Winter Chess Clubs

Gone are the relaxing days of summer; fall is flying by too fast, and a cold winter is on its heels. For a gal who likes to play over-the-board chess, the long months of this chilly season can get a bit depressing without opportunities for in-person play. I have learned not to leave chess meet-ups to chance, and I strategize during the warm weather days to be sure to have opponents to play in the frigid months ahead.

Make Friends While You Can

When I meet people at the chess clubs, I have learned not to be shy about sharing some sort of contact information. Usually, the easiest data to exchange is my Lichess name so that we can continue playing online, but if I really hit it off, I can give out my phone number as well just to have an alternative way to invite a player to a game. If I am going to the chess club nearest me, I often text several people to let them know that I will be available for some OTB games. This year I made three consistent new friends who were willing to randomly meet me for competition in addition to the twenty or so players who regularly meet at the club. Hopefully, we can continue to meet this winter.

Visit Heated Chess Huts in the Parks

In my area, I know of two indoor heated places where chess is still played in the park all winter long. Unfortunately for me, they are located on rather steep hills. For now, it would be possible for me to attend them, but as soon as the ice hits, I would be terrified to try to go up or down the path to get to these precious chess sets. The time is ticking down while this is still an option.

Utilize Your Local Libraries

I am fortunate to live near many libraries who not only don't mind people meeting to play chess, but often have areas with chess tables for times when children's clubs meet. I've already had several conversations with librarians about being able to meet in conference rooms with a few buddies so that we can make a little more noise while competing.

Try Community Centers

These hidden gems were a bit harder for me to find, but the locals in my town told me about different buildings where people can come for conversations and games. This is definitely on my list of comfortable indoor spaces to play. I have visited one, and it has several floors with different areas with couches, chairs, and tables. I'll need to investigate a bit more to understand the rules for visitors, but community centers seem very promising.

Spend a bit on Inexpensive and Unpopular Cafes

Finding cafes off the beaten path that don't have a lot of customers is a win-win. For the restaurant, having people sit and snack is helpful to business if customers are polite and order a few things at a time while using the table. It is also great for the chess player to have a warm place to socialize with friends out of the elements. It's always good to know which restaurants are open to the idea of people sitting for a long time period at their tables, but I've already scoped out a few favorites. In my area, there are cafes that have bookshelves full of games and actually encourage customers to stay and play for awhile. I love them for this!

Reserve a Room at a School

I am a school teacher, and I am allowed to use the school building where I work for meetings if I get permission to use the facility. I only use this option for close friends though, because I don't always want every new person I meet to know where I work. ;-) The school option is great if I want to meet up with a few colleagues who play or if I am hosting a tournament for kids. As I write this, I am wondering if colleges and universities have spaces where they might allow people to meet. I think it is always worth a try to ask.

Invite Others to Your Home

Again, this option is only open to my absolute closest friends, but it is nice sometimes to have a friend over for tea or coffee and a game of chess. My only downside to this is that most of my friends won't play me now because they are not as serious about chess as I am and are not able to win anymore. hahaha... But I felt I wanted to include this option for those of you who have friends at your rating or higher. I think it would be fun to host a Christmas party with a bunch of chess boards available for play. Maybe one of you reading this can pull that off! If so, tell me about it!

Tough it Out in Unheated Chess Huts

Last on my list is my least favorite option, but I and several other die-hard fans of OTB chess have been known to bundle up and play in the same clubhouses in the parks open to the elements. Yes, I KNOW it is uncomfortable, and I usually leave when I can't feel my fingers anymore, but sometimes the desire to play is just too strong, and you just have to stop by for a game... or eight... before whimpering all the way home with frozen toes and questioning your life choices. ;-)

Tell me about some of your favorite winter strategies for playing chess over the board. I would love to learn from you too!

As always, I wish you peace and joy!
Cheers!