Originally posted by PBE6
I'm thinking about joining a chess club. Apparently there's a respected teacher and FIDE Master at a club about 20 minutes from my house, so I think I'm going to investigate that club further.
What should one look for in a club?
I'd say the important things are:
- some players around your level
- some better players
- a team you might be able to play for
- opening night which suits you
Number of opening nights might be important to you. For me it is not: I devote one night per week to chess, and it is easier for me to do that if it is usually the same night - sometimes my team plays games at other clubs, and those can be on other nights.
I find that being in a team motivates me to play more, and try harder.
If you join a team to play local league games, knowing the distance to the furtherest club in it is useful. It is no fun to drive 1.5 hours on a work night, play 3-4 hours of chess, and drive back home to get in bed after midnight. I also found my play suffered on those nights.
My 2 cents.