Area Event Updates

Check out several events coming up in the next couple of months by clicking on the Area Events link above!

Where did all this get started?

The modern Spokane Chess Club was formed under the leadership of Dr. Griffith H. Parker on November 18, 1950. Thirty players responded to a newspaper story about Dr. Parker’s interest in forming a club. News stories indicate that chess had flourished in town during the early days of the twentieth century, but the 1950 meeting marked the rebirth of club chess in the city.

The club currently sponsors three major weekend tournaments, two of which date back to the 1950s. The Eastern Washington Open, usually held in mid-September, and the Inland Empire Open, now held in the late spring, have both been around for nearly 50 years. The premiere event sponsored by the club is the Dave Collyer Open held in late February. That event was played for the first time in 1993. The club also participates in the recently revived Spokane Championship match. Other past tournaments have included the Lilac City Open and the Spokane County Open.

A history is being developed for each of the major weekend tournaments. If you have information about past chess events from the 1950s through the 1970s, please contact us through the website.