Update December 2021
This page is getting a little out of date. There is still relevant information here, but what should be emphasised most at the moment is that if you join the NZCF Lichess Team you can participate in regular competition, irrespective of covid levels/settings, due to the efforts of the indefatigable Timothy Ha.
Keeping Local Chess Alive During the Covid-19 Crisis
These pages will be kept up for the time being. Although chess life has largely returned to normal in New Zealand, there are still (hopefully temporary) occasions where Covid level 2 or higher returns and local chess goes back online.
I will attempt to provide a one stop directory of activity here, but I need people to let me know what they are doing. If you are organising online local chess in New Zealand, please email me billforsternz@gmail.com and provide me with a link that I can list here. See our article on Running chess clubs online for ideas for getting your club online if it's not already.
NZCF Lichess Team and Online Interclub Chess.
If you join the NZCF Lichess Team you can participate in regular competition, even during level 1, due to the efforts of the indefatigable Timothy Ha.
The <href="https://lichess.org/team/new-zealand-chess-federation">NZCF Lichess Team was originally organised to allow everyone to play in an official NZCF online interclub competition.
Auckland Chess Centre
The Auckland Chess facebook page is very active, the highly energetic Timothy Ha has been instrumental in the emerging online team competition. Here is their Lichess Page.
The Mount Chess Club
Bob Smith reports: We switched to organised on-line chess just before Lockdown and have completed our first event on chess.com, a five round event appropriately called “The Lockdown Swiss”. Another tournament starts next week at the time our club meets during more normal times – 1pm on Mondays. We are also running regular one-day quick tournaments on Fridays; it’ll be our fourth next week. Members are kept in touch via email, with results posted on our "Mount Chess Club" Facebook page. Anyone interested in joining in should email Bob at caissa1530@gmail.com.
Waitakere Chess Club
Waitakere Chess Club are running a swiss Lockdown tournament with both A and B grades. Format of 60+30 on Thursdays at about 7pm or 7.30 pm (keeping their normal time and structure as their club night). A grade is approximately 1800+ and B grade is below 1800. The online club is here and they announce the draw, results, upset prizes and players do post match analysis (kibitzing) on their facebook page. They are also running a rapid (25+5) ladder.
North Shore Chess Club
Helen Milligan reports that there is now a North Shore team on Lichess.
Papatoetoe Chess Club
Stan Yee reports: We simply set up the club on chess.com before Level 4 Lockdown came in and picked up our regular tournaments online, and organised them by group emails. We also set up the club on Facebook and share the tournament information there. Contact stanyeenz@gmail.com if interested. Our website was down (update: now up again, so this was how we handled it.
Wellington Chess Club
Wellington Chess Club are now running normal Swiss events online as described on the online page
of their website. They are also running new online only events, and competing in the emerging national team competition. Their early experience and approach is documented here.
Our number one tip: Please, if you are making an online account with a view to replacing your normal over-the-board chess
during the Covid-19 crisis, just use your normal name. It will make it a lot easier for your club administrators and for your opponents
Last but not least, it will even help you to readily recognise normal local chess - just online.
Canterbury Chess Club
Canterbury Chess Club have also put their online efforts up front on their website.
Otago Chess Club
Otago Chess Club have also put their online efforts up front on their website. On April 1st they successfully started a two rounds per night normal rapid on Lichess, using a Lichess "Otago Chess Club" team as a co-ordination mechanism. This is the same model Wellington CC are now planning to use from April 9th.
Kapiti Chess Club
Kapiti Chess Club are following a similar model to several other clubs. Their plan is up front on their website. Again they are also using a Lichess team on their normal club night.
Auckland University Chess Association
Rishit Patel from AUCA has been in touch. AUCA (not yet an official NZCF club, but they're working on it), have adapted to the transition online like ducks to water. They have held a number of events and matches (including matches with other Australasian universities), and have a growing roster of players.
AUCA promote an all inclusive chess environment. They do especially encourage younger people, such as high school students and university members, or recent graduates of university to join in their events, but also welcome regular members from other clubs to join. Sart at their Facebook page (link).
Check Your Local Listings
I don't propose to research what every club in the country is doing, but I do offer to put localised information up on this page if I am asked (nicely:). In the meantime players can always check the club websites themselves, see the Chess Clubs page.