Chess sessions on Mondays
We meet every Monday (except on holidays), any other exceptions will be posted to Instagram. We start at 17:30 and play until approximately 19:00, sometimes later. So far these Monday gatherings have been structured around playing casually, often with a chess-clock on a mobile app. In the near future we intend to re-purpose some of these Mondays into more organised training – see Coaching and lessons below. Those that still wish to play chess as usual may do so.
Coaching and lessons
The standard structure of a chess lesson is that a strong player shows his own game or tactical puzzles which the group will then learn something from. The person responsible for the lesson will go through his thoughts and hopefully everyone will leave with some new insights! Due to the differences in skill, the lessons may be split into groups depending on the situation. Ideally the participants already have a somewhat decent tactical ground so if your chess.com rating is somewhere around 800-2000 then you will likely follow what’s going on. Players below this rating band are welcome too, just be prepared to accept that there will be moments where you wonder what the hell these people are yapping about…
On a serious note I believe everyone can get something out of it – just the insight into the thought process of a stronger player will likely serve as guidance for how to think in your own games!
Lessons will be announced on Instagram.
Tournaments
We will organise a chess tournament in Nymble on the 19th of April 2026. Besides that we try to organise a few tournaments per year as well as friendly matches against other universities.
FAQs
What level do I have to be to join?
The KTH chess club is open to all levels – most of our players are currently unrated in terms of FIDE rating (ELO) while our better players have an official ELO of around 2000 or more.
I don't think I will be available too often - can I still participate?
Of course! We are looking to expand the club, even members who are not always present contribute to the club just by coming along!
Is there any membership fee and if yes how much is it?
The club is undergoing some restructuring so the membership fee is yet to be determined. It will likely be less than 50kr per term. For now you are welcome to attend all of our Monday sessions for free, if any fee is introduced it will not apply retroactively.
Can I bring some friends even if they are new to chess?
Hell yeah, the more people you bring the better, hopefully we will get more boards soon to support the growing number of members.
I want to compete in external ELO-rated tournaments. Can I do so whilst representing the KTH chess club?
We have initiated a dialogue with the Stockholm Chess Federation and intend to apply for a membership which will grant us the status of a “proper” chess club. In a few month you can hopefully play ELO-rated tournaments. The application involves some administrative inconveniences hence the long interim period.
I don't study at KTH, can I still play?
No problem! THS has a rule regarding the percentage of external students but we are at no risk of exceeding any limit so if you’re from any other university such as SU or KI etc or even if you aren’t studying you are welcome to join!
Where do you play and what can I expect from the club?
We play in Nymble. There is a wide range in skill level among our members so hopefully you will find someone to challenge on equal terms! We also organise tournaments and chess lessons, see above.
Are the lessons free?
Yes, currently the lessons are completely free of charge.
På svenska
Hemsidan är på engelska för att vara tillgänglig för utländska studenter. Om ni har frågor går det bra att skriva på vilket språk ni vill, dessutom är det ganska många i schackklubben som kan svenska. Kom förbi nån måndag, ni är välkomna till spelkvällarna oavsett nivå!