About
About Us
Established in 2016, the LA Chess Social was a small gathering that unofficially operated as the Pasadena City College Chess Club, Cal State LA Chess Club and the Cal Tech Chess Club. Since then, our club has made a name for itself, having grown dramatically in attendance and professionalism. The LA Chess Social has carved out a niche in the American chess scene, providing a space for chess players to practice, meet people with similar interests, and to enjoy curated local live music. We are proud to have over five hundred events under our belt, partnerships with over twenty-five venues, and dozens of bands/musicians working with us.
Our high production events are all unique with a high emphasis placed on variety. While most of our attendees drop in to play casual games with others, many also come for our quarterly tournaments, chess challenges, unique live music experiences, special event themes, and raffles. With an average of a hundred or so attendees weekly, the Chess Social has become a quintessential community event in Los Angeles.
Thank you for helping us achieve our mission of promoting casual and competitive chess play in Southern California!
President and Founder Karl Grant
Since the beginning of the Chess Social in 2016, Grant has spent hundreds of hours carefully coordinating each event over eight years. Grant has demonstrated both dedication and resolve in his efforts of promoting chess in Southern California.
Grant also teaches chess for the South Pasadena Unified School Disctrict, teaches chess in private/group lessons, and volenteers alongside several University collegiate chess programs.
When they aren't working for the Chess Social, you can find Grant working at their main job as a child therapist, or buried in philosophy and gender studies research. Grant Additionally, he has a passion for sailing, the outdoors, and Ultimate Frisbee.
VICE PRESIDENT JEREMY ALEXANDER
For the past eight years, Jeremy has organized hundreds of chess events across Southern California. In 2022, Jeremy joined the Los Angeles Chess Social and has since co-hosted every monthly social for the past two years.
Before joining the LA Chess Social, Jeremy was President of Chess Club at UCR and has trained dozens of chess leaders as an organizational advisor. In addition to his academic studies at UC Riverside, Jeremy also played a formidable role in the development of the California Intercollegiate Chess League, a precursor to the Collegiate Chess League. He is presently an educational consultant for the Day & Knight Chess Club and a chess instructor through the South Pasadena Educational Foundation (SPEF).
The Board
Travis Sidle
Board Member
Kris Thomas
Board Member
Shelby Clark
Board Member
Bryan Rivera
Tournament Coordinator
Marketing Director
Could be you!
Julissa Lopez
Art & Media Director
Andrei R
Art & Design Director
Partner Outreach
Could be you!
Esteemed Members
Dave Matson
Russ Balcom
Marina Kha
AJ Sririvastava
John Koch
Jeana Pecha
The Professor
Cici Xiao
Dan Tran
Steve Rapacourt
Dan Langlois
Teva Simone
Joe Griffin
Marco Hernandez
Eddie Michael
Shelby Chark