The Cooper Chess Club will meet every Saturday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in the first-floor GoZone room of the Cooper Memorial Library. All ages and experience levels are welcomed.
Chess is a great way to make friends, win money, challenge your mind and build confidence. The club hopes everyone—children, teens, adults, boys, girls, experts and novices—joins the club.
“My two main goals are to guide beginners into tournament chess, and to host rated tournaments for more experienced players,” says Connor Eickelman, one of the Cooper Chess Club volunteers. “I want to share my love of chess with other people. I was fostered by experienced players, and I want to do the same for others.”
Connor has played in 80 tournaments across the country. Jim McTigue, the other volunteer, has played in hundreds of tournaments in the U.S. and abroad. Jim also competed on the U.S. Virgin Islands’ team twice, in 1990 and 2016, and is competing in his third Olympiad this year. Both are from Clermont.
The Cooper Memorial Library is an ideal location for meetings and tournaments. It’s centrally located, with excellent parking and food options nearby.
The Cooper Chess Club is a branch of the Lake County Chess Club, sponsored by the Lake County Library System. They also meet:
Mondays, 3 pm. – 4 pm at the Marianne Beck Memorial Library in Howey-in-the-Hills
Mondays, 5 pm – 7 pm at the Cagan Crossings Community Library near Four Corners
Tuesdays, 3 pm – 4 pm at the Fruitland Park Library
Saturdays, 10 am – 12 pm at the W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora
Official boards, pieces, and clocks are provided at all locations. Each meeting starts with guided instructions, followed by play.
