Welcome to the Wilmington Chess Club!

The Wilmington Chess Club meets regularly at the Northeast Branch of the New Hanover County Public Library in Wilmington, NC on Sundays from 1:15 to 5:00. 

Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome, including beginners.

Play is casual. Socializing is encouraged.

Free chess lessons are available.

Boards and chess sets are provided.

Just show up and have some fun while improving your chess.

If you have any questions, please contact Jimmy Sneeden (club president).

Or, send him an email to make sure you get added to our email list.

Email: jimmysneeden@gmail.com

Phone: 910-791-6973

Check out the Wilmington Chess Club's Facebook page (Wilmington Chess Club - Facebook Page) for more information about the club.

Other Chess Club Options in the Wilmington Area

Wilmington Go and Chess Club

You can play either chess or the strategic game of Go. This club meets on Tuesday nights at 6:00 at Cape Fear Games (Sideboard) on Oleander Drive. Contact Geoff Cleary for more information (910-746-9850)(geoff.cleary@gmail.com)(Wilmington Go and Chess Club). Beginners are welcome and free lessons are available. Geoff has enough boards for at least eight players.

Chess Club of Wilmington

The club currently meets at the same time and place as the Wilmington Go and Chess Club (See details above). Contact Adam Shackelford (ashack@gmail.com) for further information.

Website: sites.google.com/view/chess-club-of-wilmington/

Facebook page: facebook.com/groups/chesswm

LA Times Bar

2851 Maco Rd NE, Leland, NC

Chess night every Monday night from 6-9 pm. All ages welcome, but minors

must be accompanied by an adult and cannot stay later than 9 pm.

Chess boards are provided. Games are casual. Check out their Facebook

and Instagram pages. Contact Matthew Goleniak for more information

(910-427-3121, elliotness7400@gmail.com). 

UNC Wilmington Chess Club (for UNCW students) 

Contact: DrewM727, tlr5835@uncw.edu or Chris Freekin at seahawkchess@yahoo.com

Monday nights at 7pm. 

New Chess Players -  Handicaps in Chess

Did you know that chess offers handicaps to inexperienced players? These chess handicaps are similar to the handicaps used in golf. Handicaps have been used in chess for more than a hundred years. It is very easy for inexperienced chess players to get discouraged when playing against strong chess players at a chess club. Chess handicaps help ensure that all players at a chess club feel that they fit in.

 A chess handicap typically involves the more experienced player starting the game with one of his (or her) pieces removed from the board. In other words, the more experienced player might remove his queen knight from the board. Another way of handicapping in chess is to give the inexperienced player more time on his chess clock. For example, the experienced player is given only 5 minutes on his chess clock and the newcomer is given 15 minutes.

Handicaps in chess give players of different abilities roughly equal chances of winning any game. The purpose of handicaps is to increase enjoyment for everyone involved.

Golf and chess are not the only games and sports that offer handicaps. Games that offer handicaps include bowling, go, table tennis, croquet, and tennis.

Therefore: If you are a new player at a chess club, then you may want to ask for help in finding your handicap.

The Many Benefits of Playing Chess

Parents will probably be interested to know that there are many benefits of playing chess. Some of the cognitive benefits of chess are that it improves planning, increases reading and math skills, improves concentration, improves problem solving, and stimulates creativity. In addition, there are behavioral benefits of playing chess. Chess playing increases confidence, promotes good sportsmanship, and improves social skills.

For other chess clubs in NC and the US, check out the following websites:

NC Chess Association - Club Directory 

US Chess Federation - Club Directory 

Please contact Jimmy Sneeden for any updates to the website.

The website was last updated on August 6, 2024.