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LA CHESS SOCIAL
LA CHESS SOCIAL
TEN YEAR
TEN YEAR
ANNIVERSARY GALA
ANNIVERSARY GALA
September 26th, 2026
None of us can believe that we made it this far! Stronger than ever, we simply must celebrate a decade of lively chess community! Hundreds of events, dozens of venues, scores of live music acts, thousands of friends (leading to four marriages + three kids), and an uncountable amount of chess games later, we have no intention of stopping!
Whether you are a loyal regular, a new face, or an occasional attendee--- you simply MUST join us for this massive & creative chess event! We rented out a huge space, which will house endless chess matches, as well as everything fun we could think of! Many of the activities and experiences will be a surprise, (of course optional), so you are going to have to attend if you'd like to see!
That said, we will guarantee a few things. There will be a huge area for social chess, separate rooms for our best live music, the visual and performing arts, and chess challenges! There will be a dedicated area for chess teaching, if you want to bring a friend that wants to learn!
While it may seem like an odd venue choice, you will not be unimpressed! We needed lots of space and multiple rooms/three floors for our possible (optional) blitz tournament and simultaneous exhibitions! The space is entirely ours, and we will fill it with chess, art, and fun! And it is open to everyone!
We are proud to be working with the many social chess clubs of Los Angeles! We do believe, with eighteen social chess clubs working together, that our city is the #1 social chess destination in the world! We will be collaborating on this event with all of the social chess clubs, with many bringing their own fun surprises!
The Details
-Saturday, September 26th, 2026
-South Pasadena Masonic Lodge
-1126 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
-8:00pm - 12:00am (probably later!)
-All Ages
-Free & Convenient Parking
-Heavily Discounted Food + Beverages
-$20 Entry Fee
---(We know it is more than normal, but this event will cost our organization five thousand)
---Any & all profits will go to the LA Food Bank and Project Sunshine charities!
Chess Activities:
-Casual&Competitive social chess in all six rooms
-Thirty person simul with Grandmaster Arman Mikaelyan Separate registration is required, which you can find here (https://forms.gle/varBp5ME3YZf8Svw9)
-Chess Theory Lecture by International Master Levon Altounian (in separate room)
-Puzzle Table, hosted by the DTLA Chess Club
-King of the Hill Challenge hosted by the Chess Maidens
-Chess Education Table hosted by Long Beach Chess Club Larcy
Other Fun Things
Live Music Performances
8:00-8:30 Jay the Owl
8:30-9:00 Disco Poindexter
9:00-10:45 Daydream Time Machine
10:45-11:30 2Smooth
11:30-12:30 Flannery Clark and Company
Art Installations by:
Alz Video
Liquid Fidelity
Harry Foster
Chess Flower
Kit Barnes
Fuzzy Changa
Best Beard/Mustache Competition
This is a secret-judge competition, hosted by The LA Beards (everyone is automatically enrolled and the judge will remain unknown until the winner is announced at 10:30pm)
Chess Tattoo Booth
Internationally recognized artist Cha Cha will be offering small chess tattoos, if anyone is interested XD
Food & Beverages
-Pizza
Provided by The South Pasadena D.U.D.E.S. (Dads Uniting Dads in Education and Service) & Tomato Pie
-Beer
Provided by our sponsor The Brews Brothers (who also host the NoHo Chess Social)
-More Beer
Provided by our sponsor SHAMS
-Chess Themed Cocktails
Provided by That BoozDude
-Popcorn
Provided by The Highland Park Chess Club
-Cotton Candy
Provided by The LA Beards
Thank you all for making this such a fun community!
Stay Tuned,
& Hope to see you there!!
Monthly Meetups
Monthly Meetups
We are best known for our weekly chess events around LA. To keep each event unique and interesting, we move our event locations around each week. When planing the weekly events, the LACS team takes great care to make each event a special experience; varying in hosting establishment, live music, raffle prizes, tournament styles, and vending.
To receive the address and other details for each event, subscribe to our google calendar and weekly newsletter on the home page.
Tournaments
Tournaments
We have three styles of tournaments, which vary in frequency, attendance, format, and prizes.
Monthly Club Tournaments
Our monthly, in-house tournaments, are usually held once a month at our in-person meetings. These can be free or cost a small amount to participate. To participate, arrive early to the Chess Social to register in person with the tournament coordinator(s), or register online by clicking the link that is posted on the news feed. Results are compiled to form Chess Social Rankings, which are used primarily for other tournament styles.
Championships
These biyearly tournaments are our biggest events of the year! We typically host a Spring and Summer Championship, which are special events and not normal Chess Social meetings. Championships have two sections; Expert and Casual. Each section has separate prize pools and entrance fees. As these are held at the same time, you may only participate in one. In the past, we have had other fun activities planned while members arrive, such as Simultaneous game challenges with a Grandmaster. Special attention is paid to the live music acts during these events so not to distract from the games.
Online Tournaments
Online tournaments are held occasionally, or if Chess Social meetings have been cancelled for some uncontrollable reason. These are typically, but not limited to, being held on Tuesday evenings. Registration for Online Tournaments are more casual and do not require registration in advance. Online Tournaments are free, but often still have cash prize pools paid for by the LACS.
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