Chess in Riverside, California? Try the Back to the Grind Coffee Shop in Downtown

Do you live in or around Riverside, California, and wish there was a local chess hotspot? Well, there is! Located at 3575 University Avenue, Back to the Grind coffee house is one block from the historical Mission Inn Hotel. Easy freeway access and located in a great spot downtown, Back to the Grind is a wonderful place for chess players to meet up for casual games!

The chess crowd meets on Thursdays, from 7-11 P.M. Back to the Grind serves a huge variety of coffee and snacks, making it a great environment for the chess gurus. At times, the music can get a tad loud upstairs, but the downstairs area is usually accessible as well, should one want a quieter setting for their games.

There is a wide variety of players who show up, as well. Some are beginners of the game, or new to the five-minute blitz that most the players there prefer. Others are near master level, and are extremely sharp and hard to defeat. There are quiet players, piece-thumpers, loudmouths and casual talkers. In other words, Back to the Grind on Thursday nights showcases a good cross-section of chess players at different strength levels.

After the coffee shop closes at eleven, many of the hard-core chess players shuffle over to the Mission Inn for some late night games in their lobby. A few years ago, players could be found in the lobby until five in the morning or later, involving themselves in game after game, even though they could barely keep their eyes open. Lately, however, I am told that the cutoff is one in the morning, which still allows ample time for some great checkmate action.

Feel free to check out the scene, and involve yourself in as many games as you like. However, be aware that the play is very fast, and it is recommended to bring your own tournament style vinyl chess mat and digital chess clock. Many of the older players still use the analog style, or chess clocks with faces and hands, instead of the easy to read digital style.

Also, it works in your favor if the piece set you employ is of the weighted variety, because when time gets low in a chess battle, players tend to move extremely quickly, and if the pieces are lightweight plastic models they have a tendency to tip over easily.

The style they use in the blitz battle is called "Risers." In this system, the loser gets up, and the next player in line sits down to battle the winner. It is normally considered rude to ask for `one more game` from your opponent, unless you are participating in private games with an individual who is your friend, or not participating in the Risers system.

While five-minute games are the norm, players are welcome to set their clocks to any time control they are comfortable with. Keep in mind, however, that players are more likely to sit down at your table if 5:00 is displayed on your clock, rather than 20:00. Good luck!