The Illinois Chess Association is the official Illinois affiliate of the United States Chess Federation. By joining ICA, you support our efforts to promote chess in Illinois and you receive member benefits.

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What we do:

More than 75 volunteers provide service to Illinois chess players.

Our website, recognized as one of the best state association sites by the Chess Journalists of America, serves more than 5,000 visitors a month. We maintain the only comprehensive listings in the state of tournaments, camps, classes, and other programs. The site also includes a games database, annotated games, copies of the Illinois Chess Bulletin dating to 1979, and a package of youth resources considered perhaps the best in the nation.

We sponsor and promote the four major adult and scholastic state championships (the Illinois Open, the Illinois Class, the K8 championship, and the All Grade), recognizing achievement through awards and titles. The process is guided by an experienced Bid Committee working with a set of bid and tournament guidelines enacted to provide fairness and balance in the bid process. We also sponsor Illinois’ top youth invitationals, qualifying top players for the national Denker, Barber, and Girls’ championships.

Our Youth Committee, comprised of 30 top coaches, parents and organizers, maintains the youth resources section on our website and works to support scholastic chess throughout the state. One of the committee’s major initiatives is to upgrade chess in Chicago’s public schools at no cost to the city. A new Advisory Board has offered to raise the necessary funds. Read offer here.

ICA also supports Illinois’ titled players; supports and maintains the Warren Junior Scholars Program (which identifies and nurtures the State’s top junior players); and provides regular email communication to more than 2,000 members, coaches, parents, organizers, service providers and program directors.

Member benefits:

In addition to supporting ICA’s efforts in Illinois, membership also confers tangible benefits:

Tournament Discounts for ICA championship events (including the Illinois Open and Illinois Class), Continental Chess Association tournaments, and other major Illinois tournaments. Your membership will quickly pay for itself.

Eligibility for “plus-score prizes” (awarded to members who score greater than 50%) at the Illinois Open.

Illinois Chess Tour Benefits – members are eligible for both participation and performance prizes, and are listed in the standings on the Tour webpage.

Affiliate benefits include:

Our monthly Affiliate e-newsletter.

Free Listings – affiliate events are listed in our monthly newsletter, and affiliates are listed on the Affiliates Page with an active link to their website.

Publishing Opportunities – affiliates may write news articles about any event they run; articles will appear in our Club News section and on our front page marquee rotator.

Advertising Discounts – affiliates receive substantial discounts on web advertising rates

Corporate Membership – our premium affiliate membership confers additional advertising discounts. Plus, corporate member events are listed two months further ahead in our newsletter, and are listed at the top of our affiliates page.

How you can help:

Please join today. While tournament fees and advertising revenue contribute to ICA’s budget, 60% of our revenue comes from memberships. Your support is crucial to maintaining and expanding our efforts on behalf of all Illinois chessplayers. Click Shop at the top of our web page to join.

Volunteer to help. If you have free time or special talents, let us know.

Play in ICA-sponsored events. Organizers frequently make payments to ICA based upon the number of entrants. By playing in our major events, you will support our work.