FAQs

Am I good enough to play here?

While we can't guarantee who will be there any given night, our club has a wide range of skill levels (400-2100 ELO). Everyone starts somewhere and all of our members are happy to play anyone.

Can I bring my child to play?

Yes, all ages are welcome. If your child requires supervision, please supervise them.

I'm not USCF-rated, can I still play?

We highly encourage you to join USCF, as all of our events are USCF-rated and you need a valid, un-expired USCF ID number to compete in our tournaments. If you do not have a USCF membership, you are welcome to spectate or try and play a pickup game before or after the tournament, but without an ID number we cannot include you in formal play.

How do I join Downriver Chess Club?

There is no formal membership requirement for our club (other than USCF), just show up and play!

How do I stay up to date on club news and tournaments?

You can join our mailing list or follow us on Facebook!

How much does it cost to play?

Aside from your USCF membership, we charge $1 per visit to our club at Cafe Envie and Turtle Bay ($2 if you don't buy something from the bar!). For our larger, more sporadic events, those can be $20-40, depending on number of days and prize fund.

Do I need to bring my own chess set and clock?

If you have one, yes, please bring one. If you don't, there's usually enough chess sets to go around. If you are interested in purchasing a chess set, we recommend this basic set from US Chess Sales.

Are there any other chess clubs in New Orleans?

As far as we know, there's Downriver Chess Club, Greater New Orleans Chess Club, and West Bank Chess Club. You can read about those and other clubs in Louisiana at the Louisiana Chess Association website.

Do you know of any scholastic, or youth chess clubs?

Yes! Please reach out to our friends at Strategic Thoughts, LCC and Crescent City Chess.