A fight to save the Sacramento Chess Club!
By NM Michael Aigner
Tuesday, June 3
Save Our Chess Club!
Ever since I started playing chess in 1993, the Sacramento Chess Club has met at the Ethel Macleod Hart Senior Center on J Street between 27th and 28th Avenues. The Club was fortunate to pay no rent over all the years, allowing it to run weekly events on Wednesday nights at the rock bottom entry fees of $2 and $5. These events include G/10 and multi-week G/60-G/75 rated tournaments. Attendance varies throughout the year from 40 to near 100; some players choose only to play unrated skittles games.
The Club’s historical records date back to at least 1934. Multiple-time champions include strong masters such as former USCF President Col. Ed Edmondson, Serge von Oettingen, Mark Buckley, Tom Dorsch, James MacFarland, Zoran Lazetich and Robby Adamson. In 1964, Bobby Fischer gave a simul at the Sacramento Chess Club. The Club offered a hangout for many of Sacramento’s adult chess players, many who have fixed incomes. It has, over the past 15 years, nurtured the development of young stars such as NM Winston Zhang, David Pecora, NM Daniel Schwarz, Matt Zavortink, Tyler Wilken and Isaac Zhang. I can safely say that I would not be a chess master and teacher today without the support and competition of the Sacramento Chess Club.
Unfortunately, the budget crisis facing the State of California and City of Sacramento has required reducing the hours of service at many facilities, including the Hart Senior Center. Two years ago, the Chess Club’s closing time changed from 10pm to 9pm, cutting into the tournament schedule. Meetings on the 5th Wednesday of the month were eliminated.
This year, the cuts are even deeper. The City of Sacramento recently wrote this letter to the Chess Club announcing a minimum rental fee of $11/hour or $38.50 per week effective August 1. The Club now faces a difficult decision that calls its very existence into question. On the homepage, Treasurer John McCumiskey wrote about the limited options. “It would appear that the club needs to secure a new meeting facility that we can continue to use for free. The alternatives appear to be securing a benefactor for the Sacramento Chess Club, begin taking donations and/or charging people to play at the Club.” The last scenario would, unfortunately, force out some of the regular members and would be the end of the Club as we know it.
It is a dark day in Sacramento chess history. Hopefully, it is not the end of a Chess Club that dates back over 80 years. Stay tuned…
Check out http://fpawn.blogspot.com/ for future information.
Thanks a bunch for posting this! I am still hopeful that the Sacramento club will survive these tough times.
The story of how a decent sized active chess club with an extensive history can lose its meeting place is one that I thought should be told. It is a shame that it has to come to this considering how many people of all ages benefit from the club.
Michael Aigner
A plan to save the Sacramento club !
Of course a free venue is great if possible. But in this world its very rare. You mention in your post very large turn out for events, And you mention $11/per hour hire rate. If the cost is split between the players who turn up that night – eg 22 players – $2.50 each gives 5 hours room hire, more than enough time for any exciting events.
Sadly as you say the free ride is over. Welcome to the real world. There is no reason to lose the club over this, the solution is simple and done by thousands of clubs around the world. By dividing the cost of the room by players each night will cover your costs no problem.
Other idea is to run a hour long junior coaching class before main club, charging the juniors $2 to $3 for example will cover the room hire for the juniors time and part of the senior club time.
If cost are split up like this, the costs are very small
King regards from New Zealand
Hi fpawn,
Possible places where you might be able to secure free space for your club – although during what hours? – worth a shot though. You need places that are open long hours and readily accessible by the public:
–YMCA
–Local community centers
–Student Unions or common rooms at any of the local universities, colleges and technical schools — It’s been a long time since I was at college, but years ago here in Wisconsin where I live the local state university was obliged to provide free meeting space to groups who registered for it. I don’t know all of the particulars but perhaps there is something similar offered at California state U’s
–Church halls (or basements)
Perhaps you could do a swap for some of this space – teach kids/adults how to play chess a few hours a week and get free rent; this is similar to the idea by the New Zealand poster. You’d have to line up volunteers to do this, though…
Good luck to the club.
Jan Newton
Goddesschess
All this about $38 a week? You are Americans, right? Not Ethiopians? How much do you pay for a hamburger or a movie ticket or going to Starbucks? Or in gas to get to the club.
Just pay the money!