Featured Club: Chess in Atlanta
Chess on the Internet: clubs worth checking out!
Finding a Club Near You (in the USA)
When I first started to play online, there were only a few places to play on the Internet, and much of the chess activity was on commercial services like CompuServe and GEnie. Now I think that's reversed, and most people looking for real-time play are at one of the "Internet chess servers." These are online chess clubs with international memberships. They also host live events with grandmaster and international master coverage of events like the US Jr. Championship and the US Championship. Unlike most Webpage coverage, these real-time servers let you not just watch the events, but also discuss them with other players while they're being simulcast. Be warned though: these places are really addictive! You can play, chat, and watch Grandmaster games whenever you want to. All 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you don't have to take your slippers off!
Three of the more interesting Internet sites are chess.net, the Internet Chess Club (ICC), and FICS.
chess.net is the newest of the three clubs in this section, and has an interesting mix of free and fee-for-service programs. One of its founders, Grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili, is one of the world's top chess trainers as well as a world-famous blitz player. World Champion Anatoly Karpov is also a part-owner and makes occasional appearances. This is the only place in the world I know where amateur players can regularly get games with Grandmasters.
chess.net's goal is to create "an educational atmosphere, where regular players can train with grandmasters." The online chess club is open to the public without charge, so you can get a membership and get rated without paying any fees. They also offer separate fee-for-service programs. Telnet to chess.net 5000 or try the chess.net homepage for more information.
chess.net is my first recommendation for scholastic players right now, due to the free basic membership. But you'll want to try all three clubs, because they all have different personalities and features to offer.
Note: through May 31, 1997, our sponsor, Jade River Designs: Webpages and Internet Consulting authored the Webpages for chess.net's Website, so add the proverbial grain of salt to what we say. However, I've always been a member at all three services, and feel they all have different pluses and minuses. I encourage everyone to try all three and make your own judgments.
The Internet Chess Club is also one of my favorites. It's older than chess.net, and run more like a local club. I usually see fewer Grandmasters on line here, but there are literally thousands of regular members. There's an annual membership fee of about $50 US if you want to play rated games. Telnet to chessclub.com 5000, or check their Webpage at www.chessclub.com.
You should also try the excellent all-volunteer club, FICS (Free Internet Chess Server). Telnet to fics.onenet.net port 5000. Playing at FICS is a little more like stopping in at one of the parks around the world that offer chess tables: you never know who you're going to see, or what's going on, but it's always interesting. I don't think they have a Webpage at the present time.
Not sure how telnet works? Or how you can see the pieces move online? Our Guide for Chess Fans and New Tournament Players has a section on Playing at an Internet Chess Server that covers all the basics.
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You can also find several very active chess-by-email organizations in the international newsgroup rec.games.chess.play-by-email, where else? For American players, the US Chess Federation has a very active correspondence group which also allows chess by email. You'll find a description of their correspondence section on the Web at www.uschess.org. America Online. CompuServe, and Prodigy also have active e-mail chess groups--try the keyword CHESS on these services.
If you live in the United States, the US Chess Federation has three ways to help you find clubs and tournaments in your area.
Even if the only USCF-affiliate club listed in your area is a scholastic club, go ahead and get in touch, as they often know where adults in the area play. Another good source of local competition is the local college, which may have a chess club. Again, even if the club isn't open to those outside the college, the players may know the local cafes, bookstores, or rec centers where people meet for chess.
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Last update on 06/25/97
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