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Hamden Chess Club

2025-2026 Kids Team

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2026 Summer Program

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Gift Certificates!
$25 | $50 | $100

HCC Upcoming USCF Tournaments
(For a full listing, see the Events page)

Apr 11 (Sat) 1:00PM~ 4:00PM HCC April U1200 Beginner Open (Prizes: $300 b/20): $150-$100; Top Female: $50 Trophies: Top U900, Top U600, Top Unrated or choice of chess medals for those not receiving the above


First Friday Chess Social

Friday, Apr 3, 2026 5:00-6:30PM


Enjoy chess with fellow enthusiasts. Rousing game replays on the big screen, music,
free cookies.. Open to all ages and chess levels - Whether a casual player or serious competitor this is a great space to meet new people, test your skills, and enjoy a shared love of the game

FREE - Just show up - no registration needed.
.



Come join the fun!

GM Maxim Dlugy
 Date TBA (This event is being rescheduled from its original date in March)
Lecture, Book signing, Simul
acclaimed chess author and 2025 CT State Champion
Sign up for Lecture (1:00PM), book signing (free - but must rsvp your name to info@playmorechess.com

Sign up for Simul (~2:15PM - Play a game with GM Dlugy) Registration: $30, by one week prior), $40 by Tues prior; $50 thereafter

2025-2026 Hamden Chess Team
Flyer and Schedule

For kids of all rating levels, organized by National Master Jordan Groff (Coach Jordan). This team is for Scholastic chess players who wish to play in regional USCF tournaments in CT and nearby states during the course of the year. New team year starts in July.

Online Sign Up

National Master Jordan Groff (Coach Jordan) has several
new lesson time slots available (posted 2-9-26)

Reserve yours today

New HCC Membership Benefit:

The books listed are available for purchase, and HCC Members may borrow up to two books at a time for up to
30 days. from the HCC Chess book collection.
https://www.librarycat.org/lib/HamdenChessClub

Hamden Chess Club named Connecticut Chess Club of the Year for 2023 (and 2021) by Connecticut State Chess Association
Upcoming USCF and weekly online Tournaments, Adult Casual Play are listed on Events page

Chess Classes
for Kids (Year-Round)


*Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Classes - Eight class times offered each week

*Engaging learning, tournament play within each week's group

*Online and In-Person Options

*Includes option to participate tournaments at reduced rate; free online chess club participation

Sign Up

Hamden Chess Club

*Casual Play and USCF Tournaments


*In-Person Activities:
Casual Play Mondays & Thursdays; Monthly USCF- Rated tournaments for kids and adults
*Online Activities: 10+ tournaments each month with prizes
*HCC library borrowing access
*151 HCC members


 Sign Up

Chess Classes for Adults
(Fall, Winter, Spring)


Classes meet one evening
(two hours) per week

Winter/Spring 2026 Courses:

*Chess for Beginners
*Chess Tactics and Calculation
*Chess Endgames
*Chess Openings
Sign up online at Hamden Adult Education or at PMCA for Adult Chess Classes

Upcoming Adult Chess Classes in partnership with Hamden Adult Education
(Offered in Winter/Spring 2026):

WINTER/SPRING 2026(Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30PM)
Taught by NM Jordan Groff

  • Sign up for Adult Chess Classes at Hamden Adult Education web site at the respective course links or in-person at PMCA. The entire course catalog of Enrichment courses will be listed at: www.hamdenadulted.com.

Class Location: Play More Chess Academy, 1227 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517

Congratulations:

Congratulations to our recent winners of HCC online and OTB tournaments (in Bold):

Mar 21: 2026 Hamden Chess Club Championship! $1370 in Prizes! Trophy winners: Open Section Club Champion: Alex Emmons; U1600 Section Club Champion: Niranjan Sivakumar
Place winners Open: Alex Emmons, Jordan Groff (Tie-1st/2nd); 3rd place (Tie) Michael Uwakwe and Jasmine Su; Place winners U1600: Niranjan Sivakumar (1st); Five-way tie (2nd/3rd): Roberto Frunzio, Dan Knowles, John Twombley, Daniel Deshpande, Masymilian Orzolek; Ad hoc prizes: Book prizes: Martin Svolik (Youngest); Larry Price (Oldest) and Niranjan Sivakumar (Traveled greatest distance (56 mi from MA). Biggest Upset Prize: Pablo Bastida
Mar 16: HCC March Action Quads: Quad 1: David Bernat, Rees Thomas Tie 1st (2.0/3.0); Quad 2 (Sm Swiss): Niranjan Sivakumar 1st (3.0/3.0); 2nd: Gabi Rosenstein, Nicholas Read (2.0/3.0)
Mar 14: HCC March U1200 Rated Beginner Open: 1st/2nd (Tie): Olivia Stortz, Wesley Hunter; Top Female: Olivia Stortz; Trophies: Top U900: Nicholas Read; Top U600: Blake Greenstein; Trophy Top Unrated: Avyan Kumar
Mar 11: Omkar Maralappanavar
Mar 9: Gabi Rosenstein
Mar 4: Omkar Maralappanavar
Mar 2: Kieran Kromash
Feb 25: Todd Kearns
Feb 23: Nick Read
Feb 21: HCC February Game-in-45 Challenge: Open: Alex Emmons (1st), Truman Kaczmarczyk (2nd); U1600: Elizabeth C. Smith, Niranjan Sivakumar (Tie - 1st/2nd); Biggest Upset of Tournament: Truman Kaczmarczyk; Top Female (U1600): Elizabeth C. Smith
Feb 18: Omkar Maralappanavar

 As of Mar 22, 2026 $45,865 has been distributed in cash and prizes at the adult and kids tournaments (OTB and online) since our first tournament. See USCF cross tables for HCC tournaments and HCC Online tournaments on Lichess for cross-tables and lists of past tournaments.

Join the HCC, participate in our next tournament, and win a prize!

Recent News:

Newsletter:

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Play More Chess Academy
1227 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517
Email: info@PlayMoreChess.com | Phone: 203.680.8456