BICYCLe Chess is dedicated to creating and supporting environments for people to meet, play, learn, grow and bond through the game of chess -- played in person, over-the-board -- in the Bloomington, Indiana metropolitan area.
The group, which has existed on-again/off-again since 2001, has reorganized as of December 2007, eager to create new opportunities as well as support the work of existing clubs and organizers of chess activities.
BICYCLe Chess strives to welcome all players, including experienced players, beginners, men and women, adults and children, seniors and toddlers old enough to understand the game. Some of its core principles include:
- holding competitions purely for amateurs, in which players play for pride and enjoyment, never for prizes
- promoting over-the-board play, not play through or against a computer
- encouraging and teaching beginners at every opportunity, and training advanced players to tutor beginners
- organizing gatherings to play chess that are more like "socials" than "club" meetings, where the emphasis is on fellowship rather than championship
- scheduling socials at a variety of times throughout the week or month, and at locations throughout the area, to accommodate the widest possible variety of potential players and their busy lives
- reaching out to and supporting communities and organizations -- neighborhoods, church congregations, companies, schools, senior centers and so on -- who would benefit from a weekly or monthly social occasion like chess can provide
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