Chessboss

As chess is a game that requires knowledge of your opponent, people who enjoy playing chess are constantly looking for new people to play against. Playing against new opponents gives players the opportunity to increase their skill level through the understanding of different situations, as well as the proper moves to use in the situation and the probable outcomes of those moves.

Chess clubs are a perfect avenue for players to seek improvement. In addition to providing players with new, skilled opponents, chess clubs often give resources and education in person — something that an online resource or chess tutorial can not offer. Listed below are three of the top chess clubs that chess enthusiasts should consider checking out:

The Dallas Chess Club

The Dallas Chess Club remains one of the most active chess clubs in the entire nation. With an excellent, dedicated facility in North Dallas, the Dallas Chess club offers a number of educational resources. Included in these resources are an extensive chess library and a club computer that possess all of the latest chess software for their members’ use. Members experience regular lectures and lesson by National Masters and FIDE Masters, allowing them to gain experience and learn tips from some of the greatest chess players in the world. On Wednesday and Friday nights (and weekends), the Dallas Chess club features USCF-rated tournaments, allowing players to test their skill against competition. Check them out here.

The KnightMare Chess Club

The KnightMare Chess Club is a part of the Chess Learning Center, a place where students can learn, study, and practice in a non-threatening yet challenging environment. They stand as Central Ohio’s premier scholastic chess club for weekly chess lessons and open scholastic chess play. They produced the highest percentage of champions in the state of Ohio. Additionally, they produced several nationally ranked girls, including the up-and-coming Brianna Conley and Maggie Fin. The founder of the Chess Learning Center and the KnightMare Chess Club is F. Leon Wilson, the first FIDE certified instructor in the US, whom ChessBoss.com personally interviewed. Check them out here.

Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of the Saint Louis community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures. Another important aspect of the club’s mission is to develop scholastic chess programs. The staff at the CCSCSL believes chess is an important tool for the developing student and is working hard to develop in-school and after-school programming in schools across the metropolitan area. Although the club just opened its doors in July of 2008, it has already played host to the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2009 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, and the 2010 U.S Championship is scheduled to be held at the CCSCSL in April of next year. In addition, the CCSCSL has agreed to sponsor the United States team as they travel to Turkey to compete in the World Team Championship. Check them out here.