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CHESS

Port Townsend

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Port Townsend Chess is a Washington State registered nonprofit association formed for charitable and educational purposes. The Port Townsend Chess mission is to deliver mentoring, coaching, social engagement, and competition through volunteer scholastic and community chess club activities.

Things Chess

Chess Night Port Townsend

Every Tuesday 6 - 8 pm
Aldrich’s Market (upstairs)

940 Lawrence St, Port Townsend, WA 98368

 

We play chess.  Do you?  Do you want to?

 

A few hours of chess, community, and various degrees of competition. Open to all ages, skill levels, and interests. Women and younger players are encouraged.

New to chess or just getting back into it? Help, guidance, and advice are always available. Experienced players will find a good game here.​

 

Bring a chess board and set if you can (but we always have a few extra)

Chess at the Nest!  Let's Play!

February, 2024

 

A Port Townsend Chess volunteer (and a really good chess player) has been doing some chess coaching at The Nest.  Other kids saw them playing chess and asked The Nest to schedule a chess meet-up so they could play.

So . . . Port Townsend Chess purchased and donated three regulation chess sets and boards so The Nest could get this going.

The Nest is a Community Coffee House - where 100% of the proceeds go towards youth and young adult programming. 

 

Drop in, have a coffee, and play a game or two.


1119 Lawrence Street, Uptown, Port Townsend

 Wed-Thurs 8:30-5pm| Fri 8:30-7:30pm | Sat 8:30-5pm

SW WA Middle School Scholastic Chess Championship

February, 2024

 

The chess team from Blue Heron Middle School traveled to Centralia for the SW WA Middle School Ches Champion and Port Townsend Chess tagged along.

 

BHMS finished third overall as a team winning 13 of the 23 games played. A very impressive showing. 

New Chess Club at Salish Coast Elementary School

January, 2024

UPDATE:  More than 100 kids, grades 3, 4 and 5, signed up for chess club.  More than 100 kids, indeed!

In 2024 Port Townsend Chess will begin partnering with Salish Coast Elementary School for the launch of a brand new school chess club for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.  

This is very exciting!

This will dovetail nicely with Port Townsend Chess volunteer activities with the ongoing chess club at Blue Heron Middle School and the Port Townsend High School chess club (which we hope to expand in the 2024-25 school year).

National Sea Cadets Chess Training

December, 2023

 

Port Townsend Chess was proud to provide volunteer chess training for the 2023 National Sea Cadets Advanced Leadership Strategy course at Fort Worden in December. 

 

Sea Cadets ages 13 to 18, from across the country participated and had the opportunity to learn about the history, strategy, and tactical thinking involved in chess.

2023 National Chess Day Student Tournament Wrap-up

October, 2023

The 2023 National Chess Day Tournament in Port Townsend on October 14, 2023, is done and in the books.  It was by all accounts an event to remember (and hopefully repeat for future tournaments). The location was beautiful, the players were exemplary, the chess was well-matched and the parents all behaved themselves.

 

Let’s do the numbers:

 

  • 28 players registered

  • Players came from Port Townsend, Chimacum, Kingston, Poulsbo, Stanwood and Blaine

  • 13 individual schools participated

  • 4 different High Schools

  • 5 different Middle Schools

  • 4 different Elementary Schools.

  • 5 different school districts represented

  • 9 individual prizes awarded, 3 in each section (HS, MS, Elem)

  • 2 Top School Team trophies awarded (North Kitsap HS, Blue Heron MS)

 

And to our sponsors, Skillmation and Aldrich’s Market, thank you.  You made all of this possible and you helped make our community a better place for it.  Thank You!

Port Townsend Chess Spring Tournament 

June, 2023

The Port Townsend Chess Spring Classic Tournament was a multi-generational affair.  The players were about equally split between students and adults.  Adults, from beginners to the current Montana open chess tournament champion (a Port Townsend resident) participated. We had students from 5th grade to HS seniors all competing.  We had student players from as far away as Redmond and Yelm.

 

For many, this was their first chess tournament experience and most seemed ready for more.   That is why we are scheduling the Port Townsend Chess National Chess Day Student Tournament on October 14, 2023. 

We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

Port Townsend and the greater Olympic Peninsula boast a long and proud tradition of playing, promoting and encouraging chess.

A bit of history:

Port Townsend Chess

CONTACT

David Kerr  -  206-234-5819  -  porttownsendchess@gmail.com

Port Townsend Chess is a registered non-profit charitable association with the Washington Secretary of State, registration number 2008785.   More information is available at https://www.sos.wa.gov.  360-725-0377. 

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