"When you see a good move, look for a better move." -- Emanuel Lasker
Granite Creek Chess Association – Announcements
Time and Place
Founding Fathers Collective, Prescott | 6pm-9pm Wednesday
Tournaments
Tournaments for competitive players, beginning at 6:30. Time control will vary based on participation. Winner each week will be declared the Granite Creek Chess Association World Champion (The GCCA having broken from FIDE).
Current GCCA World Champion: Duncan Rae
Previous GCCA World Champions: James Terbush, Elijah Patterson, Duncan Rae, James Terbush, Justin Mosgrober, Duncan Rae, Justin Mosgrober, Doug Olsen, Tom Green, Douglas Ryan VanBenthuysen, Tom Green, Hollis Shaffer, Doug Olsen, Duncan Rae, and Jeff Hardin (honorary title)
Formal challenge has been issued to Hans Moke Niemann, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlson, Sergey Karjakin, Agadmator, and Gukesh for the World Chess Championship.
Casual Play
Those who wish to play but not compete are always welcome to play casual games with other players.
♘ What is the Granite Creek Chess Association ♘
The Granite Creek Chess Association is a former US Chess Federation affiliate which has broken ties with FIDE and boldly declares in defiance that FIDE is NOT the only body allowed to declare a World Chess Champion. . We hold tournaments most Wednesday nights at Founding Fathers along the Granite Creek in downtown Prescott. And the winner is declared the World Chess Champion. Current Wold Chess Champion is Duncan Rae.
Sometimes we just play casually, and there is plenty of didactic chess go along with the adversarial. Recently a woman who didn't even knew how the pieces moved when she arrived learned piece movement, the basics of checkmate, and played her first game. She played the Sicilian! One time we had a eight year old playing an 80 year old with several experienced players providing analysis. Our regulars are all willing to help others learn and improve.
Our Wednesday night chess sessions coincide with Open Mic night and Cigar and Whiskey night over at Founding. There is a wonderful coffee shop, abundant tap wall, full bar, and cigar shop. Our chess rules are just let USCF chess rules except that you can touch the rook first when you are castling if you want to; heck, you can touch the King and the Rook at the same time if you like. And speaking of touch-move, the GCCA also encourages not to enforce it if it would like ruin a really good game or something. And tournament rules are like whatever we feel like doing that night for time control and recognition that you are in a wacky environment where some band is playing and people are drinking beer and eating pizza from the food truck outside. Witty banter, trash talk, live in person commentary...all of these are highly encouraged but still like just one person to a board. Like know yelling out good moves to one guy. That would just be rude and we are a very polite chess club.
All are invited to the Granite Creek Chess Association chess nights and compete for the World Chess Championships. Hans can come be the World Chess Champion and do good on his pledge. Hikaru can come do it just for the views. Sergey Karjakin could win it despite other bans. Vincent Keimer does not seem to busy this year so he might as well. And Magnus has already broken with FIDE pretty much. All Grandmasters are invited.
And so is everyone else, from beginner to influencer. Everyone can come compete to be the next World Chess Champion!
♘ Granite Creek Chess Academy ♘
We are always very willing to provide formalized chess lessons for beginners of all ages. Lessons will focus on playing games with other students then analyzing the games afterwards with fellow students and more experienced players. These "classes" will be both fun and educational.
Recommendations
Here are some recommendations for chess students:
Books/Equipment
(I recommend making chess purchases from the US Chess Federation as they have quality products at good prices and it support chess in America. They often have coupon codes. You can for the items below at www.uscfsales.com or go to our website to follow links.)
Chess Scorebook ($4)– Used to write down moves in a game for analysis
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess ($10) – A great book for beginners that helps you understand how to view the board and understand how paces operate. Tip: When he says you can skip ahead if you already know how pieces move, DON'T!!! Reading how Bobby Fischer describes piece movement will change your understanding.
Chess Fundamentals by Jose Raul Capablanca ($16) – This book teaches chess principles, including principles of endgames, openings, and the middle game. It is best read with a chess board set up to go over the positions Capablanca describes.
(Other books will be recommended when these books are completed)
Tournament Chess Board ($3-$17) – Regulation Tournament chess boards usually roll up, are 20"x20" and are made of material such as vinyl, silicon, or "mouse-pad" foam. They are available in a variety of colors and styles.
Chess Pieces ($9-$23) – I definitely recommend "triple weighted pieces". If you want something more fancy, I like the Reykjavik Series set, which is based on the designed used for the world championship match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer in 1972.
Chess Bag ($12-$22) – It's best to have a bag that can hold a board, pieces, books, a clock and keeps things organized. The tournament bags fit these requirements and I like the deluxe tournament bag.
Chess Clock ($45) – Not really necessary for beginners, but you will want one to round out your chess set eventually.
(Total cost, not counting clock: $54-$92)
Once you have your chess set, you should bring it to chess events and anywhere you might run into a fellow chess player!
Advice for Playing Online
If you play online, I strongly recommend you play games of 30 minute time control or greater and you take time calculating moves. Chess students must learn to calculate, to think about moves. At minimum, you should be considering your opponents possible responses to your moves and your responses to their moves. Speed chess (blitz, bullet) does not involve calculation and reinforces bad habits.
After playing a game, you should always analyze it (and we will learn more about how to analyze games). If you are using an engine analysis make sure you take a look at any moves marked mistake or blunder and look at the position until you clearly understand what was wrong with your move. The best way to analyze an online game would be to set it up on a regular board and go over your moves, possibly with the aid of an engine.
Chess Steamers
While watching chess streamers or YouTubers like Gotham Chess or Hikaru might help you get familiar with game concepts and terminology, you should not deceive yourself into thinking that just watching will make you a better player. In fact, thinking that you can play as fast as these entertainers play will get in the way of learning to calculate. And entertainers they are, so yo should think of time spent watching chess streamers and YouTubers as entertainment time, not study time.
My favorites, by the way, are Agadmator and Chess Wisdom.
For More Information
(928)374-1140