5:15 p.m. Developmental Class K-8 (register)
6:15 p.m. Developmental Class HS-Adult (register) |
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4:45 p.m. Kid's Night
Suited for K-12 players who are new or rated under 1000, we offer a rated tournament with a medal to the winner, an unrated tournament for new players with a USCF membership to the winner, and free casual play. |
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| 6:30 p.m.: Quad Night! G/25+5. Quads place you in a group of four players as closely rated to you as possible, with three rounds to determine the winner. $20 Entry fee can win $40 ($45 for a perfect score). You must be registered by 6:20 p.m. to participate, so don't wait until it's too late! |
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| 5:15 p.m. Developmental Class K-8 (register) |
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5:30 p.m. Blitz 5+0: Four round of blitz 5+0.
6:30 p.m. FIDE Classical Month Week 2: This month's classical tournament will be FIDE Rated in the upper section, 4-round G/60+15, requiring a FIDE ID (free)! Lower section USCF rated as G/45+5. Miss any week, join any week! |
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Kid's Night:
Congratulations to Ezra Grice & Navish Sindhi for earning medals in their kids night sections; and to Grayson Huffaker for winning a membership to US Chess as our unrated winner!
Kid's Night Rating Report
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Quad Night:Congratulations to Chace Nguyen and Thomas Kemp Jr. for winning their quads!
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Thursday Main Meeting:
Congratulations to Chace Nguyen, Rio Saha, NM Mike Sailer, and NM Kevin Cotreau for winning our Hand & Brain event! FIDE Classical Month has commenced!
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Luke Bryant Shines at the 2026 National Elementary Champs in Baltimore!
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Big congratulations to Luke Bryant of the Columbia Chess Club Travel Team!
At the 2026 National Elementary Championships in Baltimore, Luke finished 28th out of 142 players in the K-6 U1400 section, gained 80 rating points, and also placed 5th in blitz! An incredible accomplishment for a player who only started competing in 2025. We’re proud of you, Luke!
Check out Some Chess Content for a key position from his round 6 game! |
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Player of the Month: Chace Nguyen
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Congratulations to Chace Nguyen, our Columbia Chess Club May 2026 Player of the Month! Chace is a student at Dutch Fork Middle School who brings dedication and balance to everything he does. Outside of chess, he’s a member of the school swim team, trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and even composes music—an impressive combination of athleticism and creativity. On the chessboard, Chace has established himself as one of the top players at the club. Since beginning tournament play in June 2024 with a rating of 563, he has shown remarkable growth, surpassing the 1700 mark in under two years. With over 150 tournaments under his belt, his progress is a testament to consistent hard work, focus, and competitive spirit. We’re proud to recognize Chace’s achievements and look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next. Congratulations, Chace!
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| Luke Bryant brings us a key position from an upset game in the K-6 Nationals in Baltimore... |
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| Answer at the end of the newsletter.... |
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| Thomas Kemp Jr. provides his update from May's first Quad Night in his Chess.com blog entitled "Improvement and Success" |
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Join the 2026 Travel Team!
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| The Columbia Chess Club travel team is available to all ages, without a rating requirement, provided the player has demonstrated themselves as committed to chess improvement and will be able to attend four of the travel tournaments on the schedule and represent the Club in a positive manner. |
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| If you're interested in joining the Travel Team, see full details at https://columbiachess.org/travel-team |
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Register for 2026 Intermediate & Foundations Summer Camps!
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In addition to our Foundations Summer Camp for newer players, we've added an Intermediate Camp on June 22-26, 2026 for players with tournament experience rated under 1200. Our camps are limited to 12 kids, so register early if you want to be assured of a spot: https://columbiachess.org/camps
2026 Foundations Summer Camp dates (9am-12pm):
- Monday, June 8, 2026 - Friday, June 12, 2026 - SOLD OUT
- Monday, June 22, 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026 - SOLD OUT
- Monday, July 20, 2026 - Friday, July 24, 2026 - 1 Seat Remaining
2026 Intermediate Summer Camp Dates (1pm-4pm):
- Monday, June 22, 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026
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Become a Member / Get an Icon / Sponsor a Table / Support Us Free!
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| Get an Icon: Get your portrait added to the Columbia Chess Club stream - be sure to upload before your next event! |
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| Donate to the Club: The Club remains volunteer operated and is bolstered by generous donations from the community. Consider donating and check out our Donor List recognizing those who have given to support the club's mission to grow chess in the midlands and throughout South Carolina. |
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| Support the Club for Free: Consider one of the many ways to support the Club for free by patronizing our affiliate sponsors when you buy chess equipment, premium Chess.com accounts, and support us on social media. |
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| Join our Discord to be part of our community chat. |
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| Answer from Luke Bryant's game: 1...Rg2+ 2. Kf1 Ng3+ 3. Ke1 f2+ 4. Kd2 f1=Q+ (and the ladder mate commences) 5. Kc3 Qc1+ 6. Kb4 Rb2+ 7. Ka3 Qa1# |
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