Chess Clubs : Membership Opens Opportunities for Competition

What did Queen Elizabeth I, Benjamin Franklin and Bobby Fischer have in common? A passion for chess. The game of attack and defense, also known as “the royal game” because it was mainly played by aristocrats, is believed by many to have originated in India about AD 500. Literature has recorded the spread of the game to Persia, Arabia and Europe. And in the 18th Century, chess clubs burgeoned in British coffeehouses and other parts of Europe.

In 1972, interest in chess reached a peak when 20-year-old American Bobby Fischer played Russian Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland. Enthusiasm for that match flared around the world, and sales of chess sets broke all records.

Lina Grumette, a close associate of Bobby Fischer, formed the Chess Set Educational Trust in 1972. Membership is closed right now, but tournament players may ask to be put on the waiting list in this by-invitation-only group. Write Grumette at P.O. Box 46101, Los Angeles, Calif. 90046. Periodically, exhibitions by grand masters and lectures are scheduled. In addition to this specialized club, there are many with open membership. Converts to the game are often on the lookout for clubs with worthy opponents. Hal Vogner, president of the Southern California Chess Federation, suggests membership because “Chess clubs are places to find competition and make friends.”

Listed below is a sampling of 10 clubs in the Southland where players can find a casual game or participate in an official tournament.

Alondra Park Chess Club, 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Lawndale. Telephone Henry Shipin, (213) 938-0707. Meetings are Tuesdays, 6:30-11:30 p.m. Annual dues are $5.

“This group has run 99 tournaments between 1973 and 1986, in which almost 5,000 players have participated,” Shipin said.

Arcadia-San Gabriel Valley Chess Club, Senior Citizen’s Center, Arcadia County Park, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia, (818) 445-9081, or telephone Tim Thompson, (818) 354-2192, or David Argall, (818) 917-6568. Meetings are Mondays, 6:30-11 p.m. Annual dues are $10.

The current female under-12 world champion, Yvonne Krawiec, and her family are among this group’s 40 members. All ages can join this club, which has been meeting for more than 20 years. There are no weekend tournaments or lectures.

Freda Mohr Multiservice Center for Seniors Chess Club, 330 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. Telephone Hank Shipin, (213) 938-0707. Meetings are Mondays and Fridays, 8-11:30 a.m. No dues.

This is a casual group for friendly games during the day in a small, cozy room. Most of the approximately 12 members, who have been meeting for more than five years, are retirees or actors between jobs. Anyone looking for a daytime game is welcome. There are no tournaments or lectures.

Hughes Chess Club, 8433 Fallbrook Ave. (cafeteria at Hughes Missile System Group), Canoga Park. Telephone Mike Leidner, (818) 709-4290, or Herman Hess, (818) 346-5959. Meetings are Thursdays, 7-11 p.m. Free.

Originally called the Rockwell Chess Club, this group, which now lists more than 150 players, has been meeting for more than 25 years. You don’t have to work at Hughes to be a member. There are regular tournaments. Junior memberships (18 and under) are encouraged with a 50% discount off the $6 or $7 fee for tournaments. Yasser Seirawan, the current U.S. champion, recently spoke at the club’s yearly lecture.

Labate’s Chess International, 2424 W. Ball Road, Anaheim, (714) 220-0660. Open daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Annual dues are $124; $99 renewal.

Ed Labate’s store/club combination can accommodate 252 players in its 3,400 square feet. The 5-year-old group holds more than 310 tournaments a year, and Labate claims to have one of the largest collections of chess books in the world. Grand masters Bent Larsen and Eugene Torre are among the chess celebrities who have lectured to more than 300 members. Discounts to members on books, equipment and tournaments.

Lakewood Chess Club, 3300 E. Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood. Telephone Dennis Coulter, (213) 425-0200. Meetings are Wednesdays, 6-10 p.m. Annual dues are $10.

Established by John Beardsley in the late ‘70s, this club has more than 100 members. It sponsors about seven tournaments a year and stages lectures and demonstrations by grand masters like Larry Christiansen. They accept membership on all age levels and welcome casual players looking for a friendly game, as well as masters looking for weekend tournaments. On their roster is up-and-coming Roy Runas, 10. A computer arranges pairings.

Los Angeles Chess Club, 1150 S. Olive St. (Transamerica Cafeteria), Los Angeles. Telephone (213) 480-8612 (5-10 p.m.). Meetings are Tuesdays, 6-11 p.m. Annual dues are $10.

Members come from Pasadena, Orange County, the downtown Los Angeles area, even Santa Barbara, to play, hear lectures and enjoy exhibitions by masters such as Mark Duckworth. There are 12 tournaments a year. Competition can be keen, because highly rated players such as Art Spieler and Ed Valerio are members. However, youths and players just looking for a game are welcome.

Pasadena Chess Club, 1102 Oxley St., South Pasadena. Telephone Brad Rogers, (818) 284-8836. Meetings are Fridays, 7:30 p.m.-midnight. Annual dues are $5.

Grand master Lubos Kavalek has lectured and given exhibitions for this 50-year-old group. The Senior Citizens Center’s large room is sometimes partitioned with curtains to provide a separate area for skittles play. About 50 of the 130 members show up to play each week.

Santa Monica Bay Chess Club, 1450 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. Telephone Sam Glassberg, (213) 393-6544, or (213) 837-3198. Meetings are Mondays and Fridays, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Annual dues are $40, pro-rated every three months until $20 minimum is reached. Dues for senior citizens are $20.

Celebrating its 50th birthday, this is one of the oldest, largest and most active clubs in the area. There are chess sets and clocks as well as an extensive chess library available to members. The club sponsors two well-known tournaments a year: the Pacific Southwest Open and the American Open. Visitors are welcome at lectures by experts such as Bent Larsen, William Lombardi and Jack Peters. Quick-action tournaments are held on the third Friday of the month.

The Chess Cafe, southwest corner of Fountain Avenue and Vine Street, Hollywood. Telephone Chip Johnson, (213) 467-2691. There are no set meetings; open every evening from 7 p.m. (5 p.m. in winter) until midnight, “or into the wee hours, especially on weekends,” Johnson said. There are no dues; players are charged $1 an hour.

According to club regular Reiner Rickford, the Chess Cafe is the “main hangout for L.A. chess players,” in an ambiance evocative of European chess-and-social clubs. There are restaurant facilities and frequent tournaments, especially on Saturday nights. Games for players from novice to masters are almost always easy to come by.