Hamilton Chess Club

1. Minimum age for membership

The Hamilton Chess Club exists for the benefit of members that want to enjoy chess in a controlled, relatively quiet, peaceful environment. In addition there are issues of responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of youngsters (think: broken arm following a fall on the stairs, or an exuberant dash across the carpark late at night). The minimum age for new club members is 12 years. Exceptionally talented youngsters aged 10 and above will be considered on a case by case basis provided (1) they have a standard NZ Chess federation of FIDE rating of 1300 or above. An NZCF or FIDE rating can be obtained by performing to a suitable standard in an official tournament. The Waikato open is usually held in July or August of each year. Note that any member under the age of 14 must be fully supervised by a parent or guardian while participating at the club – no exceptions. Note that ChessPower is an active provider of chess activities for kids of all ages. They run regular chess events in Hamilton. Google “Chesspower” for details.

2. Best Times To Come Along

It pays to check out the calendar located here. Blitz or lightning chess are good nights to come along for a first look. Some of our within-club tournaments run over 3 to 6 weeks. Of these, some are member only, and others are OK for guests as potential members. It is always wisest to come along on week 1 of a multi-week tournament however.

3 Location

Club nights are Tuesdays during school term time. For location see under the “About” menu. Doors open around 7pm, with organized games underway by 7:30. This page provides details of where we are if you are thinking of coming along. Smoking is not permitted on the school grounds — smoking will lead to termination of membership.

4. Contact

You can register your interest/contact the club by completing this form

5. Skill Level

You dont have to be a champ to join although we are not really suitable for raw beginners. I think we suit anyone with over a minimum of 6 months casual chess background.

As a guide club members would be able to solve both of  the problems below correctly in under 10 seconds each (solutions are here)

1. White to move

2. Black to move