why dont people go to chess clubs anymore

is the advent of online chess killing the chess club membership with in Britain 1970 fischer boomers gradually all thats left in chess clubs in britain

in my day if people had a heightened interest in chess during a world championship match they had to go to a club to play people now there is online chess as a fix for the hooked

I go on occasion, but the nearest club is 45 minutes from my house, and they're strictly about rated tournaments on Saturday. First round is at 2:00, and it usually doesn't wrap up until 6:30. The earliest I can expect to be home is 7:00. 

Don't get me wrong; it's a great club with some very strong players. But the travel time, the expense of the entry fee (minimal), and the whole day devoted to chess makes it an occasional thing for me, not a weekly. If I want a quick dose of chess for a few minutes or even a couple of hours, chess.com is the place for me.

It is true that an awful lot of chess clubs have disappeared in the US over the last 20-30 years, but this is also true of  Bridge clubs, bowling leagues. I'm not sure of all the reasons behind this: an aging population,  a general "desocialization" of American life, or something else, But I feel very lucky to be living in an area where there are still a few active clubs and a lively OTB tournament scene. For me, at least, two hours of OTB tournament play goes by so quickly, but a thirty minute game played sitting alone in a room in front of my computer seems interminable.

@MSteen yes that would put me off as well @Laskersnephew yes I have argued myself that desocialization is occurring in all western nations, America suffers the most because it was not very socialised to begin with.  There are still many clubs on the English chess scene but one suspects there numbers are being bolstered by kgb spies these days from the east, not genuine western loving players as did during the fischer boom. a number of my clubs have been taken over by suspect people and turned into chess collectives.

well said zedgee

yes but do the Russians realise this in 1905 after the failed 1905 revolution was foiled by the mensheviks and the czar, the 3 million communists disappeared in Russia in 1916 officially there were no communists in Russia in 1917 there were 30 million we all know today the communists were hiding and plotting and playing dead. Do you really believe the press when they say the communists just disappeared from the earth in 1991

Well anyway... new Russia is more dangerous and scaring than the communist version.

We are in the information age, I get all my shopping done online whilst all the shops on the street die slowly, Fide will also die and chess.com ratings will be all that matters.

I go to a chess club not far from my house. Its great!

PS I know someone who attends multiple clubs.

I'm just planning to go to the chess club!  Next monday.

I go to a chess club every Thursday morning.

In the United States. crime has fallen steadily for the last 10 years. We are back to the same crime rates we had in the 1950's. The streets have never been safer in your lifetime

ed from England happy st georges day its just a matter of time st georges day is banned due to pc issues I mean he slayed the dragon for heavens sake now which country worships dragons, I dont think it was a chinese dragon whats that red thing on the welsh flag again??? we had the Hartlepool supporters club where I live come on Saturday and all 1500 came to play us wearing st George costumes with swords, I had to do a short inbreak of breath when I found out, me being welsh.

Because most people are to busy with there video games.