginners. All ages welcome, especially
children and teenagers. Call the library at (323) 733-1196.
LOS ANGELES: The Exposition Park Chess Club meets
1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays in the Exposition Park branch of the
public library, 3900 S. Western Ave. Casual play, lectures, simuls,
instruction, free tournament on the first Sunday of every month. No
dues. Call the library at (323) 290-3113 or send a message to the club
secretary at expochess07@yahoo.com.
Web site: http://chess.expoparkla.com.
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Chess Club (LACC) meets
on the second floor of 11514 Santa Monica Blvd., above Javan
restaurant. Variety of tournaments and instruction for children and
adults on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesday evenings. Dues: adults
$120/year, juniors/seniors $100/year or $5/visit for non-members, first
visit free. Call Mick Bighamian at (310) 795-5710 or send a message to Mick@LaChessClub.com.
Web site: www.lachessclub.com.
LOS ANGELES: The Santa Monica Bay Chess Club meets
7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mondays in St. Andrew’s Lutheran
Church, 11555 National Blvd. Variety of rated tournaments, casual play,
simuls, over 50 years in business. Dues: $60/year, free to women and
juniors. Call Pete Savino at (310) 827-2789.
Web site: www.santamonicabaychessclub.sports.officelive.com.
LOS ANGELES: Tang’s Donuts, 4341 W. Sunset
Blvd., welcomes chessplayers for casual play and speed chess,
especially late at night.
LOS ANGELES: A group meets from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturdays in the public library, 4591 Santa Monica Blvd. Casual play.
Free. Call the library at (323) 664-6418.
LOS ANGELES:
Metropolitan Chess meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and
at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays in the penthouse (13th floor) of
California Market Center, 110 E. Ninth St. Variety of tournaments
planned, quick chess, blitz, scholastic events, instruction, lectures,
exhibitions, chess books and equipment for sale, free parking in
building. Dues: $120/year or $5 per tournament. Contact Michael Belcher
at td@chess.com or Ron Morris at asst_td@chess.com or at (562) 587-1152.
MORRO BAY: A group meets 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays
at the big chess board on Embarcadero at Morro Bay Blvd. Chess pieces
may be checked out weekdays from the Parks and Recreation Dept. Call
Eugene Arcamonte at (805) 528-4079 or Fred Brown at (805) 772-7074. PALM
DESERT: A group meets 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sundays in
the public
library, 73-300 Fred Waring Drive. Call the library at (760) 346-6552.
NATIONAL CITY: The National City Chess Club meets
2:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. daily at 1341 E. 8th St. Casual play, chess
videos available, free instruction for scholastic members ages 7 to 12,
informal atmosphere. Dues: none, but small donation welcome. Call Jorge
Balares at (619) 477-3118 or (619) 788-8395. Web site: www.nationalcitychessclub.com.
NEWHALL:
The California Youth Chess League conducts a scholastic chess club 5:30
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mondays, except holidays, in Vincenzo’s
Pizza, 24504
½ Lyons Ave. Casual play, blitz, bughouse, free instruction
for total
beginners. Parents or guardians must stay with kids. Free. Call Jay
Stallings at (661) 288-1705 or write to coachjay@cycl.org.
ORANGE: The Orange Senior Club meets from 1:00 p.m.
to 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays in the Orange Senior Citizens Community Center,
170 S. Olive St. in Orange. Casual play, all ages welcome. Call (714)
538-9633.
PANORAMA
CITY: Master’s Piece Chess Club meets at 2 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays
in Suite #105, 9612 Van Nuys Blvd. Casual play, rated tournaments.
Free. Call Norman Abadilla at (818) 571-6295.
REDLANDS: The Joslyn Center Chess Club meets 11:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays in the Joslyn Senior Center, 21 Grant St.
Casual play, non-rated tournaments. No dues. Call the Senior Center at
(909) 798-7550.
RIDGECREST: The Ridgecrest Chess Club meets 5:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Kern County Library (west entrance),
131 E. Las Flores Ave. Casual play, occasional scholastic and club
tournaments. No dues. Contact Dwight Morgan at (760) 377-0034 or at dmorgan178@yahoo.com.
RIVERSIDE: A group meets for casual play and
blitz at 6:00 p.m. Thursday
evenings in Back to the Grind Café, 3575
University Ave. Free. Bring equipment. Call the
café at (951) 784-0800.
Web
site: www.back2thegrind.com
SAN DIEGO: The San Diego Chess Club opens for casual
play at 2:00 p.m. weekdays, 10:00 a.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays in
Balboa Park at 2225 6th Ave. (between Ivy and Juniper). Tournaments
Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, Jedi Knights children’s
club with Bruce Baker at 7:00 p.m. Fridays, lessons available. Dues:
$60/year, discounts for seniors, juniors and active military. Call the
club at (619) 239-7166 or e-mail Chuck Ensey at chucnglo@aol.com.
Web site: http://sdchessclub.multiply.com.
SAN DIMAS: Home Brew Coffee, 661 W. Arrow Highway,
welcomes chessplayers. Bring your chess set. Call (909) 394-1964.
SAN LUIS OBISPO: The
San Luis
Obispo Chess Club meets 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays in
Carl’s Jr.,
195 N. Santa Rosa St. Casual play, lectures, occasional tournaments.
Dues: $5/year. Contact: Barbara McCaleb at (805) 544-0717 or bmccaleb@calpoly.edu.
SANTA MONICA: Chess tables are available from sunup
to sundown daily at the Santa Monica International Chess Park, on the
promenade just south of the Santa Monica pier. Casual chess, blitz,
chess bulletin board, large demonstration board, occasional summer
tournaments. No dues.
SIMI VALLEY: The YMCA Chess Club of Simi Valley
meets 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mondays at the YMCA, 3200 Cochran St.
Casual play, instruction, rated and non-rated tournaments. Dues: $15
for 7 weeks, free to YMCA members. Contact John Williams at (805)
529-1816 or leventhfish@hotmail.com.
VENTURA: The Ventura County Chess Club meets on the
first Tuesday, the second Monday, and the later Tuesdays each month in
the Church of the Foothills, 6279 Foothill Rd. Rated tournaments,
casual play. Dues: $35.00/year, $17.50/year for juniors and military.
Call Jimmy Sweet at (805) 659-0356.
Web site: www.vcchess.com.
VICTORVILLE: The Victor Valley Chess Club meets noon
to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Victor Villa Clubhouse, 13393 Mariposa
Rd. Casual play, non-rated quad tournaments most months, instruction.
No dues. Write to DonCotten@aol.com.
WEST COVINA: The West Covina Chess Club meets 1:00
p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Senior Center, 2501 E.
Cortez St. All ages welcome. Casual play, rated and non-rated
tournaments on Tuesdays. Bring chess equipment. No speed chess! Call
Richard Williams at (626) 966-6311.
WEST HILLS: The West Valley Chess Club meets 6:30
p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursdays in the West Valley Jewish Community
Center, 22622 Vanowen St. Open to all, continuous rated tournaments,
blitz, casual play. One of the largest local clubs. Contact Jerry Yee
at (818) 915-5572 or at jyee6@socal.rr.com.
More information about local clubs, tournaments, and state championship
titles is available from the Southern California Chess Federation, the
official state chapter of the US Chess Federation. An annual SCCF
membership, which includes a subscription to the magazine "Rank and
File," costs $18.00 for adults, $10 for juniors under 19. Write to SCCF
Membership Secretary Randy Hough, P.O. Box 205, Monterey Park CA 91754,
call him at (626) 282-7412, or send an e-mail message to him at randallhough@yahoo.com.