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We are pleased to announce that you can now join or renew your SGVCC membership online. As a recognized 501(c)(7) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Service, Club dues help us keep a small reserve as most of the entry fees we collect go towards our overhead costs and prize money. We are also offering a new discounted rate for those that elect to sign up for automatic membership renewal (see details on our Home Page). This will really benefit the Club and prevent us from having to send so many reminders. Since our opening in March of 2020 SGVCC has offered 9-10 rated events each year, rated blitz, and simuls by top players, all thanks to the support of our members.

And we will still continue to accept memberships in person at the Club where you can pay by cash, check, or by using the new QR code on our application. Thank you for your support of San Gabriel Valley Chess Club!

International Master Annie Wang took some time away from her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to give a lecture and exhibition at San Gabriel Valley Chess Club (SGVCC) on May 30, 2023. A local chess prodigy who grew up in nearby La Canada, she took on a strong field of 30 players, winning all but one game. Before the games, Annie gave a lecture where she highlighted a win against a Grandmaster and offered some helpful practical advice on facing stronger opponents. She also provided an interesting insight into how chess can help other activities, noting that chess teaches you to sit and problem solve, which has been a helpful skill in her computer science studies at MIT.

Due to the large number of players, the action at the boards went late into the night. At about 11:15 p.m. there were still twelve players battling it out, including some youngsters who had school the next day! So, a decision was made to have Annie finish those games with a chess clock where each side would have one minute with a two second increment. The result was a rather exciting finale as the spectators followed her from board to board as she took on the remaining players.

And so were we not only able to finish before midnight, but those remaining players can now say they played Annie Wang one-on-one in a blitz game! A nice memory and we hope it won’t be the last time we see Annie back at SGVCC. A special thanks as well to all who participated and helped organize this very special event.

San Gabriel Valley Chess Club is a non-profit corporation under IRC Section 501(c)(7). As such, all monies collected or any donations received are used for the benefit of our members. All Board members serve as volunteers without compensation. Please contact us if you would like to donate to SGVCC!