January 2016 Chess Events
January is full of chess events in our community. The Madison City Chess League is hosting many of these events and also keeping everyone apprised of chess tournaments in our community as students in our area prepare for the State Scholastic Chess Championship in March.
Here is a look at the upcoming events in January.
MCCL Membership Renewal – Join Now for 2016
Have you joined MCCL or renewed your membership for 2016? If you join by January 9, 2016, you can designate one family member to vote at the MCCL annual meeting on January 13, 2017 on the 2016 Board of Directors. Join today!
MCCL Meetings Resume – January 4, 2016
The Madison YMCA welcomes back kids K-12 to practice their chess skills on Monday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Free
ChessKid Night – Tuesday January 5, 2016 at 6 p.m. 
The first Tuesday of every month is ChessKid night in Madison. Log onto www.chesskid.com to play Fast Chess at 6 p.m. It is part of the National Fast Chess Hour and you will get to play a variety of kids. Read more about it here.
Winter Knights Chess Tournament - January 8-9, 2016
This is the third qualifier for the City Chess Championship at the end of March, and the game time is 60 minutes/d5. The longer game times require us to start the first round on Friday, January 8th at 6:00 p.m. at Columbia Elementary. The remaining four rounds will be completed on Saturday, January 9th. Read more about the tournament here.
This four-round tournament on Saturday January 9th offers game times of 30 minutes/d5. This is the same time control as Queen’s Quest, the upcoming Rookie Rally, and the State Scholastic Chess Championship. Columbia Elementary is also our host for this tournament that offers a non-rated section for first-time competitors. Learn more about the tournament and how to register here.
Girls Chess Night Resumes at Heritage Elementary – January 12, 2016
The free Girls Chess Night program moves to Heritage Elementary in January, and the fun occurs from 6-7 p.m. Heritage Elementary is located at 11775 County Line Road, Madison AL 35758. You do not have to bring anything except your girlfriends to play chess. Read more about Girls Chess Night here.
MCCL Challenge – January 13, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
Adults, are you brave enough to accept the MCCL Challenge? If so, you will be paired against kids age 10 or younger to play a chess match. There’s just one catch—if the adult loses, a donation is made to the Madison City Chess League, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This is the major fundraiser for MCCL, and is a lot of fun for both adults and kids. You can register to participate here.
Rookie Rally – Blossomwood Elementary – January 30, 2016
Last year, the Rookie Rally was the largest team chess tournament in our area with almost 200 kids competing in four different sections. Hosted by Blossomwood Elementary, the tournament is always a great challenge and attracts some of the best chess players in the region. Early registration deadline is January 13th. The registration form can be found here.