Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do I need to pay for a membership to attend any of your weekly club meetings?
A: No, it costs nothing to just come and play chess. We remain open to the public, free of charge, in perpetuity. Our current membership only covers the right to vote at our annual business reorganization meetings. We plan to introduce new tiers of memberships that will come with a ton of perks (merch, equipment, etc.), so stayed tuned for that!
Q: Does your club offer coaching?
A: We, as an entity, do not offer formal coaching/lectures outside of our guided instruction at our Saturday meetings. That said, a few of our members do offer independent affordable coaching, so feel free to reach out to us and we can set you up with a coach.
In addition to our guided instruction, we offer teaching materials and resources to parents and anyone else looking to improve their play, and we are always open to helping people improve on an ad-hoc basis. Formal chess school-style coaching is something we have considered, and may implement given future growth, but is unfortunately not something we can guarantee -- or sustain -- for the time being.
Q: Do I need a USCF membership to play in tournaments?
A: Yes, almost all of our events (and events that we promote) are USCF rated, and every USCF rated event requires that every participant is registered, and an active member of the United States Chess Federation (USCF). You can purchase a membership here! If you need any assistance in acquiring a membership, please email us at info.roanokechess@gmail.com with the subject "USCF Membership Help".
Note: this is a separate membership from our club membership. Club memberships are not required to participate in any of our events.
Q: Is the club open to any and all ages and skill levels?
A: Absolutely! We encourage everyone to come join us at our weekly club meetings, especially beginners and families. We believe that chess is a life-skill: one which trains you to think systematically. Part of our mission statement is the promotion of all things chess in and around the Roanoke Valley, including chess education. We are devoted to helping people of all ages and skill levels get more into chess, and most importantly, have a ton of fun doing it!
Q: What do the different acronyms on your site mean?
A:
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USCF: The United States Chess Federation. This is the national governing body for chess tournaments in the United States, and the organization which issues ratings, and tournament standards and regulations.
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FIDE: The International Chess Federation. This is the global governing body for chess tournaments, which has its own set of standards, regulations, and ratings.
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RVCC: This is the acronym for "Roanoke Valley Chess Club" (us!)
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RCPS: This is the acronym for "Roanoke City/County Public Schools". Alongside the RVCC, RCPS has its own programs and events which they host. The way to think about it is: RCPS handles Scholastic Chess in Roanoke, and RVCC handles everything else. That said, we support each other closely in our endeavors, and often collaborate and share resources.