Chess in the Jacksonville area

The map to the right (scroll down on mobile) is a list of the chess clubs that I am aware of in Jacksonville and some surrounding cities. Click on a pin to see more information. This does not include school clubs and scholastic programs.

Getting Started

In Jacksonville, the norm is that regular club meetings do not require an entry fee or club dues; however, many clubs require that their players purchase a US Chess membership. This to make use of their nation-wide rating system and their rulebook. If you have one, don’t forget to bring your chess set and clock!

Chess Clocks and Time Controls

Chess clocks are used to limit how long a given chess game can last. Each side receives a certain amount of time to think on their turn. After each move, the player will press the clock, pausing their side of the clock and starting their opponent’s. If the time control has delay, after each press of the clock there will be a short delay before it counts down. A player will lose if they run out of time.

In advertisements, time controls are abbreviated. For example, the time control G/20 d5 means that each side will start with 20 minutes and will have 5 seconds of delay each move before their timer starts.

Time controls of 30 minutes or more (after adding one minute per second of increment or delay to the starting time) will require recording the game with chess notation.

Chess Tournaments

Chess tournaments typically run as a special event by a club. There are two websites that compile events in the area: https://www.chessregister.com/events and https://new.uschess.org/upcoming-tournaments

Tournaments will require an entry fee.