Games
Chess
Cafe boards, park tables, casual blitz, patient teachers.
- 2 to 16 people
- $5 commitment
- Low-key
- Levels
How a good one runs
What a good chess plan looks like
Somebody knows the rules and teaches them fast, tables are small enough that everyone plays, and newcomers are welcome at every table. Somebody who knows the ropes takes a few minutes to get newcomers going. No experience needed, nothing to prove. Most plans land between 2 and 16 people: enough energy, still easy to learn names.
Tip for your first one: you do not need to know the rules. Say so when you sit down. Teaching is half the fun for the people who do.
Good to know
Chess on Kept Plans
- Typical group
- 2 to 16 people
- Suggested commitment
- $5 hold, released when you show up
- What to bring
- A board and clock if you have one.
- Weather
- Rarely stops this one.
- Age
- 18 and over, like everything on Kept Plans.
- Levels
- Hosts set one: all levels, beginner friendly, intermediate or advanced.
- Where
- Always a public place.
- Vibe
- Low-key
Chess near you
Kept Plans opens city by city. Join the waitlist for yours.
We open a city when enough people and hosts are ready, so the first plans are full ones. Leave your email and city and we will tell you the day it opens.
Chess questions
Do I need to be good at chess?
No. Hosts label every chess plan with a level: all levels, beginner friendly, intermediate or advanced. Pick the one that matches you today. If you are unsure, beginner friendly is always a safe first plan.
What does the $5 commitment do?
It is a hold on your card, not a charge. Show up and it is released. Cancel 24+ hours before and it is released in full. Cancel later and 50% is kept, unless someone from the waitlist takes your spot. If you do not show up, it is kept.
What if the host cancels?
Every hold is released automatically, and you get a message straight away. The same happens if the plan does not reach its minimum number of people.
Love chess? Host it.
Pick the game, cap the table at the number it plays best, and say whether beginners are welcome. Suggested hold: $5.
More games
- Board gamesTables of three to five, a stack of games, somebody who knows the rules.
- TriviaPub quiz teams built from strangers. Somebody always knows the 90s music round.
- Video gamesCouch co-op, LAN nights, tournament brackets, retro sessions.
- Escape roomOne hour, one locked room, a team that met twenty minutes ago.
- Tabletop RPGOne-shots for beginners and campaigns for regulars.