We are basically a self-funded club, but you can never have too many friends! If you would like to help out in any way, just let us know [money isn't everything]. Prefer to be anonymous? No problem.
September 9, 2024.
As much fun as it is to play against the computer, playing against a real live opponent is always more satisfying. Computers are great for learning how to play and practicing various openings and strategies, but however much you study, playing against a real person usually brings a few surprises and a lot of satisfaction on those occasions when you win the game (whether you are just playing for fun at a club or playing in a tournament to compete against tough opponents).
Playing against the Director at the Muskie Community Center! - Photo by Amy Calder
With the arrival of the internet, we can now play live chess, correspondence chess and chess tournaments from the comfort of our own homes, and even on a smart phone. This allows us to make friends with people all over the world. Whichever way you choose to play, there are always plenty of opponents out there just waiting for a chance to give you a challenge!
Time Marches On
Showing Dad the right move!
June 16, 2024.
What better way to celebrate Fathers Day than playing chess with your kids or grandkids? They may teach you a thing or two (or maybe you are still the stronger player so far). Of course, not all kids want to play chess with their dads, but chess is an excellent game for people of any age. They say you're never too old to learn. We know because we play on a regular basis with folks in their eighties. What about too young? I was 12 when I started playing and I recently saw a story about an 8-year old beating a grandmaster!
Celebrating Juneteenth in 2024!
The Muskie Community Center in Waterville will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th 2024 to celebrate the holiday. For us that means we will celebrate, too, by playing chess at Dunkin in Oakland (same place we play on Monday afternoons) from 1 pm until around 4 pm. If you are curious about the holiday, click on the image above to read an article about it (or just Google "Juneteenth" to find many articles on the topic).
Sharing Memorable Moments
Blitz across the generations with a Grandmaster
May 23, 2024.
You don't get to meet a Grandmaster every day (never mind play a game of chess in a simul [simultaneous exhibition]). But several of us from the club (and from MECA) did get that opportunity on May 11th! It would be really difficult to describe the experience in words, so I will just share some photos taken during the all-day event by various participants and observers. I'm pretty sure this experience will live on in our memories for a long time. Who knows, perhaps it will inspire some of us to go on to become stronger chess players in the future.
I have set up a separate page for all the photos about the event, taken by various parties, including myself: Day With A Grandmaster.
In other news (in case you missed it), we have reorganized the club. After the dust settled (we had an election and a negotiation and a consensus), Jacoby Grotton is our new President, Arnold Clark is our new Vice President, and Don Smallidge is Treasurer and Web Master.
Please congratulate our new leaders when you get a chance. Jacoby is also President of the Augusta Chess Club (which has a very robust membership). Our sibling clubs have always enjoyed friendly relations with us and we look forward to sharing the chess universe in Maine with them going forward.
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You can attend in-person meetings most days of the week in this area!
Mondays. We will meet on Monday afternoons at the Dunkin' in Oakland [848 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Oakland, Maine] at approximately 1 pm for a few hours;
Tuesdays.
The Augusta Chess Club meets from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday evening at the Barnes and Noble [9 Market Place Dr., Augusta, Maine].
Wednesdays. We will meet on most Wednesday afternoons at Muskie Community Center in Waterville [38 Gold St., Waterville, Maine] at 2:00 pm for an hour and a half. Just check in at the front desk to be directed to the club meeting.
Thursdays.
The Farmington Chess Club meets at 9:30 a.m. every Thursday morning at the Farmington Community Center [127 Middle St., Farmington].
Fridays.
The Camden Chess Club meets in person every Friday in the Picker Room of the Camden Public Library at 4 pm.
Ad Hoc Games:
Waterville Chess Club members can also play by arrangement (either correspondence, online or over-the-board).
Note:
We usually send an email to our mailing list several times per month with information about when, where and how we will meet; we typically use the Camden Chess Club community team at lichess.org for online meetings [available by request - see Contact and FAQ]. Drop us a line if you want to play without being on Zoom. You can also participate on chess.com or itsyourturn.com by special arrangement. If you have a different online chess presence, let us know!
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