Random Chess Tip
Avoid creating unnecessary pawn weaknesses (isolated, doubled, or backward pawns).
⚠️ IMPORTANT: This Friday's meeting is cancelled.
Local Chess Clubs in and Around Central Oregon
Visiting chess clubs is a great way to improve your OTB skills and meet other chess players in town.
| Club | Meeting Info |
|---|---|
| Redmond Chess Club (inactive?) |
Tuesday, 6 PM @ Pappy's Pizza (map) |
| Bend Chess & Go Club | Wednesday, 6 PM @ Crux Fermentation (map) |
| Bend Chess & Go Club | Wednesday, 6 PM @ The Commons (map) |
| Madras Chess Club | Thursday, 6 PM @ Initiative Brewing - The Fortress (map) |
| Prineville Chess Club | Friday, 5 PM @ Juniper Art Guild (map) |
Confirm the meeting info before you attend. If you can't reach the chess club, contact the location venue.
Online Chess Platforms Used by Prineville Chess Club
Most chess players maintain accounts on one or both of the big online chess platforms.
- Chess.com has a limited free account, but lots of players around the world. They have several tiers of paid accounts that provide access to puzzles, lessons, game reviews, and insights.
- lichess.org is also very popular. lichess provides many of the same services and features of Chess.com, but for free!
YouTube Channels Enjoyed by Central Oregon Chess Players
YouTube is a fantastic resource for finding chess videos that excel at providing instructional content.
Training Apps & Tools
Many players will be more than satisfied with the built-in training featurs and puzzles provided by the big chess platforms: Chess.com and lichess. However, there are some popular training-dedicated apps.
- Chessbook – Build and drill your opening repertoire with spaced repetition
- Chessreps – Fun, spaced repetition-based opening trainer with real-game drills
- Chessable – Science-backed courses for openings, tactics, and endgames using MoveTrainer
- Chess King – Comprehensive chess courses and tactics training (great app and software)
- ChessTempo – Excellent tactics training with customizable problem sets and rating system
Book Recommendations
- How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond by Levy Rozman
- How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances by Jeremy Silman
- Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer, Stuart Margulies, and Donn Mosenfelder
- Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master by Jeremy Silman
- Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev
Chess Equipment for Playing OTB Chess
Even very active chess players may not need to buy any equipment. If all of your games are online or at the chess club where equipment is provided, no need to read further.
However, if you want to practice with a board at home or travel with a board to smaller chess clubs or tournaments that might not provide equipment, you will need a few things.