WhenSat, Oct 3 · 6 PM
WhereTheater Room, 18th floor
0Days
00Hrs
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EventsKickoff on
Kickoff on
October 3.
Our first event is the UATX Chess Club Kickoff on Saturday, October 3 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, in the Theater Room on the 18th floor of 701 W 24th St. RSVP on Luma so we get enough food and drink for everyone.
Coming this year
What we're planning
- 01Blitz nights, with clocks set to 3 or 5 minutes a side.
- 02A club tournament, with trophies for the top finishers.
- 03Food and prizes at events, paid for by the club budget.
Dates for these aren't set yet. When they are, they'll go out in the WhatsApp group first, then here.
Now playing
Checkmate.
The Opera Game, Paris 1858. Paul Morphy wins in 17 moves.
Free
There are no dues, and we don't plan to add any. Boards, pieces and clocks are provided, so you don't need to buy anything to play.
Anyone who wants to play
If you've never played, someone will sit down with you and show you how the pieces move. If you're already strong, there are people here who will give you a proper game.
Nothing is required
We provide boards, pieces and clocks. If you have a set you like, bring it, and bring a friend too if you want.
What we doHow a night
How a night
actually goes.
Most people walk in, find an open board, and start a game. There are three ways we usually play, and you can switch between them all night.
01
Free play
This is what most of the room is doing on a normal night. You find someone without a game, set up the pieces, and play until it's over, with no clock. You can talk during the game, take a move back if you both agree, and ask afterwards what the other person was thinking. If you're new, this is where you'll start.
02
Blitz
Blitz is chess with a clock, usually set to 3 or 5 minutes per player for the whole game. If your time runs out, you lose, even if you're ahead on the board, so you have to move fast. Games take under ten minutes, which means you play a lot of them in an evening and you stop being scared of losing pretty quickly. We'll show you how the clock works before your first one.
03
Classical
Classical is the slow version, with 30 minutes or more per player on the clock. This is how tournament chess is played, and it's where you get time to plan a few moves ahead and think through a position properly. One game can take an hour or longer. It's the format the stronger players tend to prefer, and it's a good one to try once you've played a few untimed games.
Come at whatever level you're at
Don't worry about how much experience you have. Whatever level you walk in at, we'll set you up with games that fit it and help you get better from there. Tell whoever is running the night where you're at and they'll point you to the right board.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Yes, and you won't be the only one. Tell whoever you meet at the door that you're new, and someone will sit down with you and show you how each piece moves, which doesn't take long. Then you'll play a slow game with them while you get the hang of it. Nobody expects you to know openings or notation, and you don't have to learn anything in advance.
Usually about twice a month, and there isn't a fixed weekday yet. Each meeting gets announced in the WhatsApp group with the date, time and room, and the next one is always at the top of this page. The kickoff on October 3 is the first one.
No. Attendance is drop-in, so come when you're free and skip when you're not. Nobody keeps a list, and you won't be behind on anything if you miss a few. If you only make it once a semester, you're still in the club.
No. There are no dues or membership fees, and there's nothing you need to buy, since boards, pieces and clocks are provided. It costs the same however often you come, which is nothing.
No, we have boards, pieces and clocks for everyone. If you have a set you like playing on, bring it along and we'll use it, and the same goes for a clock. Friends are welcome too, and there's no membership to join first, so if your roommate is curious, tell them to walk over with you.
Free play is a normal game with no clock, against whoever is free, and it's where most beginners start. Blitz uses a clock set to 3 or 5 minutes per side, so games are over in under ten minutes and you play a lot of them. Classical gives each player 30 minutes or more, which is how tournament chess is played and where you get time to think through each move. On any given night you can do any mix of the three.
Yes. There are people at the club who play seriously, and if you tell whoever is running the night that you want a serious game, that's who you'll get paired with. Classical games are where the stronger players tend to end up. We're also planning a club tournament this year with trophies, and the details will go out in the WhatsApp group first.
The UATX Chess Club Kickoff is Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Theater Room on the 18th floor of 701 W 24th St. It's the first event of the year, with boards set up and people to play at every level. Please RSVP through the Luma link so we get enough food and drink for everyone.
Contact
Write to us.
If you want to know something that isn't on this page, or you have an idea for an event, or you just want to check that it's fine to show up alone, send it through the form. It goes to the club's inbox and one of us will write back, usually within a day or two.