Adult Novices & USCF memberships

Chess Clubs
1

I’m working with adult novices 4 nights a month, 1 1/2 hours each class. After a year, only a couple of the beginner class “graduates” have taken the plunge and joined the USCF. Expectations that adults will show up at the club each week to play tournament rated games are a great disappointment.

If it were possible to divide rated games from USCF 500 to 1000 that would be great, but there’s not even enough Novice players to do that. Novices seem destined to run a gauntlet of higher rated players. Any ideas on that?

2

You haven’t indicate the size of your club (average turnout), the distribution of rated players or the number of novices.

At a guess, rated play just isn’t important to those novice players yet, and apparently you’re not bringing in enough others for whom it is important.

That probably means you need to concentrate on unrated events to build interest and attendance. (Hopefully your club hasn’t fallen victim to the Bughouse Syndrome, that &^% game is part of what ruined attendance at the Lincoln Chess Club.)

Have you tried a time-handicap speed chess event?

Start each player with 6 minutes. For each 200 points in rating difference up to some maximum (say, 800 points) subtract one minute from the higher rated player and give it to the lower rated player. (Tailor those numbers as needed.)

If you have delay clocks available and the clocks will permit different delay settings for the players, try giving each player one minute plus 2 seconds delay, but add 5 seconds of additional delay to the lower rated player for each 250 points in ratings difference.

Try high-low alternate consultative team play, pairing a high rated player with a low rated player against a similar team. The higher rated player makes move 1, the lower rated player makes move 2, the higher rated player makes move 3, etc.

A friend of mine used to run grab bag gambit theme tournaments. He’d make up a list of (mostly) sound gambits (ie, the first 3 or 4 moves) and the players would pull one from the grab bag before each round. That’s how I got interested in the Falkbeer Counter Gambit.

I later had a fascinating series of rated games against another local player about 300 points higher than me in which I played the black side of the Falkbeer in over a dozen rated games. I think I managed only 2 wins and 4 draws, but they were all interesting games.

One of my favorite games of all time was a FalkBeer that I played in the US Open in Portland Oregon. A position from the middlegame wound up in the bulletins, because I was able to announce the following move:

Black castles queenside with check and mate in 5!

3

Nolan,

Thanks for your ideas. our club has a regular attendance of 30 to 50 players each week, and probably more at our weekend tournaments. They are generally rated 1200 to 2200. A diamond - shaped graph would indicated the ratings quite well. I think a triangular -shaped graph of attendance, with a broad base of novices, but I’m dreaming probably. It could take years for the classes to produce an effect upon club membership; but I very much want to see the club hold a common vision for future growth, becuase I’m sure that I’ve seen indications that if a rejuvenative process is not introduced, there won’t be anything left but a handfull of old men playing chess.

Without new people coming in, anything of long standing will certainly die.

4

It sounds like the distribution of rated members in your club is typical.

Here’s a list showing the number of regular adult members with published ratings since 1/1/2004, by 100 point rating intervals:

Ratng | Count ------+------- 100 | 22 200 | 22 300 | 35 400 | 42 500 | 96 600 | 152 700 | 215 800 | 329 900 | 463 1000 | 680 1100 | 844 1200 | 1142 1300 | 1335 1400 | 1420 1500 | 1645 1600 | 1566 1700 | 1356 1800 | 1123 1900 | 865 2000 | 697 2100 | 368 2200 | 323 2300 | 124 2400 | 104 2500 | 50 2600 | 19 2700 | 4

5

There is another thread that currently has its last post on 6/1/05. It has some overlap with your question. The thread includes a mention of the non-rated ladder at my club, which might address some of your concerns.

uschess.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=487

6

Nawanda

If you want to run rated tournaments that is fine. The club I run has around the same amount of members as yours. If it was not for the rated games and the rated tournaments, the club would still be very small. It does take a great deal of work to build a club to have rated games. When working with the new players, have been working to get their ratings established than provisional. At this time over 2/3 of the current members are now USCF members.

One of the ideas is to have rated quick games, the members love it. If you want to get ideas of some types of formats, check out the affiliate number A2030393. Just keeping the players active is important, as I have run now 61 events this year. The USCF membership base has very much grown during this year. If there is a larger base of USCF members, in time there can be different types of tournaments’ years from now.

If you want to talk, send me a message and I will give you my email address.

7

Nolan,

Thanks for the statistics. I realize now that my club is consistent in its membership. I still wonder though, if my club might do more.

It seems …(and here comes my plaintive statement)…that if members only come to play, and not for anything else, the club doesn’t “breathe”. It doesn’t really feel “alive”. I’d like to see club members involved more with teaching and promoting chess, and especially to do this as part of a unified club effort. So much for my wishes and hopes.

8

jwjewell:

Thanks for your comments & suggestions. The distinction between my club and the one I read about this morning in your link, is that they have a dozen members, and we have…considering the total membership lists with dues paid etc, over 75 members.

Having stated that, one might think the 30 to 40 members showing up each week made it a growing enterprise. Unfortunately, I’m watching a trend, totally helpless, wherein fewer young people come, and unless the membership wakes up to what is going on, I fear there will be a whimper and the lights will go out in a couple of years.

Perhaps there is a parallel to the decreasing membership in USCF overall?

I'm just blowing off steam,  because after 2 years of trying to point this out,  and get action,  with no results,  I feel I'm watching the dinosaurs slowly collapse in Disney's "Fantasia"  ...all to the tune of Stravinski's  "Rite of Spring".

So I ask myself:

1.  Are USCF dues too expensive?  $38.00/yr

2.  Are club dues too expensive?    $35.00

3. Are Tournament fees to expensive?  $5.00 to $30.00

4.  Do new people feel "beat up" at the board,  to the extent that it is not worth paying money for the crappy feeling, or spending several hours of play to obtain that misery?

5.  Do we make new people feel warmth & friendship;   or are we cold,  indifferent,  and monosyllabic at the table?

Overall,  my feeling as that money is not often the issue with people.  However,  I sure wish others would take a long hard look at questions #4 & #5.

Maybe I ought to just ask:  Is there a club that is thriving, and overwhelmed with satisfied members?
9

Gosh, you have 30 to 40 members come each week, they are paying a $35 club membership fee, and you feel they aren’t satisfied?

It looks to me like you are the one who isn’t satisfied. They are happy and willing to shell out the extra membership fee just to have a place to play! I wouldn’t pay that much money myself, but then, maybe the economics of your area is different.

Are you doing anything with scholastics at all? Does everyone who comes into your club have to be a member? Do you have someone in your club who is willing to teach others? Ask around, do a survey, you’re bound to find someone willing to do a bit more.

Your fears of the club stagnating may be real, but apparently the members are happy with what you are giving them. Don’t discount that! They are going to tell others who are just getting into chess what yo’re doing now, and that will bring them in. And I mentioned having scholastic tournaments because that’s where your base of palyers is going to come from.

Our local club not only holds scholastic tournaments, most of them non-USCF rated, but the director also lets a member who’s an expert give lessons and simuls on weekends when he doesn’t have a tournament. The director also is willing to teach anyone how to use WinTD and become a tournament director. What are you offering the members besides a place to play? Think about it, and take that survey and get a better idea on if the members are satisfied and what they might like to see happen. Believe me, once word gets around of the things being done, new members will come in.

Radishes

10

Radishes,

 Thanks for the challenging suggestions and questions.  It very much helps me look at the issues from a wider perspective.  Let's see if I can  respond to the issues and your helpful commentary.

A. [ Am I the one who is unsatisfied?]

Yes, that is true, but there is a positive side to that. I’m full of a vision for my club, and the numbers do not necessarily indicate health, even though it is in a large “midwestern city”. [How anonymous is Denver Colorado? Heh, heh!] You see Radishes, people have told me stories about chess here over the past couple of decades. There were a couple of strong clubs, all now passed into oblivion. Either one strong member did ALL the work, or there was some conflict or other that led to diminished participation. Any any rate, the clubs passed from the scene. Moreover, it has not been all “sweetness & light” at this club. The other responses in these forums make me wonder if other clubs have comparable dilemmas?

B. [Are we doing anything with scholastics?]

   There are already major scholastics programs in the Metro area.   Although our club  caters to an ADULT membership,  we do have teenage and middle-school age  members rated from 1400 thru 2100.  There are about 5 of these kids attending regularly,  and in tournaments,  we see perhaps   10 or more on a weekend.   I personally am teaching an ADULT BEGINNER class 1 night per week;  but I am the only member active in doing this.   That's why I desire so much for others to contibute.  I hope  it will happen.

[What do we offer besides a place to play?]

    Heck. Not much.   The TD is very much committed,  and gives lots of work during the weeknight play and on weekend tournaments.    That Strong tournament  activity keeps the club going,  but unfortunately,  it creates an imbalance scenario.  People will always come if someone else does  ALL the work.  Nothing new there.   Getting most people to work  just a little is the challANGE`.

  I have this nagging sense that we need some MISSION STATEMENT;  but I'm not the club PRESIDENT.  At every turn,  I get the feeling that the club is not quite RIPE.

[Your Novelty & Your Club]!!!

    My interest is piqued at your mention of UN-RATED scholastic play at your club.   We do have a "skittles" room separate and there might be 4 to 6 adults & teens playing casual there,  but this is where I want my club to draw more people,   as a gradual means of preparing them for rated play.    I sure wish someone would teach me to use Tournament Software!!!     There are always 8 to 12 people rated from 1400 to 2550 (we have a 2250 & a single 2550!) playing 5 min Blitz.

  Perhaps what is significant RADISHES,  is that I'm venting in this forum.  Lord only knows I've been eager to have dialogue between club officers and myself,  & other members.   I feel motivated by a hope that a club that teaches,  and  engages in a little  chess promotion,   will be more interactive in its community,  and attract the great prize that many dream of:    our very own chess facility,  bought and paid for.

Thanks for your reply.

11

The comment about one person doing ALL the work is very common. Some clubs recognize it to such an extent that they don’t elect a president, but rather acknowledge a king ( :laughing: ).

Your work with the adult class is good. Since there is a lot of speed play going on to the exclusion of many novices, you may be able to start something new without otherwise impacting the meetings.

You may need to work with a TD to learn tournament software. If you haven’t already surpassed it, get your club TD card.

Our club was solid in the '60s through the mid '70s. Then the president retired to Arizona and it dwindled to three people (and would have died if the community park district had actually charged for the site - there current insurance requirement did not exist then). When a dedicated person moved into the area in the early '80s he looked for a chess club and saw ours listed in some old magazines. He was disappointed at the turnout he saw, but recognized the potential and tirelessly rebuilt it.

By the time he retired to Florida in the late ‘90s he had also worked on creating a structure that no longer had to depend on a single person. He also did something similar to help soften the impact his departure had upon Illinois’ K-8 scholastic group.

We now have a club that regularly draws 25-40 players (good for the far west suburbs) with almost half being under 21 (a number with single digit ages). Skittles is from 7 to 8 before the week’s event. We have two multi-week rated tournaments (11 weeks), 3 quick-rated weeks, half a dozen weeks hosting other teams in the regional league (we are current co-champions from our only year in the league), occasional GM simuls, 1 speed-chess tournament week, and mostly serious non-rated ladder play (which qualifies people for rated round robins competing for travelling trophies).

12

How do you graduate from a novice? I do not consider my self a novice but I was back in 1985. I just haven’t played in a tournament since 1991 for the USCF and 1997 for the WCF.

13

My suspicions were confirmed this week. Our Treasurer informed us that our club has fallen into operating at a deficit, at the rate of $100.00 / month.

However, I was very much cheered this week to have learned that USCF has sent out letters to survey and make contact with its various state affiliate organizations. Our State Chess Assn. has grown stronger, I think, and has just recently improved its By-Laws with a “sportsmanship” clause. This enables Board to bar anyone who becomes abusive to players or TD’s.

I believe my club's situation is going to  to decline further,  before it ever gets better.  It will require a completely new footing.  I do not believe that I am the only voice in the club who looks toward a  future membership that is generally committed to promote and teach chess.   I believe that a club's health is not improved by merely catering to people who want to come and play.  On that basis,  the club becomes merely some kind of [u]service organization, catered by a few servants.    I believe there must be a commitment to chess generally,  by the majority.