Bellingham Chess

ets together at 2:00 PM every Sunday at several venues in the Bellingham area. Each Sunday's meetup location is indicated in the Meetup calendar. Chess players are offered the opportunity to meet and play with other chess players of all skill levels who generally come from Bellingham and the surrounding Whatcom county area. These casual games are free ... just come and go within the designated hours (2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Games cannot be started after 5:00PM and must be finished by 5:30 PM. If you have a good chess board/pieces (preferably regulation size), please bring it! Some people like to bring their chess clocks, too. If you don't have a chess board, you're still welcome to come out and play (technically, only half of the people have to bring boards/pieces for everyone to be able to play). During play if any dispute arises, World Chess Federation (FIDE) rules apply. Several basic rules, for example:
• once piece is touched, it must be moved, if a legal move can be made
• once a piece is moved and released, it cannot be changed
• do not distract/annoy the opponent, do not talk if requested by opponent

We will use this meetup group as a way to let people know about Whatcom County chess tournaments and other chess activities in the area. It's also a great way for us to create new chess meetups, events, and tournaments. The chess group has started out as a recreational club but will evolve to include instruction and competition as it grows/matures. Beginners are always welcome. More specific goals will be defined later depending on member interest but may include chess tutoring, simultaneous play exhibitions, and preparing players for local and statewide chess tournaments. We hope to have several USCF-rated coaches and a chess master to help members become better chess players. Later in 2016, we will become a USCF-affiliated club. My goal is to keep the chess club aspect always free. To that end we rely on volunteers, donors and sponsors. The club is open to anyone of any age, nationality, religion or skill level. Chess is a 'common language' in the world. Many thanks to the our current sponsors: ChessHouse.com and Bellingham Public Library. It's FREE to join to become a member. I look forward to see you at our next chess gathering.