The Mount Maunganui RSA and complimentary Tauranga RSA Chess Clubs are the places to be when it comes to a ‘friendly game of chess’.
The Mount Maunganui RSA Chess club is the sole local club Affiliated to the NZ Chess Federation and has a flexible fun program able to handle all lifestyles.
“In our main tournament events we always have a top group and a concurrently running casual group whereby players come and go as they please, something quite easy for us to work out”, says Secretary & Co-founder Caleb Wright.
All the top local players attend and competition is a great driver amongst the casual group players who are always looking to better themselves.
“We have players who are quite surprised at how much they enjoy our club to any perception they may have and the welcoming atmosphere which makes all the difference.”
After the Mount Maunganui RSA Chess club was founded in 1999, the complimentary Tauranga RSA Chess club was started in 2012 to further.
“Players could see that attempting to have another club on the same day as the well established Mount Maunganui RSA Chess club was silly, so the logical and genuine way forward was a complimentary location, complimentary name, and complimentary day of the week along with a complimentary program.
Few were ever going to be fooled for long, especially when all the top local players attend the Mount Maunganui RSA Chess club and still do. Neither club has any vested interests or any personal financial gains by the Committee members.”
The Mount Maunganui RSA Club meets at the club rooms Mondays with it’s early program and some teaching from 6pm to 7:30pm while the late program is 7:30pm to 9:30pm. The Tauranga RSA meets at the Tauranga RSA in Greerton on Fridays 5pm to 7pm, but often finishing later. Both clubs happily work well together in proper and credible procedures, and a pooling of resources to organise the significant local annual events.
“It’s known that you can organise just about anything in NZ’s three main population centres, but in the provinces you have to really know what you are doing.”
NZ Chess Federation’s Bay of Plenty Schools regional competition 2018
August this year saw the NZ Chess Federation’s Bay of Plenty Schools regional competition being held and organised locally by both RSA clubs. Drawing on schools from Coromandel, Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty, the events comprised of three divisions and totalled some 168 players – Primary, Intermediate and Secondary, with the winning school of each division going on to the National finals.
Bay of Plenty Students’ Chess tournament 2018
September 2018 has seen a milestone reached in the very first local series between schools – the Bay of Plenty Students’ tournament. Reaching its 20th event, here locally, this series has been proud to still be proving itself very well, whereby players don’t play against anyone from the same school.
Any player is welcome to visit either RSA Chess club and see if chess is for you !
Contact
For more information you can write to chess@baylive.nz for a prompt reply!
