Western Illinois Chess Club

09/30/2026

Some action shots from our rated rapid tournament on September 15th, 2026. Rafael stormed the competition finishing 4/4 and clear first.

09/30/2026

A huge congratulations to the representatives from the Western Illinois Chess Club in winning the Iowa Team Championship! Our team won the event that featured a team from Iowa City, two teams from Cedar Rapids, and a scholastic team out of Linn Mar. Nice job Luis, Sam, Rafael, and Scott! 🏆♟️

08/25/2026

A look at our upcoming schedule. Due to potential changes in availability this schedule should be considered tentative, so please join our group-text or check-in on this page for any updates.

08/22/2026

A tradition since 1981, the annual speed chess tournament at the Iowa State Fair brings community to the fairgrounds. See link below ⬇️

📸 Veronica Meiss/The Register

08/21/2026

Welcome to our first club member spotlight! Meet club member, and board member, Adam Gibson.
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What got you interested in chess and how long have you been playing?

I've been playing chess since I was 7 years old. I started playing in a before school program in elementary school and then eventually played in the middle school club, then came back to it after high school, college, and afterward. I think what's got more interesting to study over time is the positional and evaluation aspects of the game, and that is what's keeping me interested at the moment.

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Who is your favorite chess player, past or present?

My favorite chess player is Magnus Carlsen, he makes the game seem really simple and straightforward and it's very inspiring.

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If you could travel back in time to watch one chess event live, what would it be?

I think if I could watch one chess event live, it would be the 2018 World Championship where Fabiano Caruana played Magnus Carlsen.

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What is your favorite thing about chess?

My favorite thing about chess is that it occupies and immerses my brain and helps me escape responsibilities and stresses for an hour or two.

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In your free time, if you're not playing chess, what are you most likely doing?

I'm most likely either reading or watching movies.

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Favorite movie, TV show, and/or book?

My favorite movie is Dune Part 2, my favorite show is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and my favorite book series is Wheel of Time.

08/20/2026

08/06/2026

Thank you to all that participated in our August 1st tournament! We'd like to thank Shawn Kmetz from the Cedar Rapids Chess Club for being our tournament director. Congratulations to all of the winners in our 3 sections!! Enjoy some photos photos from our day of chess!

07/16/2026

Congratulations to James White (Open winner) and Leo Johnson (Beginner winner) for their victories in our rapid tournament on July 7th. 🏆🥇

We plan on having rated rapid tournaments every other Tuesday. We'll be back to more rated action at Trinity Lutheran Church (Moline) on July 21st. $5 entry fee for 4 rounds of chess. We hope to see you there!

06/23/2026

We hope to see you this evening for some casual games of chess starting at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moline!