Building a permanent home for chess in Chicago

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.

Donate now to help us open our doors in 2017. 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.

Our Philosophy

Chess is within everyone’s reach. Anyone can learn to play and learn to play well. You can develop as much skill as you’re willing to pursue. Struggles with chess are often the result of having learned the rules without having been shown what threats and opportunities to look for. These are easy to learn with the right teacher or coach.
Chess is a gym workout for the mind—part of a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.
Chess is one of many skills that one can learn as an adult. A late start in life is no obstacle. Most marathoners begin distance running as adults, not when they’re 8!
Chess is cultural capital—the modern continuation of a tradition that goes back centuries, through court and coffeehouse, pub and park.
Chess offers a level playing field. Color, language and income have no power to change the rules of the game or to interfere with the choices you make on the board.
Chess is a universal language. If you play chess, you’re connected to a community of players around the world as well as in your own neighborhood.

Who We Are

Board of Directors

Keith Ammann (Vice President) is a U.S. Chess Federation–certified Local Tournament Director and District Chess Coach. He holds a master of education degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Illinois Type 03 teaching certification with middle school endorsement.

Bill Brock (Treasurer) specializes in corporate and personal taxation. He has been a CPA since 1987. He also holds a Ph.D. in English (Loyola University Chicago, 1995) and taught in Loyola’s English Department from 1988 to 1997. At the age of 9, Bill played in the 1967 U.S. Junior Open Chess Championship and lost his first seven games before finally winning one. He has previously served as bulletin editor, treasurer, president, and membership secretary of the Illinois Chess Association and currently serves as an at-large board member. Brock writes frequently for national and regional chess publications, edits the Chicago Chess Blog, and teaches students privately.

Chris Christmas has been playing chess for more than 45 years. He is a chess tutor and coach who has taught more than 1,000 students between the ages of 4 and 75. He teaches before- and after-school chess classes in Evanston and Niles and has conducted chess camps at the North Avenue Beach chess pavilion.

Will Gane (President) is vice president of a global business intelligence firm and over the last 20 years has successfully established and developed businesses in Europe, the Asia/Pacific region and the Americas. He has a degree in business management from Hull University in the United Kingdom and an executive education certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is pursuing an executive education scholarship in nonprofit leadership at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. An avid long distance runner who has competed twice at the ultra-running world championships, he is also a former member of the British Army Reserves.

FM Pieta Garrett (Secretary) is an accountant pursuing certification as a charted financial analyst. He earned his National Master title at age 15 and won the U.S. Cadet Championship in 2002. He served in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2011, during which time he won the 2009 Interservice Chess Championship at Fort Benning, Ga.

Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board is made up of individuals who have endorsed the Chicago Chess Center and offered their expertise in support of our mission:

GM Mesgen Amanov
Michael Cardinale Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago
FM Albert Chow
Allison Clark John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Zack Fishman Chess Education Partners
Kiran Frey Chess Without Borders
GM Dmitry Gurevich
Daniel Hart
GM Nikola Mitkov
GM Yury Shulman

Join Our Board

Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc. is seeking to enlarge and diversify its board of directors. We’re looking for people who are committed and passionate, who show common sense and good judgment, who respect group process, who are centered and self-aware, and who have a sense of humor. As a startup organization, we need self-starters, risk-takers and freethinkers along with organized and dependable professionals. We need people with experience in fundraising, entrepreneurship, for-profit and/or nonprofit management, curriculum development, and/or marketing or public relations. Also, as an organization seeking to serve the entire city, we want to include members of demographic groups underrepresented in the chess community. For more information, please reply through our contact page.

Donate

Your generosity will help us open our doors and ensure the viability of this new educational, recreational and civic institution. With your support, the Chicago Chess Center will provide regularly scheduled chess instruction and training for players of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels, along with a full calendar of U.S. Chess Federation–rated tournaments.

Give a gift of $250 or more and become a a member of our Founders’ Court. You’ll receive all the benefits of membership plus free instruction, access to exclusive events and more. In addition, you and a guest will be invited to attend the grand opening of the Chicago Chess Center.

Donate Now

Secure donations through Network for Good

  The Story So Far

February 2012: Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc. is formed.

  July 2012: CCC receives 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit status.

May 2013: CCC holds preview invitational tournament at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in River North and outdoor chess demonstration in Federal Plaza downtown.  
  
June 2013: CCC holds preview open tournament at Illinois Institute of Technology.
  
July 2013–December 2014: CCC organizes coffeehouse chess nights in partnership with Julius Meinl.
  
October 2013: CCC brings GM and two-time US Champion Alex Yermolinsky to Faraday School in East Garfield Park.
 
April–May 2014: CCC holds Women’s Chess Workshops at Logan Square and Avalon branch libraries.
  
  June–August 2014: CCC presents Play Better Chess workshops at Learnapalooza in Wicker Park, Lakeview and Logan Square.
November 2014: CCC holds second pair of Women’s Chess Workshops at Logan Square and Avalon branch libraries.
November 2014–January 2015: CCC holds Magnus Carlsen for Amateurs workshop series at libraries across Chicago.

  January–September 2014: CCC organizes weekly chess meetups in partnership with Geek BAR.
  
  April-December 2015: "Sojourn in the wilderness"; development of CCC business plan.

     January-February 2016: CCC offers a free, beginner-friendly series on the history of chess ideas from Morphy to Capablanca. held at six Chicago Public Library branches throughout the city.

     February 2016: CCC holds Pre-Opening Plus-Score #1 and Rated Beginners' Open / Scholastic #1 at University Center: 74 players in the South Loop!.

       February-March 2016: CCC offers a free series of workshop on chess tactics beyond the basics at five Chicago Public Library branches throughout the city.

     March 2016: CCC Pre-Opening Plus-Score #2 is the first of many tournaments held at the University of Illinois Chicago.

     April 2016: The Cindy Berry Memorial at UIC draws 57 players.

    May 2016: CCC holds Pre-opening Quads #1 (eight sections ordered by strength) at UIC.

      June 2016: CCC holds June Swiss and Rated Beginners' Open at UIC: 71 players.

     July 2016: By popular demand, CCC returns to Fight Club format with Pre-Opening Plus-Score #3 .Senior Masters Robert Perez and Alexander Velikanov take first and second, respectively. Due to a scheduling mixup, players "enjoy" mariachi music from next door.

    August 2016: CCC Interval Training #1 has nothing to do with anaerobic workouts: players receive a bonus thirty seconds per move (the Illinois Open uses a similar time control).

       September 2016: Local chess patron Daniel Parmet hosts GM Gata Kamsky workshops (five-time US champion, FIDE world championship finalist) for top Chicagoland youth: CCC provides funding for one workshop.

  September 2016: CCC hosts Scholastic #2 at UIC.

    October 2016: Teenage Senior Master Zhaozhi Li wins CCC Pre-Opening Plus-Score #4 at UIC. Six-year-old (!!) Aren Emrikian beats a National Master and takes clear second.

      November 2016: Associate NTD Maret Thorpe directs CCC Pre-Opening Plus-Score #5 at UIC.

        December 2016: Seventy participants slug it out: CCC Pre-Opening Plus-Score #6 amd concurrent Rated Beginners' Open #3 at UIC.

         January 2017: CCC partners with the Chicago Chess Foundation to host high school teams at the Six-on-Six Rumble at UIC. Free entry, free lunch, and over twenty chess books given as prizes!

    Febrary 2017: CCC Interval Training #2 at UIC warms players up for the US Amateur Team Championships. 

    March 2017: GM Dmitry Gurevich and NM Gopal Menon dominate the field at the Isaac Braswell Memorial—City of Chicago Blitz Championship, held  at UIC.

      March 2017: The CCC Rated Beginners' Open #4 draws 30 players of all ages. No charge and free US Chess membership to players with financial need.

    March 2017: CCC adds a beginner-friendly Under-1300 section to CCC Pre-Opening Plus-Score #8.

      April 2017: The Clark Street Capital Grandmaster Invitational #1 is organized by CCC. Clark Street Capital and Avant, Inc. are our generous lead sponsors. Grandmaster Ilya Smirin of Isreal wins with a dominating 7½-1½ score; Josh Colas of White Plains, NY, and Robert Perez of Chicago both earn International Master norms.

     April 2017: International Master Angelo Young won the 1st Haymarket Memorial at UIC. We awarded $4,447.81 in prizes, including $300 in Cindy Berry Memorial prizes for the top women players.

  May 2017: Adam Bareket and Alexander Parkel win their sections of our first Action Chess event (no prizes, just fun). 

  May 2017: International Master Atulya Shetty of Michigan wins the Open Section of Plus-Score #9.

Founders' Court

The Chicago Chess Center thanks its founding members:

$1,000 and up

Vince Berry
Bill Brock
Michael Cardinale
Chess Education Partners Inc.
Will Gane
Lee & Jan Gurga (in memory of Raymond L. Gurga)
Matt Pullin
Slalom Consulting LLC

$500 and up

Louis T. Ascherman
Les Bale
Dave Ducat
Rosetta W. Harris Charitable Lead Trust
Home Run Inn Foundation
Leslie W. Keith
J. Eric Smith

$250 and up

Michael Aaron
James Adkins
Michael Banys
Nimrod Bareket
William & Wendy Choslovsky
Fredric Cohen
James Duffy Jr.
Robert Eaman
Victor Feria
Jose & Anna Garza
Adam Geisler
Robert Grevin
Vince Hart
Titus Hattan
Jimmy Kyle Jackson
Julian & Kristin Jackson
Anthony Jasaitis
Dietrich Kappe
Thomas Kochman (in memory of Frank Skoff)
Joseph Larsen
Nicholas & Martha O'Carroll
Jenny Rosene
Dan Schmidt
Sam Sibley (from John Benson)
Dante Silguero
Brayden Sterling
Andy Stewart
Tansel Turgut
Jonathan Weintraub
Patrick, Nathaniel & Joshua Wells