By all means, try it. Tournaments can be lot of fun.
Southern California is an area bigger than many European countries. It would help if you were a bit more specific.
Did you ever look at the local club listings here? Some of the listings are out of date but they will give you a lead.
The USCF (USChess.org) will have listings for many local tournaments.
Hi Everyone,
I've been a member on this site for years, but have never done much more than play games on the app and read some strategy on forums. I am a casual player at best, but I really enjoy the game, and someone I recently played with said I wouldn't be completely laughed at if I played in a local amateur chess tournament (he actually said I would hold my own, but I completely disagree. Supposedly he was trained as a kid/teenager by a master, but has not played much in recent years. I beat the socks off of him consistently, but he's about the only person on the app that I beat. I usually do really well early, and fall apart in the end game. I actually just lost to a trap after being 11 points up. I suck.). That being said, I am nowhere near good enough to play against most anyone who has any idea what they're doing. BUT, I would like to look at getting involved in something in more of a live forum, in addition to the online stuff.
Can anyone recommend the best route to do this? I live in Southern California. Again, I don't fancy myself even an intermediate player, but I think I'm smart enough and enjoy the game well enough that I could be decent competition for other beginners if I practiced.
Any feedback would be appreciated!