Are you a Chess player in Maine? This guide is full of resources for you to connect with players around you.
Chess in Maine
The listing of informative resources is the perfect place to turn for those that are interested in playing chess in Maine. The Pine Tree State has a great chess scene that is seeing a lot of growth and there are many outstanding organizations, clubs, and tournaments that help players across the state to engage in the game that they are so passionate about.
The Chess Scene in the Pine Tree State
Though the game of chess might not be the first thing that comes to mind when the state of Maine is brought up, the reality is that the Pine Tree State enjoys a steadily growing chess scene full of diversity when it comes to the backgrounds of the players as well as their ages. The Maine Chess Association is the top organization that promotes chess in Maine. The association’s website is full of great resources such as links to tournaments and clubs. It also provides a link to the Chess Atlantic Newsletter.
Who Are Maine’s Top Chess Players?
There are some outstanding players from the state of Maine that are competitively ranked by the United States Chess Federation. These players include National Masters such as Matthew E. Fishbein, and Jarod J. Bryan as well as Candidate Masters such as Aaron Spencer and Ruben Babayan. At the current time, there are 166 chess players from the state of Maine that are ranked by the United States Chess Federation.
Main Chess Clubs and Groups
There are some great clubs and groups that promote chess in Maine. Groups allow you to connect with local players so you can help each other improve. Remember, one of the reasons why Russians are so good at Chess is because they work together. These organizations help the state’s players to connect in real-time as well as online.
Augusta Chess Club – The Augusta Chess Club holds its meetings from 5 to 10 pm on Tuesdays at Barnes and Noble in Augusta, ME. Those who want to find out more about the club can contact Barry Magda at bajmagda@gmail.com.
Bonny Eagle Chess Club – This chess club holds its scholastic meetings from 2:15 to 4 pm on Wednesdays. The meetings are held at Bonny Eagle Middle School. Open meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month at Snickerdoodles Coffee Sho from 1 to 3 pm.
South Berwick Chess Club – The South Berwick Chess Club meets at the South Berwick Senior Center on Thursdays from 1 to 3:30 pm. Those who want to find out more about the club should contact George Deyman at gk7982@gmail.com.
The Main Chess Association’s Chess Club Listing
Top Chess Tournaments in the State of Maine
Chess tournaments give players the chance to put their skills to the test against their peers. The following events are some of the top chess tournaments in the state of Maine.
- Maine Individual Scholastic Chess Championship – This K-5 scholastic chess tournament is U.S. Chess Federation Rated and generally takes place on the 27th of June.
- Maine Open Championship – The Main Open Championship is usually held from the 16 to the 18th of July in Waterville, ME.
Chess Shops in Maine
These are a few of the shops that you should check out if you are in the state of Maine and need to pick up a new chess set.
- Diversions Puzzles & Games – The word among local Portland, ME residents is that Diversions Puzzles & Games has the region’s top board game selection. It is a top spot in the region when you need to grab a nice chess set for yourself or as a wonderful gift.
- The Dragon’s Lair – For chess lovers in the Norway, ME region, The Dragon’s Lair is a go-to spot. The shop is known as a great place when it comes to board games.
- Game Citadel – Game Citadel is one of the top places that residents in Bangor, ME head to when they need to purchase their chess supplies. The shop is renowned for its large selection of board games.
- Game On – Game On is an Augusta, ME game shop that has a great selection of tabletop board games. It is a top spot in the area when you need to find quality chess games.
Further Resources
This list of further resources can also provide you with plenty of assistance if you are interested in playing chess in Maine. They can also help you with finding out more about the national and global chess community.
- Chess.com
- FIDE – The International Chess Federation
- The Maine Chess Association
- The Official Facebook Page of the Main Chess Association
- The Official Twitter Feed of the Main Chess Association
- The United States Chess Federation
If this post on Maine Chess helped you, you might also be interested in reading more about Chess in the United States or a specific state like Texas or California.
