Q. Where and when do you meet? A. We meet at Great Escape Games, 1250 Howe Avenue, Suite 3A (the shopping center has an Old Navy and Ross store in it ... Great Escape Games is located at the furthest point away from the corner of Howe and Hurley in the shopping center meaning you will need to drive behind the shopping center to get to Great Escape Games). The Club meets every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., except holidays when Great Escape Games might be closed. Q. How much are the Sacramento Chess Club dues? A. There are no dues at this time. Q. What kind of chess activity does the Sacramento Chess Club offer? A. We offer a place to play casual chess (pick-up games) and tournament chess. Q. What is tournament chess? A. Tournament chess is an event that abides by the U.S. Chess Federation rules. Q. What tournament events do you offer? A. Since we have to vacate the facilities by 10:00 p.m. our events are timed to fill a three hour gap. Most events either start at 6:55 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. We offer: -- Game 1 Bullet, double (play your opponent twice, one with each color), typically seven games per night. Non USCF rated. -- Game 5 Blitz, single and double, typically four to six games per night. Non USCF rated. -- Game 10 Handicapped, typically five games per night Non USCF rated. -- Game 10 Quick Chess, typically five games per night. USCF rated. -- Game 20 Quads – four equal strength players per section, three games per night. USCF rated. -- Game 20 Octos – eight equal strength players per section, three games per night. USCF rated. -- Game 30 spread over two weeks, four games total, two games per night. USCF rated. -- Game 75 spread over five weeks, five games total, one game per night. USCF rated. -- Game 75 Team multi-week, depends on the number of teams, one game per night. USCF rated. Q. What do you mean Non USCF or USCF rated? A. The Sacramento Chess Club is an affiliate of the U.S. Chess Federation and as such we are able to offer USCF rated games that allow USCF members to earn rating points. Q. Do I need to be a USCF member to play in a tournament? A. Yes and no. You must be a member to play in a USCF rated tournament. For those tournaments that are Non USCF rated you need not be USCF member. Q. How much does it cost to join USCF? A. It depends on your age. Adult membership for one year runs between $34 and $42 per year, which may include a monthly magazine called Chess Life (this depends on the type of membership purchased) Membership for kids is less and there is a family plan too. Contact the U.S. Chess Federation for the latest membership costs. Q. Does it cost to play in a tournament event? A. Yes. There is an entry fee and typically the cost will either be $2 or $5 for that event. Q. What do you mean Game 1, Game 5, Game 10, and etc? A. That means each side gets that many minutes per game. As an example; Game 5 means both Black and White each get five minutes on their clock, so the entire game can last no longer than ten minutes. Q. If I don’t want to play in the tournament may I watch the players? A. Yes. You may walk around and watch games in progress as long as you don’t disturb the players. That means no talking, placing your cell phone, pager, and etc in a quite mode, or do anything that may be considered as helping someone; such as calling out that someone’s clock has run out of time, their king is in check, body gestures, or anything else. If there is a dispute that arises we may call upon you as a witness. Q. I don’t have a chess set, where can I get one? A. It depends on whether or not you want to play casual chess or tournament chess. Just about any chess set, from fancy to very basic, will work for casual chess play and you can find them locally at most gaming stores. However, tournament chess sets typically consist of a roll-up board and plastic pieces. Most roll-up boards have 2 ¼ inch squares, and the pieces have the king around 3 ¾ inches in height. You won’t find these locally. There are plenty of chess stores on the web to choice from, but we always suggest that you help support the U.S. Chess Federation and take a look at what they have to offer first. Also, if you are considering playing in tournament events you are going to need a clock and don’t forget a bag to carry your equipment in. Q. Does the club have an extra chess set that I can borrow? A. Normally, yes. We have a very limited number of sets, but they are held in reserve for tournament play. If they are not needed for the tournament then they are available for casual play. |