Joplin Chess Club

Thank you for your interest in the Joplin Chess Club.

Club Details

What We Do

We play chess. Any and all skill levels are welcome to come and play.

Don’t know how to play but would like to learn? We can help.

The primary focus of the club is to play and increase the number of people in the region that like to play. A secondary focus,  is running chess tournaments to give those interested in competitive play an opportunity to do so locally, without always having to drive to Tulsa, Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis or farther away to do so.

Some of our members are also interested in increasing their skill levels in the game via study. To that end there is a study night at the Hardee’s on Main St. on Thursday nights, from 7 PM until 10 PM. Anyone is welcome to come and learn about the game, ideas on studying and even some practice games of chess.

History

The Joplin Chess Club, as a United States Chess Federation (USCF) affiliate, was started in early 2008 by National Master Bart Gibbons. In early 2009, after Bart moved out of the area, the club merged with another group of local players, changing the meeting time to coincide with theirs. In addition to meeting each week to play, the club has hosted a number of USCF rated tournaments, drawing players from across the region.

Future

Our goals for the future:

  • Grow the club membership; both by increasing the number of consistent casual players and the number of competitive tournament players
  • Increase involvement with other area clubs, including scholastic clubs
  • More tournaments throughout the year, including rated, unrated and scholastic events

How You Can Help

If you know someone that likes to play chess or would like to learn how to play chess, let them know about the club. If you know anyone that would like to sponsor the club to assist us in our goals, let them know about us. If you know of any other clubs in the area, put them in contact with us.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please contact us: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you across the board.

In the News

Some mentions of the chess club in the news:

Club Images