Memphis Chess Club

07/16/2026

Three drinks. Three completely different moves. 🍹♟️

The Queens Park Swizzle, Camparita, and Fernet con Coca each offer a completely different way to end your next game.

Your next favorite cocktail might just be hiding inside Memphis Chess Club.

Which one are you ordering first? ♟️

07/14/2026

Memphis Chess Club's new chess Expert as of this year's World Open, Peter Pritchett, has signed up for the 2026's 80th Annual Peter P Lahde TN Open and State Chess Championship!

Congratulations at making Expert, Peter, tremendous accomplishment! Not far from National Master! (only 200 points)

07/14/2026

Hey All,

Just in case you missed it, the Memphis Chess Club will be hosting this year's 2026's 80th Annual Peter P Lahde TN Open and State Championship with the Tennessee Chess Association, and it's looking like the best TN state championship ever! 4-, 3-, and 2-day schedules available during the Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, 2026, long G90+30 format games.

Last 2 times in Memphis we hosted roughly a dozen masters, and met our based-on target of 80 players both times. Before 2022, the last time it was held in Memphis was 2000, more than 2 decades before the MCC found a brick and mortar space. This time, there is no "based-on", and it is $10,001 in prizes, unconditionally guaranteed, the largest prize fund for this tournament ever! This is in part thanks to one of our sponsors, Promarketing Group Guyana.

Strong masters expected to play for the title include Grandmaster Alex Fishbein, International Masters Dave Ross and Ronald Burnett, FIDE Master Alex King, and National Master Graham Horobetz

We're also being given a grant from the Downtown Memphis Commission, which will pay for the plaques. Super thankful!

It is going to be held both at the MCC's Saunders Hall, as well as a short 2 blocks' walk away on the 15th floor of the Holiday Inn Memphis Downtown - Beale Street, with a panorama view of downtown City of Memphis! (Friday and Monday rounds at the MCC; Saturday and Sunday rounds at the Holiday Inn)

Register to play here(there's also the Amatuer State Championship section!):
https://www.memphischessclub.com/tournaments

TN Residents sign up for TCA membership before the tournament here(though you don't need to be a Tennessean to play):
https://tnchess.us/membership/become-a-member/

Current list of registrants:
https://memphischessclub.chessroster.com/2026-tn-open

USCF TLA:
https://new.uschess.org/2026-peter-p-lahde-tn-open-and-state-championship

2026's 80th Annual Peter P Lahde TN Open and State Chess Championship!

07/14/2026

Some of Memphis’ history was made over a chessboard. ♟️

Founded on June 9, 1877, Memphis Chess Club is the second-oldest chess club in the United States. For nearly 150 years, players have gathered here to compete, learn, and build a community around the game.

Memphis hosted Games 12–14 of the 1907 World Chess Championship between Emanuel Lasker and Frank Marshall. Club leader Bradford B. Jefferson captured the 1914 Western Open, while Rosa Jefferson spent decades growing the game through her chess column in *The Memphis Commercial Appeal*.

The boards may look different today, but the spirit of the club remains the same - a place where strategy, competition, and community come together.

♟️ Visit us at 195 Madison Avenue and become part of the next chapter.

07/12/2026

Thanks to CM Nathaniel Criss for discovering honorary Memphis Chess Club and Franz Ferdinand keyboardist Julian Corrie rocking his chess club hat playing a very tricky Golden Brown.

Reprise proposée par Franz Ferdinand lors de leur session acoustiqu...

07/11/2026

Thanks for everyone coming out and playing this year's Super Summer Swiss!

John Nguyen and International Master Ronald Burnett tied for 1st with 5 points, with John receiving the Overall Winner plaque on tiebreaks! Ron also won the Top 55+ Senior prize and plaque.

There was a 4-point 7-way tie for 3rd place (and Top U2201; U2201 2nd; Top U1901; U1901 2nd; Top U1601; U1601 2nd) between Mike Shuey, Townes Buford, Jasmine Lin, Beau Turner, Irone Winsley, Jerika Eppel, and National Master Pat Sciacca. Mike Shuey won the Top U2201 plaque on tiebreaks; Townes, Top U1901; Jasmine Lin, Top U1601.

Jasmine and Jerika tied for Top Female, with Jasmine winning Top Female plaque on tiebreaks and Jerika the Top U1601 Female plaque.

NM Pat Sciacca won 2nd 55+ Senior.

Ellie Tseng achieved Top U1301 with 3.5 points.

U1301 2nd, Top U1001, and U1001 2nd yielded a 3-point 3-way tie between Steven O'Connor, Vihaan Nadella, Liam Fitzpatrick. Steven also achieved the largest upset, beating a playing 634 points higher than himself!

Sri Aashrith "Ash" Vithana won the Unrated prize!

Jackson Wade won the Brilliancy Prize, for finding an invincible rook endgame tactic! (https://lichess.org/study/OlpXAdsA, Game A)

07/10/2026

Meet our Memphis Chess Club Player of the Month: Lien! ♟️

Lien has been playing chess for one year and is always looking for new ways to improve her game. A University of Memphis student and pianist, she loves chess because it’s calming and believes every match is like two players communicating through the pieces. ♟️🎹

Whether she’s playing a game, connecting with fellow members, or enjoying one of her favorite meals from the café, Lien is always looking for ways to improve her game and hopes to compete in more tournaments.

Help us congratulate Lien in the comments! 👏♟️

07/07/2026

Memphis Chess Club's busiest month is in underway - and it's now your move ♟️

With chess camp, weekend brunch, tournaments, trivia, and something happening every single day ⬇️

🏕️ CHESS CAMP | July 6–10
A full week of chess instruction for players ready to level up. Registration details in bio.

🍳 WEEKEND BRUNCH
Saturdays (7/11, 7/18, 7/25) & Sundays (7/12, 7/19, 7/26) | Starting at 8 AM
Chess-legend-named crepes, chicken & waffles, and the coldest coffee Downtown.

WEEKLY LINEUP:
🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Every Tues: Family Knight | 5 PM

🍸 Every Wed: Happy Hour 4 PM + Free Play 5:30 PM

🧠 Every Thurs: Intermediate Chess Class 5:30 PM | FREE Trivia Night 6:15 PM | Memphis Chess League 6:45 PM

♟️ Every Fri: G90+30 Friday Night Chess | 6:30 PM

🏆 Every Sat: Dual Rated Tourneys 1 PM | Rated Blitz Tournament 5 PM

♟️ Every Sun: Beginner Strategy Class 2 PM | Beginners Only Tournament 3 PM

🏆 SCHOLASTIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, July 28 | 4:30–7 PM

📍 195 Madison Avenue | Downtown Memphis

Which day of the week are you claiming? 👇

📸: , , ,

07/03/2026

Super Summer Swiss, Schedule A round 2 and Schedule B round 1

07/03/2026

Hey Everyone! Check out the Super Summer Swiss wall charts and pairings at

https://memphischessclub.chessroster.com/2026-super-summer-swiss

Pairings are always tentative and subject to change to within about an hour of the round.

Tournament details and information.