McMinnville Chess Club

Chess for all ages and skill levels

McMinnville Chess Club is for all ages and skill levels, and our members and guests enjoy free, open play events, rated and unrated tournaments, resources and opportunities for chess study and lessons, and the nicest chess club members you’ll ever meet in town.

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Family Membership Sale

Club Events

We meet regularly at a variety of venues around town:

View Calendar

Make a donation

Support McMinnville Chess Club by making a donation!

We’re currently raising funds to get additional chess sets, certify more tournament directors, and rent larger spaces for our tournaments. You can help.

We also have an Amazon wishlist with items that would make a direct, meaningful impact on our club and help us with our programs and events.

Make a donation

Become a member

Attending chess club is and has always been free to non-members (guests). Monthly, annual, lifetime, and family members enjoy a number of benefits including:

  • Access to our tournaments (rated and unrated) without additional entry fees
  • A dedicated members-only newsletter
  • The ability to check books and equipment out of our Chess Library
  • Our heartfelt thanks for helping keep this club running!
Register

Play Online

We have an online Chess.com hangout with dozens of active members. To join us, come to a club meeting and ask to be added by an organizer.

Play Online

Founded in 2023

Our first ever meeting was in March, 2023, and we began meeting regularly in May, 2023.

2023

Meetings per month

McMinnville Chess Club meets 8 to 10 times a month. Check out our Calendar of Events.

8

Blacklight Chess

Events to date

223 meetings and special events, including Blacklight Chess, World Chess Day, and more.

223

Pizzas demolished

Our Wednesday meetings are at Mac Market, home of Honey Pie Pizza. A winning combination!

3,141,592

The Famous Opera House Game

Mike Terrill, a founding member of McMinnville Chess Club and the chess club director at Duniway Middle School, recently taught us about the famous Opera House Game.

“It was the best game ever!” — Mike Terrill

This game is one of the most famous in chess history and is often used to teach key concepts like piece development and the value of making clever sacrifices. It was played in an opera house in Paris in 1858 while an opera was performed on stage!

Read more

Principles of Club Etiquette

Enjoy the contest and promote chess activities for learning, creativity, and youth participation.

Fair play among friends is ensured by practicing the following principles of club etiquette.

Touch move

Use touch-move, so this practice becomes second nature with your play.

Good sportsmanship

Always display good sportsmanship. Congratulate your opponent when your game is over.

Spectating

Refrain from commenting on games in progress.

Asking for help

Disputes can be cordially resolved with assistance from experienced club members.

Cleanliness

Keep your pieces and board clean while eating during play.

Hygiene

Cover your face if you sneeze or cough, and don’t attend club events if you are sick.

Last but not least…

Make friends!

Latest Articles

Member-written articles and blog posts, event announcements, and occasional club updates. Subscribe to our newsletter in our News section to get these via email or SMS, or subscribe via RSS.

  • Straight Up Chessboard

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    Christefano Reyes

    There’s always room for chess! This vertical Straight Up Chessboard was recently spotted at a local business in McMinnville. It’s designed for a casual game of chess, and it hangs on the while like a piece of art. Neat! White has the next move. What move would you make, and can you name the…

  • Introducing Chess Bingō

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    Christefano Reyes

    To stay up to date and to learn how to play, get the latest version of these scorecards from Chess Zendō. Introducing Chess Bingō, a new way to enjoy chess, learn the lingo, and develop team-building skills. I’ve used these scorecards with my chess students as a fun teaching tool, and I’m excited to share…

  • McMinnville Chess Club needs you!

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    Christefano Reyes

    Help McMinnville Chess Club grow! Join a committee! Donate your books! Join a committee Donate books on chess to the McMinnville Chess Library You can donate your books to the McMinnville Chess Library for all to enjoy. Any books that we may not need, such as duplicates, will be donated to the public library.…

  • We have a founders brick!

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    Christefano Reyes

    We have a founders brick at Mac Market! Can you find it? Many, many thanks to Mac Market for hosting us since May, 2023, and helping us with our mission of growing chess in McMinnville! We have a founders brick at Mac Market! Can you find it? We are happy to see how Mac…

  • The Famous Opera House Game

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    Christefano Reyes

    The Famous Opera House Game Mike Terrill, a founding member of McMinnville Chess Club and the chess club director at Duniway Middle School, recently taught us about the famous Opera House Game. “It was the best game ever!” — Mike Terrill This game is one of the most famous in chess history and is…