Where to Start
At NSWCA, we are committed to assisting all new chess players in achieving their goals. We recommend that anyone new to chess looking to join our vibrant chess community first read this page. This page includes key information about how NSWCA is supporting our chess players in the community.
List of Clubs
There are various chess clubs around Sydney and in Country regions that are open to all players!
The three main chess clubs in the Sydney Metropolitan Area are:
• Norths Chess Club (Serving the North Shore and Northern Suburbs)
• Rooty Hill Chess Club (Serving Greater Western Sydney)
• St George Chess Club (Serving Eastern and South Eastern Sydney)
Please check out our list of clubs page to see all the clubs in your area!
Playing your first tournament
We understand that it is pivotal for any chess player’s success and growth in the game of chess that they must play and analyse their tournament games in order to improve.
For that reason, we have set up a generous number of easy-to-join chess tournaments throughout the year, including Weekenders, Rapid, and Blitz tournaments and our flagship event, the NSW Open. The upcoming tournaments section on our website displays the dates of upcoming tournaments and how to register.
Please note that to play in a NSWCA event, you must first become a member of the NSWCA.
Chess tournaments that are not hosted by the NSWCA (usually club tournaments) do not require you to become a member of the NSWCA. However, you are required to become a registered member of the NSWCA, which may be either paid by you or your chess club. (Junior players, U18, have to be members of the NSW Junior Chess League instead)
The majority of events held by the NSWCA are FIDE and ACF rated. This means that the games will be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess. To learn more about the laws of chess, please click here.
NSWCA Mailing List
To join the NSWCA mailing list and not miss an upcoming event, please use the following like to sign up.
Chess for Juniors
Junior players (U18) are welcome to play at NSWCA events, but they do not need to become members of the NSWCA. However, they must become a member of the NSW Junior Chess League to play in NSWCA events.
The NSWJCL also hosts events for juniors during the school holiday period; please visit their website for more information.