Chess Clubs
Metropolitan Chess: The Club of the Year
By IM Jack Peters
A club in Los Angeles quickly earns national recognition through its innovative strategies.
the attention of the chess world. The past few months in Los Angeles have revealed a rare variation of this phenomenon, a club that has suddenly earned national recognition. Since November, Metropoli- tan Chess has run four international title tournaments, with plans for many more. The club was formed last summer when Michael Belcher and Ron Morris joined
O 40 Chess Life — August 2011
ccasionally you will hear of a sensa- tional young player who seemingly comes out of nowhere to capture
forces. Each played at local clubs and felt that downtown Los Angeles could sup- port a new club. Belcher had experience as an organizer, running neighborhood chess events in nearby Boyle Heights at age 10 and scholastic tournaments while in high school. He also provided the site— the California Market Center, a huge 13-story building that occupies an entire block of the downtown fashion district. Belcher had worked there for six years, the last two as a supervisor of security. In a
unique arrangement, he received permis- sion to use large rooms on evenings and weekends when most of the businesses in the building were closed. Los Angeles is a decentralized city with
a downtown area far less exciting than that of most large cities. Hundreds of thousands of people work in the city’s core, drive home in rush hour, and never dream of returning in the evening. Much of downtown is deserted after dark. Not surprisingly, downtown chess clubs have
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