Below is a brief history of the Jacksonville Chess Club
Jacksonville Chess Club, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to foster interest in and appreciation for the game of chess.
Club members range from novice first time beginners to nationally rated Masters. So there is always someone to play on an equal basis or someone to make you stretch to improve your game.
The club offers fellowship for people of many cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds. With visitors stopping by from different states and countries, the club draws new players with new styles on a regular basis.
The club has sponsored scholastic chess tournaments and has donated chess pieces and boards to schools trying to establish chess clubs and teams. We also have participated in a number of charitable organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association Local Carnival and the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
The JAXCC has been in existence since 1885, Even before the Jacksonville "Great Fire" of 1901. It was the host of the 1990 U.S. Open and the U.S. Championship also in 1990. Many times we had the Florida State Championship here.
The club has also sponsored simultaneous exhibitions with such notables as Boris Spassky, Miguel Najdorf, George Koltanowski, British Champion Brian Eley, Yasser Seriwan, Sammy Reshevsky, and Lev Alburt.
Both GM Arnold Denker and GM Susan Polgar have had ties and visits to Jacksonville.