Supporting Local Chess: The Southwest Chess Club, Hales Corners, WI

Hola! I'm once again dodging downpours, lightning strikes and tornado warnings. I'll stay online as long as I can. Tonight I want to blog a little about supporting local chess. Every now and then I do some searching online to see if I can find out anything about local chess clubs. Scholastic chess has an online presence in Wisconsin, but not so much local adult chess. The website for our state chess association is hit-or-miss and not up to date in many sections. Milwaukee, which used to host some premiere events back in the 1950's, has been out of the loop for years. The most recent prestigious event we hosted here was a few years ago, when the Midwest Airlines Convention Center was the site for the U.S. Scholastic Chess Championships. The thing is, I know that people get together here and play chess - everywhere. But it's all informal, and the locations are in the corners of bars, church basements and a few tables at local eateries in back rooms, out of the way and out of view. And none of these groups are formal "clubs", and no one has a website, so I can't find out about them! I was therefore highly gratified to find the website of a purely local chess club in Hales Corners, Wisconsin: The Southwest Chess Club. The club has been active for a number of years and hosts regular events. It also hosts USCF Grand Prix events - this year sponsored by World Chess Live with total prizes of $20,000! Yeah, it's website could use some work; on the other hand, it's run entirely by volunteers (hey, I know how that works, being a Goddesschess draftee myself) and some sections are very up-to-date, which is good news for me! I'll be posting more about this club and one of its upcoming events: The Hales Corners Challenge VIII, on October 4, 2008, which qualifies for 10 Grand Prix points. It's four rounds in a single day (eek!). Here's some info from the website: 4SS, G/60. 2 Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Village Hall, 5635 S. New Berlin Rd., Hales Corners, WI (Milwaukee Area). EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve b/25) =1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg: 8:30-9:30, Rds: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to SWCC, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 ( allenbecker@wi.rr.com ). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753. Goddesschess has cooked up a little something special for this club and this event. Stay tuned!