University of Chicago Chess Club

The University of Chicago has been home to many world-class chess players and events throughout its history. This is where Samuel Reshevsky, eight-time U.S. Champion studied. Since 1945, the UChicago team has won the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championship seven times.

In addition, many renowned players have visited or played chess at our campus, including Victor Korchnoi, Paul Keres, Arthur Bisguier, Larry Christiansen, Yury Shulman, and others. Our team consistently places near the top in large team tournaments like the Amateur Team North and beats local college teams. Our players also take large prizes in premier tournaments like the Chicago Open. In 2011 we played for the first time in the Chicago Industrial Chess League against local company and college teams and made the playoffs.

You don’t even have to know the rules. We have all kinds of players, from novice to expert. What we really care about is love for the game.

Weekly meeting times are determined on a quarter-by-quarter basis since the club understands that member schedules will change. We want to be as accommodating as possible! 

The UChicago Chess Club is not only a fun place to spend your afternoons, but we are also very serious about competitive chess. If you are a strong player coming out of high school and interested in joining our ranks, please feel free to get into contact with us.

Our team is highly organized, and we provide every possible incentive for strong players to play chess here. We have the resources to buy books, software, and equipment, as well as provide training by Grandmasters. In addition, we normally cover all hotel costs, long-distance travel costs, and tournament entry fees for the team, even for expensive events like the Chicago Open. 

Invest in Chess is a chess advocacy initiative whose mission is to not only to spread, teach, and promote chess, but also to raise awareness of its numerous practical and educational benefits. Many of the chess club's members are ambassadors of the organization and donate their time to teaching chess in local schools and community organizations. Please check out some of the links below to learn more!