Southern California Chess Club Directory
Where To Play Chess
The SCCF strives to maintain a complete, up-to-date chess club directory in the southern California area. Submit updates or corrections by emailing us here.
| City | Activities | Contact | Dues | WWW | FB |
| ARCADIA | The Arcadia Chess Club meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays in the Senior Citizens building, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. Continuous rated tournaments, casual play. | Mel Clark at (626) 447-9355 | $10/year | X |  |
| BAKERSFIELD | The Bakersfield Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursdays in the East Hills Mall, 3000 Mall View Rd. Rated tournaments, rated games, casual play, blitz, lessons. | Kenneth J. Poole at (661) 304-7468 | 35/year for adults, $25/year for youth | X |  |
| BEVERLY HILLS | The Beverly Hills Chess Club meets in Suite 210 of 8950 Olympic Blvd. All levels of players welcome. Monthly open, member-only, and scholastic tournaments. Classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, private lessons, camps, social events, blitz, simuls and many other events. | Isabelle Minoofar at (310) 274-7873 | $125/month, $1,200/year, one-time registration fee of $50 (waived for SCCF members) | X | |
| BURBANK | A group meets Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Joslyn Center, 1301 W. Olive St. (at Griffith Park Drive). Casual play, ages 55 and up only. | Call (818) 238-5353 | Free | - | - |
| BURBANK | A group meets Fridays from 5:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in McCambridge Park, 1515 N. Glenoaks Blvd. Casual play, tournaments possible. | Emil Klimach at (818) 845-1104 | Free | - | - |
| CARLSBAD | A group meets 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays in the Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Ave. Casual play. Most attendees are over age 50, but younger adults are welcome. | Call (760) 602-4650 | Free | - | - |
| COLTON | A group meets at 9:00 p.m. Friday nights in a private room at Denny's restaurant, 160 W. Valley Blvd. Casual play, blitz. | Call Denny's at (909) 824-2132 | Free | - | - |
| ESCONDIDO | The Escondido Chess Club meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at 2427 S. Centre City Parkway. Continuous rated adult and children's tournaments. | Call the club at (760) 317-1744 or Alex Goddard at (760) 500-3417 or email admin@escochess.com |
$20/year | X | - |
| ESCONDIDO | All adults are invited for casual play Wednesdays from noon to 4:30 p.m. in the Joslyn Senior Center, 210 Park Ave. | Call (760) 839-4688 | Free | - | - |
| FRESNO | The Fresno Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to midnight Mondays and Fridays in Carl's Jr. restaurant, 6767 N. First St. (at Herndon). Rated tournaments, non-rated quick chess quads, casual play, lectures, chess library, newsletter, new website. More than 200 members! | Bob Rasmussen at (559) 708-8100 | $20/year, $10/year for students, women, and those who live outside Fresno County. | X | - |
| GARDEN GROVE | Chess Palace is open 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, at 5246 Lampson St. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wide variety of rated tournaments, Action chess, youth tournaments, scholastic chess camps, blitz, occasional lectures and simuls, large selection of chess books, computers, and equipment for sale, lending library of chess videos, excellent website. | Call the club at (714) 899-3421 or Alfred Ong at (310) 594-3475 | $3/day or $25/month | X | |
| GLENDALE | The chess park at 227 N. Brand Blvd. is open day and night for casual play. Speed tournaments, occasional weekend tournaments. | - | Free | - | - |
| HEMET | The Hemet Chess Club meets 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sundays in Steve's Burgers West, 240 S. Sanderson Ave. Rated tournaments, casual play. | Marcos Montes at (951) 252-5926 |
$20/year | X | |
| HUNTINGTON BEACH | The Hanley Chess Academy Chess Club meets 7:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fridays at 7390 Center Ave. Weekly rated tournaments at 7:30 p.m., Action chess, blitz tournaments, casual play. Bring your own equipment. | Joe Hanley at (714) 925-3195 | Free | X | |
| IRVINE | A group meets at lunch time (11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) Fridays at Knowlwood Restaurant, 14952 Sand Canyon Ave. Speed chess, analysis. Bring equipment. | David Zechiel | Free | - | - |
| IRVINE | A group meets 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays at the Rancho Senior Center, 3 Ethel Coplen Way. Casual play, mostly seniors. | Call (949) 724-6800 | Free | - | - |
| JOSHUA TREE | The Joshua Tree Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays at Faith Lutheran Church , 6336 Hallee Rd. in Joshua Tree. Casual play, occasional tournaments, some instruction, junior chess program. | Mark Muller at (760) 367-2311 | Free | - | - |
| LA PALMA | The La Palma Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Fridays in Central Park, 7821 Walker St. Continuous rated tournaments, blitz, casual play, free coffee, boards and sets provided. | Brian Scanlon (714) 523-2550, Leigh Hunt (714) 635-0448, or Mike Brady (562) 867-8248 | For entry fee see website, $5 less to La Palma residents | X | - |
| LAGUNA BEACH | People gather to play chess at the permanent chess table on the boardwalk. | - | Free | - | - |
| LAGUNA HILLS | A group meets 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesdays in the Game Master, Suite 1530 of the Laguna Hills Mall. Casual play. | Call (949) 457-0290 | Free | X | - |
| LAGUNA WOODS | The Leisure World Chess Club meets 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays and 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursdays in the Community Center building in Leisure World. Guests are welcome. Casual play, ladder competition, occasional simul. | John Griffin at (949) 462-0722 or Stan Kahan at (949) 830-6699 | ? | - | - |
| LANCASTER | Casual players meet at random times at Starbucks, 1845 W. Ave. I. | John Buck at (661) 816-1423 | Free | - | - |
| LANCASTER | Chessplayers ages 21 and older are welcome for casual play and occasional rated tournaments 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mondays in BeX Bar & Grill, 705 W. Lancaster Blvd. Free. Bring chess equipment. | Rob Huizar at robh.2010@yahoo.com | Free | - | - |
| LANCASTER | Checkmate Chess Club meets 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Antelope Valley Chess House, 3710 Neola Way. Casual play, instruction. All ages and all levels welcome. Chess sets provided. Please park across the street from the building. | daa@mahowald.org | Free | F | - |
| LAWNDALE | The Alondra Park Chess Club meets 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesdays at 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Rated six-round tournaments at 7:00 p.m., speed chess or extra rated games on seventh Tuesday, no smoking. | Richard Meller at (310) 227-2873 |
$5/year plus $5/tournament, $2.50/year for juniors. | X | - |
| LONG BEACH | The chess room in Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave., is open for casual play from noon to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays. | - | Free | - | - |
| LONG BEACH | Players gather for casual play at Golden Burger, 2301 E. 4th St., after the chess room in Bixby Park closes. | Call the restaurant at (562) 434-2625 |
Free | - | - |
| LOS ANGELES | A group meets at 5:30 p.m. Mondays in the Baldwin Hills branch of the public library, 2906 S. La Brea Ave. Casual play, instruction for beginners. All ages welcome, especially children and teenagers. | Call the library
at (323) 733-1196 |
Free | - | - |
| LOS ANGELES | A group meets from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Cahuenga branch of the public library, 4591 Santa Monica Blvd. Casual play. | Call the library at (323) 664-6418 |
Free | - | - |
| LOS ANGELES | The Los Angeles Chess Club (LACC) meets on the second floor of 11514 Santa Monica Blvd., above Javan restaurant. Variety of tournaments and instruction for children and adults on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesday evenings. | Mick Bighamian at (310) 795-5710 |
Adults $120/year, juniors/seniors $100/year or $5/visit for non-members, first visit free. | X | - |
| LOS ANGELES | Metropolitan Chess, Inc. meets in the California Market Center, 110 E. Ninth St. Frequent invitational events for masters, variety of side events and amateur tournaments planned (quick chess, blitz, scholastic events, simultaneous exhibitions, instruction, lectures, scholastic camps), special benefits for club members. | Ankit Gupta | $120/year, $90/year for students and seniors | X | |
| LOS ANGELES | The Santa Monica Bay Chess Club meets 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mondays in St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd. Variety of rated tournaments, casual play, simuls, over 50 years in business. | Pete Savino at (310) 827-2789 | $60/year, free to women and juniors | X | - |
| LOS ANGELES | Starbuck's, 5301 W. Centinela Blvd., welcomes chessplayers for casual play, speed chess, bughouse and occasional serious events. Daily until 10 p.m. | Call (310) 338-1297 | Free | - | - |
| LOS ANGELES | Tang's Donuts, 4341 W. Sunset Blvd., welcomes chessplayers for casual play and speed chess, especially late at night. | - | Free | - | - |
| MORRO BAY | A group meets 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays at the big chess board on Embarcadero at Morro Bay Blvd. Chess pieces may be checked out weekdays from the Parks and Recreation Dept. | Eugene Arcamonte at (805) 528-4079 or Fred Brown at (805) 772-7074 | Free | - | - |
| MURRIETA | The Murrieta Central Park Chess Club meets 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays at 38884 Cherry Point Lane. Rated and non-rated tournaments, instruction for children and adults, chess library, casual play on most Wednesday evenings. All ages welcome. | Mihai Harabor at (951) 461-7578 | $75/year, first two visits free | X | - |
| NATIONAL CITY | The National City Chess Club meets 2:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. daily at 1341 E. 8th St. Casual play, chess videos available, free instruction for scholastic members ages 7 to 12, informal atmosphere. | Jorge Balares at (619) 477-3118 or (619) 788-8395 | No dues but small donations welcome | - | - |
| NEWBURY PARK | A new club, the Conejo Valley Chess Club, has started in Scrapbook Blessings at 300 Giant Oak Ave, Suite E. Instruction for all ages, scholastic and adult events planned. | - | ? | X | - |
| NEWHALL | The California Youth Chess League conducts a scholastic chess club 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mondays, except holidays, in Vincenzo's Pizza, 24504 ½ Lyons Ave. Casual play, blitz, bughouse, free instruction for total beginners. Parents or guardians must stay with kids. | Jay Stallings at (661) 288-1705 | Free | X | |
| ORANGE | The Orange Senior Club meets from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays in the Orange Senior Citizens Community Center, 170 S. Olive St. in Orange. Casual play, all ages welcome. | Call (714) 538-9633 | ? | - | - |
| PALM DESERT | A group meets 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sundays in the public library, 73-300 Fred Waring Drive. | Call the library at (760) 346-6552 |
Free | - | - |
| PALMDALE | Players meet on alternating Sunday and Monday afternoons at Starbucks, 39570 Lowes Drive. | Call John Buck at (661) 816-1423 | Free | - | - |
| PANORAMA CITY | Master's Piece Chess Club meets at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in Suite #105, 9612 Van Nuys Blvd. Casual play, rated tournaments. | Norman Abadilla at (818) 571-6295 |
Free | - | - |
| PASADENA | The Pasadena Chess Club meets from 6:45 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Fridays in the Boys and Girls Club, 3230 E. Del Mar Blvd. Continuous tournaments at 7 p.m. Fridays. | Neil Hultgren at (818) 243-3809 | $25/year | X | - |
| REDLANDS | The Joslyn Center Chess Club meets 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays in the Joslyn Senior Center, 21 Grant St. Casual play, non-rated tournaments. | Call the Senior Center at (909) 798-7550 |
Free | - | - |
| RIDGECREST | The Ridgecrest Chess Club meets 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Kern County Library (west entrance), 131 E. Las Flores Ave. Casual play, occasional scholastic and club tournaments. | Dwight Morgan at
(760) 377-0034 |
Free | - | - |
| RIVERSIDE | A group meets for casual play and blitz at 6:00 p.m. Thursday evenings in Back to the Grind Café, 3575 University Ave. Bring equipment | Call the café at (951) 784-0800 | Free | X | - |
| SAN DIEGO | The San Diego Chess Club opens for casual play at 2:00 p.m. weekdays, 10:00 a.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays in Balboa Park at 2225 6th Ave. (between Ivy and Juniper). Tournaments Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, Jedi Knights children's club with Bruce Baker at 7:00 p.m. Fridays, lessons available. | Call the club at (619) 239-7166 or contact Chuck Ensey | $60/year, discounts for seniors, juniors and active military | X, Pics | |
| SAN LUIS OBISPO | The San Luis Obispo Chess Club meets 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays in Carl's Jr., 195 N. Santa Rosa St. Casual play, lectures, occasional tournaments. | Barbara McCaleb at (805) 544-0717 |
$5/year | X | - |
| SANTA MONICA | Chess tables are available from sunup to sundown daily at the Santa Monica International Chess Park, on the promenade just south of the Santa Monica pier. Casual chess, blitz, chess bulletin board, large demonstration board, occasional summer tournaments. | - | Free | - | - |
| SIMI VALLEY | The YMCA Chess Club of Simi Valley meets 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mondays at the YMCA, 3200 Cochran St. Casual play, instruction, rated and non-rated tournaments. | John Williams at (805) 529-1816 |
$15 for 7 weeks, free to YMCA members | - | - |
| VENTURA | The Ventura County Chess Club meets on the first Tuesday, the second Monday, and the later Tuesdays each month in the Church of the Foothills, 6279 Foothill Rd. Rated tournaments, casual play. | Jimmy Sweet at (805) 659-0356 | $35/year, $17.50/year for juniors and military | X | - |
| VICTORVILLE | The Victor Valley Chess Club meets noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Victor Villa Clubhouse, 13393 Mariposa Rd. Casual play, non-rated quad tournaments most months, instruction. | Don Cotton | Free | - | - |
| VICTORVILLE | A group meets from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at Starbuck's, 14848 Bear Valley Rd. Casual play. | - | Free | - | - |
| WEST COVINA | The West Covina Chess Club meets 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Senior Center, 2501 E. Cortez St. All ages welcome. Casual play, rated and non-rated tournaments on Tuesdays. Bring chess equipment. No speed chess! | Richard Williams at (626) 966-6311 |
? | - | - |
| WEST HILLS | The West Valley Chess Club meets 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursdays in the West Valley Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St. Open to all, continuous rated tournaments, blitz, casual play. One of the largest local clubs. | Jerry Yee at (818) 915-5572 | ? | - | - |