Welcome to the Albert Lea Chess Club website!
We meet each Thursday night at the Thorne Crest Retirement Community from 6-8pm. (map)
IMPORTANT NOTE! When the schools are closed because of bad weather or a holiday break, there will be no chess club on that day as well.
Some folks come every week and others come once every few weeks. We just say come whenever you feel like playing chess. There are no fees or dues. Enter through the door that faces Garfield Ave. You can park in the street, or in the parking lot at Hawthorne Elementary School.
We’re being supported in part by the folks at Albert Lea Community Education (Current Catalog (pdf) — 1.14MB), who have been a huge help in getting the word out about our club, and the residents and staff Thorne Crest Retirement Community who’ve been graciously hosting us on Thursday nights. They regularly furnish coffee and treats for us, which is AMAZING!
Who We Are
Our club consists of folks of a variety of skill levels and a wide variety of ages. Some are coming to the Albert Lea Chess Club for the first time to learn how to play chess. Others have played for a while, but consider themselves novices and come to have fun and maybe get better at playing chess in the process. Still others have played in chess tournaments and are quite good. Basically, everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level. Organizers: Kelly Callahan and Jeshua Erickson.
How We Play
We set up card tables and supply boards and sets. Some folks bring their own, which is helpful on the days when we have more players than boards and sets. It’s all pretty casual and we just try and play people we haven’t played in a while. Although, we’re working on a system that will set up players to play each other who are on similar skill levels.