If you're interested in playing chess regularly or even competing in chess tournaments, you may have considered joining a chess club.
Perhaps you're completely new to chess but have heard of chess clubs before and want to know more about them.
Fortunately for you, here's our quick guide to everything you need to know about chess clubs in Australia from WA to Tasmania and how you go about joining them.
What Do People Do in Chess Clubs?
This may sound like a dumb question because the people in chess clubs spend their time playing chess, of course.
However, this isn't everything a chess club does. Naturally, chess clubs exist so that people can get together and play chess, but you could do that in a park, at a friend's house, or online.
There's something else that chess clubs offer players: growth.
A chess club isn't just about casually playing chess with some friends, it's a place for players to improve their game and learn about tournament play and rules like recording moves, using a chess clock, and playing to tournament rules.
This doesn't mean that every game in a chess club is played in such a formal way, but it does mean that there are plenty of opportunities to take your chess playing further.
How Do I Join a Local Chess Club?
Different chess clubs have different requirements, but generally, joining a chess club is very simple and no different to joining any other kind of social club, class, or hobby.
Nowadays, most chess clubs have a website and you can easily get in touch with the head of the club and express your interest in joining.
Common requirements include having a certain level in chess, being a member of a relevant chess association, paying your membership (which is usually quite affordable), and for certain clubs, meeting the minimum age requirement, though there are chess clubs for adults, kids, or all ages.
Remember that you're never too old to join a chess club and chess clubs are great for seniors, too.
Is It Worthwhile Joining a Chess Club?
Only you can really say if joining a chess club will be worth it as it depends on what you want out of your membership.
If you're looking to meet new players, learn more about chess, play against different opponents, or play in tournaments, then a chess club will definitely be worth joining and there are lots of reasons to join a chess club.
Some chess clubs will welcome absolute beginners whereas others prefer players to have a certain level before joining.
What we can say is that there's no point in waiting because you don't feel you're good enough, playing chess in a club is one of the best ways to improve and the worst thing that will happen is that they'll point you in the right direction to gain the level required.
What Rating Should I be To Join a Chess Club?
Different clubs have different requirements and the very best can have players of very high levels. You must find a club whose prerequisite rating is close to yours.
If you're not familiar with how chess ratings work, then it's worth looking into. You can always play chess online to get a basic understanding of your level as sites like chess.com can pitch you against opponents of your level and you'll see your level go up or down depending on whether or not you win.
Do You Have to Be Good to Join a Chess Club?
What counts as good in terms of chess generally depends on the level at which you play. Most members of a chess club will likely be at a decent level or beginners working their way upwards.
Being good isn't always a prerequisite for joining chess clubs as there are plenty of clubs that look to help beginners improve their game, even if many do expect at least a fundamental understanding of the game and how to play it.
It's recommended that you find out what your level is before you start speaking to chess clubs and then find out what levels their players are. It's always useful having good opponents to play against because you learn more from a loss than a victory, but you won't want to regularly attend a chess club to lose every match you play in.
Can a Beginner Join a Chess Club?
There are certainly chess clubs that allow beginners to join and kids' chess clubs are more likely to be capable of accepting beginners. However, there are chess clubs that will allow adult beginners to join.
Again, the easiest way to find out is by asking. On chess association websites, you can usually find full lists of local clubs including the contact details for the heads of the club or who you should contact if you're interested in joining.
How Much Do Chess Clubs Cost?
With so many different chess clubs across the country, it's impossible to say exactly how much a chess club will cost you, but what we can say is that chess clubs are rarely very expensive.
More often than not, members will pay an annual membership plus a small fee for each evening they attend their chess club.
For example, you could end up paying between $25 and $30 for your annual membership and $2 each evening you attend your chess club. In either case, this is much cheaper than a lot of other hobbies and you don't need to bring any equipment or anything like that.
Do Chess Clubs Make Money?
Chess clubs have to make money to continue existing, but chess clubs are hardly big money-making operations and they rarely try to be.
Chess clubs are built around the love of chess, playing matches, and socialising with people who share the same passion for the game.
If you look around for chess clubs, you'll see that they're rarely expensive and much like youth or social clubs, their focus is providing a place for people to play chess. They may make a small profit to pay for running the club, organising events, etc., but they rarely exist as a means to make a lot of money.
Where Can I Join Chess Clubs in Australia?
There are far too many chess clubs to list them all, but since most places have chess associations that list all their registered chess clubs, we can point you in the right direction depending on where you live.
Where Can I Play Chess In New South Wales?
The New South Wales Chess Association (NSWCA) has there a comprehensive list of chess clubs including where the clubs are and on which days and times they meet.
Where Can I Play Chess In Victoria?
On the Chess Victoria (CV) website, the official organising body for chess in the state, you can find all the chess clubs in Victoria as well as a calendar of events.
In reality, you can find chess clubs in Victoria by searching your town, too!
Where Can I Play Chess In Queensland?
The Chess Association of Queensland (CAQ) is the state's governing body and like all the other state chess bodies, lists its affiliate clubs on its website for you to find your local club and get in touch.
Where Can I Play Chess In Western Australia?
Head to the Chess Association of Western Australia's (CAWA) website to find clubs under the “Information” section.
Where Can I Play Chess In South Australia?
The South Australia Chess Association (SAWA) has a list of clubs and coaches for chess players in South Australia.
Where Can I Play Chess In Tasmania?
For those of you in Tasmania, just head to the Tasmanian Chess Association (TCA) website. There are only a handful of clubs listed, but it's a good place to start if you want to start playing chess more seriously.
How to Get Better at Chess
While chess clubs are a great way to improve your game, there are a few ways to reach the level you need to join a chess club or improve your level beyond that of your fellow chess club members.
One way is by playing online. You can play matches against chess players from all over the world at different levels and practice makes perfect.
You can also work with a private chess tutor to improve specific aspects of your game, enjoy tailored tutoring, and get better at chess on the days when your chess club doesn't meet.
You can find chess tutors locally or online, which means that anybody in the country can work with experienced tutors as long as they have a fairly decent internet connection.
To become the best chess player you can be, you'll want to use a mix of these approaches as playing games online aren't quite the same as playing face-to-face with your opponent over the board.
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I want to learn & interested tp participate in chess tournament .
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