Are You an OTB Club Player Interested in a Club vs. Club Team Match?

I am told that long ago, it was common to have OTB clubs compete via road trips, “met leagues” and similar venues. The format was simple – several club members pile into a car, go somewhere, play face-to-face against members of another club, a winner was declared – and some “met area” TD announced the results. Weekend chess and other innovations decreased the need for this type of competition, for the purpose of getting more games, and this type of Club vs. Club competition has all but died off.

Fast forward to today, and we see a rich mix of playing opportunities including Club, online, weekend, team, and correspondence. In addition we see the very fast expansion of the US Chess League (USCL) which uses Internet Chess Club (ICC) as the playing hall.

But there is still no widely organized Club vs. Club competition.

QUESTION TO THE READERS:

Are there OTB Club players who would be interested in participating in Club vs. Club Team Matches via webserver correspondence chess?

BACKGROUND:

What is webserver correspondence chess?
Webserver correspondence chess uses an internet browser to make moves. Each move sends an email to your opponent reminding them it is their turn. Players can make their move whenever they want, at their convenience, within the clock limits. It is fun, fast, and easy to follow with crosstables and completed games available online.

Why use webserver correspondence chess for Club vs. Club Matches?
Webserver correspondence chess is uniquely suited for this type of play. Unlike the USCL where high rated chess celebrities schedule the same block of time to play simultaneously in the same playing hall (ICC via internet); Club vs. Club play happens over a few months where players make their moves when they have time. This allows them to think deeply about their games, play better chess, and compete without rearranging their regular schedule. In addition, the webserver correspondence chess ratings are separate from regular USCF ratings so there is no “rating risk”. This makes Club vs. Club via webserver correspondence chess an ideal venue for the OTB Club player.

Have OTB Clubs done this before?
Yes, but typically via email, and in a “casual” mode (such as IYT – “It’s Your Turn”) or via team email correspondence matches organized by Conrad Goodman of IECC (International Email Chess Club). In the IECC Team Match page you can see games from MetroWest CC, Sven Brask CC, as well as traditional correspondence groups. The MetroWest CC matches can also be seen from the MetroWest CC home page under “Compete” on the right hand side.

CALL TO ACTION:

Who is interested so far?
This idea is only a few weeks old, but already there is a lot of excitement. I’m discussing this with traditional OTB Clubs such as MetroWest CC, Punxsutawney PA, a possibility in Melbourne Australia, and Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA) as the playing hall, and some early questions to Boylston CC to get a friendly match going “under the radar”, and test drive some ideas.

Could this turn into something big?
My personal opinion is that once OTB Club players see Club vs. Club play as a viable venue, with a way to determine regional and national champions, this will take off big, similar to USCL.

Are you interested?
If you are interested in commenting, playing, volunteering, or organizing, please contact me.