Building a permanent home for chess in Chicago

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION :-)

We’re working to create an open and welcome gathering place, the focus of a vibrant, expanded chess scene. A place where young people can receive high-quality chess teaching in a safe and friendly environment. A place where curious beginners and experience-seekers can discover chess as an enjoyable and beneficial activity that everyone can participate in. A place that restores Chicago’s standing among great American chess cities..

Chicago today is the only urban area among the 10 most populous in the nation which does not have a metropolitan chess organization serving the center city as well as surrounding areas. It’s been 25 years since the last such organization in the city closed its doors—a whole generation of lost opportunities. More than one-third of Chicagoland residents live in the city of Chicago, yet 90 percent of all rated chess competitions in Chicagoland now take place in the suburbs.

A world-class city deserves a full-time chess center . . . in the city.

NEWS FLASH—We have partnered with Chicago Duplicate Bridge to lease a space at 47 W. Polk! This space is not forever—the landlord is leasing to us month-to-month, well below market. But it’s a great place for us to hold local, international, and beginners’ events, and to teach chess to the general public.

Keeping the doors open (before any operating costs) will cost us about $2,400 per month. Getting two hundred memberships from the Chicago chess community would go a long way towards helping us

We want to establish a broad base of support in the community. Please consider becoming a member of Chicago Chess Center now!

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Donate now to help us open our doors this year. Your generosity will help us secure a lease on a site, obtain furniture and equipment, and begin offering classes and events in our own space.

Contribute $250 or more to become a member of our Founders’ Court and receive all the benefits of membership plus free instruction, access to exclusive events and more—or give whatever amount you can afford.

And please feel free to contact us for more information.