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Join us every Friday from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm for casual games of chess! Bring a board or find an open seat. Perfect for beginners and club players to play and practice! When: Every Friday from 7 pm – 9 pmWhere: Kneader's Bakery & Café (28 State St #235, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Questions? Feel free to reach out to directly.

Table of contents: Club NewslettersWeekly Casual MeetupOnline EventsClub Ratings (CR)Monthly Quick TournamentCity Creek Chess Leagues Frequently Asked Questions: What can I expect by attending? We know attending a chess club can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time. With that in mind, we expect players to welcome others regardless of skill or background. Whether you’re an expert who knows every opening in the book or a beginner who just learned how the “horsey” moves, we want players to help create a community that builds each other up. We hope experts can help players improve to build tougher opponents, and beginners to set small goals towards improvement, regardless of the game's results. What do you offer? We host free community events that are held online and in person. We also host USCF-rated tournaments, including our monthly quick tournaments and weekly chess leagues. Do I need to bring anything?  If you have a chess set, you’re more than welcome to bring it. Even if it’s not a “tournament” chess set. Otherwise, we have some extra boards and pieces we can lend out for a night. I'm a beginner/I'm not very good at chess. Is that okay?  Absolutely! We’ve all been beginners before and know the intimidating feelings that come with being new to chess. That’s why we try to welcome beginners by supporting one another and helping improve as a community.

City Creek Chess is closing out the Spring Season with another four-round, one game per week, club-level chess league! This league will host a USCF-rated section for nationally rated chess players, as well as a free local Community section to practice and compete against local club players and earn a club rating! To register, please fill out the CCC SCL 2026 Registration Form. Currently Registered: CCC SCL 2026 Player Standings & Wallchart League Format: League Rules: The United States Chess Federation’s Official Rules of Chess, 7th ed. Rounds: Four rounds; one game per night. Time Control: - USCF section: G/25; d/5 (25-minute limit for each player, with a 5-second delay on each move)- Community section: G/20 (20-minute limit for each player) Pairings: Swiss System (no-eliminations after loss; players play opponents with the same/similar score) Entry Fee & Prizes: (Entry fees will be collected in-person during check-in) - USCF section: Entry fee: $10 ($5 after round two); Prizes: 1st: $40; 2nd: $30 (If 12+ players in section: 1st: $50; 2nd: $40)- Community section: Entry: Free! This section will play to earn Club Rating points, giving them a perfect opportunity to practice against local competition. League Schedule: Round one – 5/29Round two – 6/5Round three – 6/12Round four – 6/19 Each night: Registered players must check in with the Tournament Director each round, pay the one-time entry fee (and USCF membership fee if needed), and confirm if they have or will need equipment. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m: Open play/casual games; Registration closes at 7:30 p.m., league games start by 7:45 p.m., and no later than 8 p.m. (games may be adjourned by 9 p.m.). Additional notes: Registration deadline – Registration is open until a hard deadline of 7:30 p.m. before any round starts. Players who request to join after will be entered late and might not be able to play that round. If this is the case, late entrants willl receive a Half-point BYE. Can’t play all four weeks? Request a Half-point BYE! – If you cannot make a round, you may request a half-point for that round instead of forfeiting that week. Rather than forfeiting a full point for that round, you can request half a point instead. This allows you to stay in the competition with a chance to win without having to play a game in that round. You may request only two Half-point BYEs. No-Notice/No-Show Policy – If you will be unable to attend a round and do not give advanced notice, this will count as a no-show forfeit, and this player will be pulled from the league. If something comes up and you’ll need to miss the round or will be late, please email: dmunoz.core@outlook.com and use the subject line: “SCL Player Notice”, and this will count as a check-in and the player will play once they arrive, or recieve a Half-point BYE, no forfeit, and allow us to fix pairings. If the player receives a BYE due to odd numbers or by request, they do not need to notify us. Late entry – Late entry will be allowed; however, late entrants might not be able to be paired properly in time  efore the round starts. If this is the case, the late entrant may be eligible for a half-point bye, rather than competing for a full point for that round. A house game may be possible. Odd number of players – If there is an odd number of players, the lowest-ranked player will receive a full-point BYE for that round and have no one to play. Players who receive a BYE will be notified early. Players who receive the BYE will not need to attend, but will still be eligible to play a match for CR if both sections have odd numbers or a house game. This game will not count towards your league score. House game – If necessary, the Tournament Director may play either a USCF-rated or a club-rated match.

Winter is coming to an end, so we wanted to finish the season by hosting a City Creek Chess Late Winter League! This league will host two sections: a USCF-rated section for nationally rated chess players to compete for prizes and rating, and a free Community section for chess players to practice, compete against local competition, and earn club rating (CR) points! Location: Kneader's Bakery & Cafe (28 S State St., Salt Lake City, UT)To register: CCC LWL Registration Form Click to see currently registered players CCC Late Winter League Format: We will be following the United States Chess Federation’s (USCF) Official Rules of Chess. Please be sure to review them. Pairings: Swiss-systemRounds: Four rounds; one round per week Sections:- USCF Section:Entry Fee: $10 (fee can be paid the day of the first round; late entrants who join after round two: $5)Prize: 1st: $40; 2nd: $30 (If 12+ players in section: 1st: $50; 2nd: $40)Time-control: g/25; d/5 (25-minute games, with a 5-second delay per move) - Community Section:Entry Fee: Free! (This section will only play for CR points against local competition only)Time-control: g/20 (20-minute games; no delay or increment) League's Schedule:Each night: Casual games and warm up from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; League games will be paired 7:45 p.m. for all sections; start games by 7:50 p.m. Dates:- Round 1 – March 13- Round 2 – March 20- Round 3 – March 27- Round 4 – April 3  Additional Notes: Can’t play all four weeks? Request a Half-point BYE! – If you cannot make a round, you may request a half-point for that round instead of forfeiting that week. Rather than forfeiting a full point for that round, you can request half a point instead. This allows you to stay in the competition with a chance to win without having to play a game in that round. You may request only two Half-point BYEs. Withdrawal/No-Show Policy – If you will be unable to attend a round, please notify us in advance and/or request a Half-point BYE. This helps ensure that everyone has an opponent each round and a chance to play for rating as well. A player who fails to notify us will forfeit their game. If the player receives a BYE due to odd numbers or by request, they do not need to notify us. Late entry – Late entry will be allowed; however, late entrants might not be able to be paired properly in time before the round starts. If this is the case, the late entrant may be eligible for a half-point bye, rather than competing for a full point for that round. A house game may be possible. Odd number of players – If there is an odd number of players, the lowest-ranked player will receive a full-point BYE for that round and have no one to play. Players who receive a BYE will be notified early. Players who receive the BYE will not need to attend, but will still be eligible to play a match for CR if both sections have odd numbers or a house game. This game will not count towards your league score. House game – If necessary, the Tournament Director (TD) may play either a USCF-rated or a club-rated match. Players who play a TD are not required to pause the clock, even if the TD is on move, but may be asked to if the TD needs to address any major issues. Annotation will be required – Failing to do so forfeits any claims for a win, loss, or draw that require a record of  he game, even if your opponent did annotate. With this, players are still permitted to stop annotating once their time hits 5:00 minutes.

City Creek Chess is looking to start off 2026 by hosting a free, weekly Community Chess League! This league is set to last three weeks, from 1/9/2026 to 1/23/2026. With one scheduled game per week, this league will pair beginners, amateurs, and regular club members to have the opportunity to challenge themselves with competitive matchups. We’re also giving players a chance to earn or improve their Club Rating (CR) to track their overall improvement! Current Standings: Rank Player Name Initial Club Rating Final Club Rating Rating Diff. Score 1stT-2T-2T-23rdT-4T-45thT-6T-6 Calder FeinsteinLenden RhodesJefferson BrownIsaac BrownYuun KimJason BartonAnthony GaleJames VuRyden VuDrew Peck 9009169009009181006884900900854 952932918904931979867900884811 521618413-27-170-16-43 32221.5110.500 Click here to register: Link to registration form (Currently Registered: CCC Community League Wallchart) Updates:Week OneWeek TwoWeek Three CCC Community League Format: We will be following the United States Chess Federation’s (USCF) Official Rules of Chess. Please be sure to review them. Rounds: Three rounds; one round per weekPairings: Swiss-systemTime-control: G/15; d/10 (15-minute games with a 10-second delay per move) League's Weekly Schedule:7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Casual games.8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Start rated league game.- Round 1 – 1/9/2026- Round 2 – 1/16/2026- Round 3 – 1/23/2026 Half-point BYE: If you cannot make a round, you may request a half-point for that round, instead of being paired for a game for that round. Additional Notes: Withdrawal/No-Show Notice – If you will be unable to attend a round, please notify us in advance. This helps ensure that everyone has an opponent each round. Failing to notify us early often leads to players not having an opponent to play against. Late entry – Late entry will be allowed; however, late entrants might not be able to be paired properly in time before the round starts. If this is the case, the late entrant may be eligible for a half-point bye, rather than competing for a full point for that round. Odd number of players – If there is an odd number of players, the lowest-ranked player will receive a full-point BYE for that round and have no one to play. Players who receive a BYE will be notified early. Players who receive the BYE will not need to attend, but will still be eligible to play a club-rated match if they would like. This game will not count towards your league score, but will still be club-rated. Annotation will be required – Failing to do so can make some claims for a win, loss, or draw impossible without evidence.  

Club ratings (CR) are used to help players measure their skills amongst other local club members. To get a CR, it is free! You can receive one by participating in any section of a City Creek Club event. Games played in USCF-rated events will also be club-rated. Link to ratings: CCC Club Ratings How do they work? We use a rating system designed by Kenneth Harkness, who created it for USCF scholastic clubs, which is simple to understand and easy to use. It’s not a perfect measure, but its purpose is to help players track their own improvement. The amount your rating will change is based on the difference between the two players and the result of the game. With that, players can find out how much their ratings will change. Harkness System Table: Difference Between Last Ratings If High WinsAdd to Winner and Deduct from Loser If Low WinsAdd to winner and Deduct from Loser If a DrawAdd to Low and Deduct from High <24<49<74<99<124<149<174<199<224<249<274<299<324 16151413121110987654 16171819202122232425262728 0123456789101112  

See below for info on upcoming and past leagues: Upcomind Leagues - 2026 - 3/13/2026 - 4/3/2026: CCC Late Winter League '26 Past Leagues - 2026: - 1/9/2026 - 1/23/2026: CCC Community League Past Leagues - 2025:- CCC’s First Weekly Chess League- CCC Summer Chess League- CCC Fall Chess League

See below to view our latest club newsletters: 2025 Newsletters:JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember

Current Standings: Rank Player Name Regular Rating Score 1 Mario Homer 1796 4 T-2 Jason Barton 1234 2.5 T-2 Lenden Rhodes 1116 2.5 T-3 Anthony Thompson 1408 2 T-3 Yuun Kim 740 2 T-3 Anthony Rhodes 324p21 2 T-4 James Vu 652 1 T-4 Drew Peck Unrated 1 5 Trey Opp Unrated 0.5 Additional Links:Currently Registered: 2025 CCC Fall League Players Chess.com Link to games: 2025 CCC Fall Chess League Game Library Updates:Week OneWeek TwoWeek ThreeWeek Four Summer is wrapping up, and the City Creek Chess Club wanted to give chess players another opportunity to play USCF dual-rated games in our upcoming Fall Chess League tournament! This is a four week league, with one game per night! See details below: Where:  Kneader’s Café & Bakery (28 S State Street, Salt Lake City, UT)When: Every Friday from 9/26/25 - 10/17/25; Rounds starting @ 8pm each night. League Rules: This is a USCF-rated event. USCF Official Rules of Chess will be used. USCF Membership will be required for this event. USCF Online Free Version Rules: https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/us-chess-rule-book-online-only-edition-chapters-1-2-10-11-9-1-20.pdf   League Format: Four week chess league; Swiss System pairings.Rounds: one round per night; four rounds total.Time Control: G/25;+5 (25-minute games, plus five seconds per move) Schedule:9/26/25 - Round One @ 8pm10/3/25 - Round Two @ 8pm10/10/25 - Round Three @ 8pm10/17/25 - Final Round @ 8pm Entry Fee & Prizes: Entry Fee: $10 ($5 for entrants after 10/4/25)Prizes based on:A. 4-10 players: 1st: $40; 2nd: $30.B. 11+ players: 1st: $50; 2nd: $40. Registration Form: ***Fall Chess League Registration***Additional info: Ties: No tiebreaks this season. In the event of a tie, prize money will be split equally among the involved players. Late entrants: Registration will close 30 minutes prior to the start of a round. Any play who registers after registration closes may be subject to a house game and a half-point BYE, rather than play for a round point. This will be at the tournament directors discretion. BYES: If you can’t make it for a round, you may request up to two half-point BYEs. Additional BYEs may be requested, but no points will be given. Pairings: Pairings will be posted online but are subject to change. Final pairings will be posted in person, 30 minutes prior to the start of a round. Equipment: Please try to bring your own equipment! We don’t have sets for every player but will try to provide what we can. Score-keeping: Score-keeping will be required for this league (rule 15). If you do not have scoresheets, a pad of paper and pen is acceptable. If you do not know how, you might not be able make claims for wins, draws, or losses. Adjournment: If necessary, we may need to adjourn games if they go past 9pm MDT. Please review rule 18 in the USCF Rules of Chess regarding adjournments.The TD will work with the players to continue their game. Venue Note: Venue is usually not busy, but we will try to find the best seating to avoid possible distrations. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to dmunoz.core@outlook.com. 

On 8/19, City Creek Chess Club, SLC Chess Club, and Summit County Library Chess Club, will compete on Chess.com in a three-club blitz arena, The Tri-Club Arena Blitz!This Arena will have a one-hour time limit, where players will be paired against players of the opposing club. In that hour, players will try to play and win as many games during that time limit. In the end, clubs will have the scores of their players totaled up and the club with the most points wins!Arena Format:When: 8/19 @ 6PM MDT; (Registration opens at 5PM MDT)Arena time-limit: one-hour;Points: Wins = 2pts; Draws = 1pt; Losses = 0pts;Time-control: g/5+5;Pairings: rating-based, then by score.How To Join:1. You must be a member of one of the following clubs:City Creek Chess ClubSLC Chess ClubSummit County Library Chess Club*Important Note: for this event, if you’re a member of more than one of these clubs, you won’t be able to join. Leave any club you don’t want to play for before this event, then feel free to join back afterwards.*2. On 8/19, on the homepage of any club, click the join button next to the event ‘Tri-Club Arena Blitz!’ If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or you can reach out to myself (DannyBoiMunozV3 with City Creek Chess) or to Chazio (SLC Chess Club), bishopjay10 (Summit County Library Chess Club).

Can anyone provide info on Scholastic clubs/ tournaments in the SLC and surrounding areas for kids K-12? I can't find any info about it online

The Community Ladder is a free weekly event for this June, open to all skill levels, and will help give players a close game and play for a CCC Club Rating (CR)! A CR is a rating to use to measure your chess performance based on games played in community events, such as the Community Ladder or Public Section of our Monthly Quick. With this, players can track improvement and set goals, and allows us avoid major mismatches when pairing. To allow players to have time to both write their moves down and think about their moves, we’ll be following the following format: Rules: United States Chess Federation (USCF) Official Rules of Chess will be used. Dates: Every Friday all this June @ 8pm. (Registration opens at 7pm in-person)Initial CR for players: 900Rounds: One-game Match.Time-control: G/15+15 (15 minutes plus 15 seconds per move).Colors: Colors will randomly be chosen for the last pairing made, then alternate for prior pairings. Challenge Procedures:1. The lowest ranked player will be allowed to make the first challenge. The may challenge a player up the three ranks above them.2. When a player is challenged, they may decline a challenge once per night.3. Both players will be pulled from the Ladder.4. The new, lowest ranked player, will be allowed to make the next challenge up to three ranks above them.5. This continues until all players have been matched up. CCC June Club Rating (CR): Name CR Mo 932 Wyatt 916 Jason 916 Otto 916 Edgar 916 Lenden 900 Daniel 900 Gabe 884 Anthony 868

Final Results: Rank Player Name Rating Total Score 1st* Mario Homer 1805 3 2nd* Andre Herrera 1946 3 3rd* Jason Barton 1183 2.5 4th* Hank Costner 1214 2.5 5th* NM Bryan Leano 2141 2.5 6th* Lenden Rhodes 779p19 2 7th* Anthony Rhodes Unrated 2 8th Anthony Thompson 1385 1 9th Jeff Lundholm 1655p22 0.5 10th Stephen Broderick 723 0 *= decided by tiebreaksLink to all games: https://www.chess.com/c/2yGMttZAW Link to full results: CCC Summer LeagueLink to USCF cross table: USCF Cross Table Summer is coming! The City Creek Chess Club wanted to give chess players a chance to play games that will be rated in both the regular and quick rating categories (dual-rated). USCF membership required for this league.  Tournament Details:  Entry Fee: $10. (Late entry: $10 by 6/20; $5 after 6/20.) Prize: 1st: $30; 2nd: $25; 3rd: $20. Format: Swiss system. Time Control: G/25;+5. Rounds: Four rounds. Schedule:6/13/25 - Round One @ 8pm 6/20/25 - Round Two @ 8pm 6/27/25 - Round Three @ 8pm **7/4/25 - Fourth Of July Break! No meetup this day!** 7/11/25 - Final Round @ 8pm *Final pairings will be posted on the Wednesday before the round. Pairings won’t be changed afterwards unless necessary. TD will notify players.* Tiebreaks: Ties will be broken in order of rule 34E in the USCF Rules of Chess.  Registration Deadline: This tournament will hold up to 16 players max! Registration will be first come, first serve! We will allow additional late entries if the league holds less than 16 players.

City Creek Chess vs Summit County Library Chess Club (Friendly Match) On 5/20/25, City Creek Chess will be challenging our friends in the mountains, the Summit County Library Chess Club, in a friendly Team Match on Chess.com!  Each player will be matched and face off against a member of the opposing team and play two games against them, once with each color. Each game won will win a point for their team and at the end, the points are totaled up and the team with the most points wins! Match Details: When: 5/20/25 @ 7pm MDT (Registration opens at 6pm MDT)Format: Two round matches.Time-control: G/10+5 (10 minutes +5 second increment) Link to event: https://www.chess.com/play/match/2894861  How to join: 1. Sign up by clicking and joining the club you’d like to represent for the match: vs  2. The match will be found under “Upcoming Events”. Click “join” next to the event.  Additional notes: For Team Matches on Chess.com, you can only be a member of one of the clubs to be able to play a Team Match. You’re more than welcome to leave the club you don’t want to play for, then join the club again after the match. If you have any questions, you're more than welcome to reach out ask.  

CCC USCF-rated Weekly League! City Creek Chess would like to announce a short, USCF dual-rated, chess league! This league is a great chance for players to play games that will be rated in both the regular and quick rating categories. USCF membership required for this league. Tournament Rules: USCF Online Free Version Rules: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/ccc-uscf-rated-weekly-league-g-25-5?page=1#comment-112458662 *** League has completed! Final results: Link to standings *** Tournament Details: Entry Fee: $5Prize: 1st: $15; 2nd: $10; 3rd: $5. Format: Swiss system Tournament.Time Control: G/25;+5Rounds: three rounds Schedule: 4/4/25 - Pairings posted online by 6pm; Round One @ 7:45pm.4/11/25 - Round Two @ 7:45pm.4/18/25 - Round Three @ 7:45pm. Tiebreaks:If monetary prize cannot be split, ties will be broken in order of rule 34E in the USCF Rules of Chess to find who faced the stronger opponents. Registration Deadline:Registration closes on 4/3 @ 11:59pm MDT. No day of registrations. Additional info: - Each week, players will be face off in a G/25;+5 game. Pairings will be posted online and in advance by the next day to give players a chance to prep for their next game! - If you can’t make it one week, you may request up to one half-point BYE. Additional BYEs may be requested but no points will be given for them. - Please try to bring your own equipment! We don’t have sets for every player but will try to provide what we can. - Score-keeping will be required for this league (rule 15). If you do not have scoresheets, a pad of paper and pen is acceptable. If you do not know how to record your games, you might not be able make claims for wins, draws, or losses. - If necessary, we may need to adjourn games if they go past MDT. Please review rule 18 in the USCF Rules of Chess regarding adjournments. - Venue is usually not busy, but we may ask the play with the black pieces for the round to also choose a table for their round if neccessary. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to dmunoz.core@outlook.com.

City Creek Chess vs SLC Chess Club (Friendly Match) On 1/21/25, two Salt Lake City chess clubs will be hosting a friendly team match on Chess.com, and you’re invited to join! City Creek Chess and SLC Chess Club will be competing in a Friendly Team Match! Each player will be matched and face off against a member of the opposing team and play two games against them, once with each color. Each game won will win a point for their team and at the end, the points are totaled up and the team with the most points wins! Match Details: When: 1/21/25 @ 7pm MSTFormat: Two round matches.Time Control: G/10+2 (10 minutes +2 second increment)Watch Here: https://www.chess.com/play/match/2741837?action=undefined&clubId=419549  How to join: 1. Sign up by clicking and joining the club you’d like to represent for the match: vs. 2. The match will be found under “Upcoming Events”. Click “join” next to the day of the match from there. Additional notes: For Team Matches on Chess.com, you can only be a member of one of the clubs to be able to play a Team Match. You’re more than welcome to leave the club you don’t want to play for, then join the club again after the match. If you have any questions, you're more than welcome to reach out ask.

The City Creek Chess Club hosts a monthly USCF quick-rated tournament! This tournament also hosts a free Community section for beginners and newcomers to practice under a tournament setting.  For 2026, we want to help players challenge themselves by playing opponents of a similar skill! We'll be hosting a Quad tournament to do just that! To register: CCC Quad Registration FormCurrently Registered: CCC Quad Registered Players City Creek Quads Tournament! A Quad tournament will put similarly skilled players into groups of four based on their rating. The groups will then play three rounds in a Round-Robin format, allowing each player to face every player in their group at least once. In the end, the player with the most wins is the winner of their quad! The tournament will use the following format: Both sections will play: Using the United States Chess Federation Official Rules of Chess Rounds: Three rounds (First round starts at 7:45 p.m., with each round starting once all games are complete for their round.)Time control: G/10; d/3 (10-minute games, with a three-second delay) USCF:Entry Fee: $5Prizes: 1st Place: $15 (If section is a Swiss: 1st: $15; 2nd: $10) Community:Entry Fee: Free!Players in this section will play to earn or improve their Club Rating (CR). A great opportunity to practice against local competition Additional Notes: Registration Deadline: Online registration closed the night before at @11:59 p.m.; In-person registration closes @ 7:15 p.m.  Equipment: Please bring a chess set if possible. We may ask you to use it for your section. Late entrants: Late entrants may be eligible for a two-round, cross-section Swiss with accelerated pairings, but this will depend on the number of late entrants. This section is free with no prize, but will prioritize pairing USCF players with other USCF player, then club players with other club players. Possible Swiss-System: If quads have been paired and the last quad paired does not have enough for a full quad of four, that last quad may be combined with the last fully paired quad, and the tournament will become a Swiss-System tournament, with no changes to the rest of the format. Odd Number of Players in Swiss: If there is an odd number of players, a player may need to sit out for a round. If both sections have a group with an odd number in a Swiss, then we may have both odd players play each other in a Club-rated game for that round. In the USCF-rated section, unrated players have priority for pairing, followed by players with provisional USCF ratings, and then USCF-rated players. This is how USCF ensures unrated players earn a rating that reflects their skill level. Annotation will be required: Failing to do so forfeits any claims for a win, loss, or draw that require a record of the game, even if your opponent did annotate. With this, players are still permitted to stop annotating once their time hits 5:00 minutes.

For those interested, I just found out that the U.S. Senior Women's Championship is being played here in Murray, Utah. Here's the article from the USCF: https://new.uschess.org/news/2024-us-senior-womens-championship-begins-utah Not sure if you can get in to spectate but it is live on Twitch. Edit: You can watch them on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/events/2024-us-senior-womens-chess-championship-closed/games