News

Celebrate 10 Years with the Madison City Chess League!

Madison City Chess League (MCCL) held its first meeting on July 22, 2013 at the Rainbow Landing Clubhouse across from Rainbow Elementary. Fourteen students gathered to play chess there, and we quickly outgrew the space and moved to the YMCA and then Dublin Park before landing at Madison Library. We've come a long way as a chess organization and have been instrumental in growing chess in the State of Alabama. Read more about our history here. Now it is time to celebrate out 10th Anniversary!

A New Logo

For our 10th Anniversary we have created a new logo commemorating our ten years as an organization that will carry us forward replacing our original logo. The board layout for the 10th Anniversary logo is based on the Vishy Anand vs Magnus Carlsen Game 6 of the 2013 World Chess Championship (the year MCCL was created). Carlsen went on to win and has been the reigning world champ for the past 10 years until GM Ding Liren was crowned champion in the spring of 2023. This isn’t the final position but the game ends about 2 moves later (the next move is a capture so you’d lose the 10 pieces on the board). The logo was designed by Scott Newberry and Lisa Solvason, parents of students at Rainbow Elementary.

We will begin producing new shirts and merchandise to mark our ten years as a chess organization that will be available at our 10th Anniversary dinner celebration on August 20th.

10th Anniversary Dinner - August 20th at 6 pm at the Jackson Center - with Keynote Speaker Fun Master Mike!

MCCL is pleased to announce that FM Mike Klein (a/k/a Fun Master Mike on ChessKid.com) will be the keynote speaker at our 10th Anniversary Dinner. Fun Master Mike will be available to sign autographs and photos. We will also have a photo booth so you can take photos with your chess friends and Fun Master Mike. Fun Master Mike's appearance is sponsored by Signalink, Inc.

Kids across the globe watch Fun Master Mike's videos on ChessKid.com. He visited Madison before in 2017 to teach at a fall chess camp, and we are thrilled to have him back to meet more chess kids in our area. You can purchase individual tickets or sponsor a table at the MCCL website. Other sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact MCCL President Ranae Bartlett if you are interested in sponsoring one of the 10th Anniversary events.

Special 10th Anniversary Events

We are excited to host a series of events to celebrate ten years of playing chess in this community. Each month beginning in July we will host a special 10th Anniversary event ending with National Chess Day in October.

10th Anniversary Online Rapid Tournament on ChessKid - Saturday July 22nd at 2 p.m.

July 22nd is our actual anniversary date in 2013 when we held our first meeting for students across Madison at Rainbow Landing Clubhouse. So it is only fitting that we host an event on this date! Log on to ChessKid a few minutes before the start time of 2 p.m. Game 15 minutes; 4 rounds.

Back to School Bughouse - Sunday September 10th at 2 p.m. at Madison Library

It's back! Back to School Bughouse returns on Sunday afternoon at Madison Library. This event is for MCCL members only. Register yourself and add your partner's name in the comment. Game 5 minutes, no delay. Player meeting at 1:45 p.m. Round 1 begins at 2 p.m. Read more and how to register here.

National Chess Day Blitz - Saturday October 14th at 2 p.m. at Madison Library

We are celebrating National Chess Day this year with a Blitz tournament at Madison Library on Saturday at 2 p.m. This will be a rated blitz tournament and both adults and students are invited to register in one of two sections: Open or Under 1000. This will only affect one's blitz rating and USCF and ACF membership is required. Read more here. MCCL members receive $10 off registration fee if you register by Oct. 11th.