Kava Social Chess Club
Kava Social
Chess Club
Club nights · Night 595 · League night

Grandmasters, a loop, and a goodbye

Sunday, 11 October 2026 · Kava Social Club, 540 13th St W, Bradenton

A smiling selfie down the long table on the patio under the SUNZ sign, players at their boards
18
players
5
rounds
3
brackets
10
season

“A movie, a five-way loop at the top, and a goodbye to Steve.”

Harold Gonzalez · Club director

Sunday was a double feature. 🎬 First the club went to AMC Bradenton 20 for Grandmasters, the film about Magnus Carlsen and the breakaway league. Then back to the patio for a 9:15 bracket: eighteen players, five rounds, forty-one games.

The reviews came in fast. Benji's word for it: perspective. Toska: "competition is psychological battle just as much as it is a test of skill." And Harold: "Beautiful, thought provoking, and brutally honest." 🍿

Then the bracket, and a top table that beat each other in a circle. Mathew beat Harold. Benji beat Mathew. Josh beat Benji. Brian O beat Josh. Harold beat Brian O. Harold, Benji and Mathew shared the night on 4 of 5. 🔄

Upset of the night: Josh over Benji, a 21% shot against 232 more rating points. Brian O crossed brackets to beat Josh at 24%, Omar Cruz beat Israel at 29%, and Steve drew Toska at 35% on his way to the top of Under 1400. ⚡

Welcome to Joe, Chad and Sean M. Joe's first night: two wins and +118 rating. Maddie played her 50th night with the club, and Vinny passed 25 games. 🌱

Halfway through Season 10: Scott leads Over 1400, Derek, Zack and Israel sit 41 points apart in Under 1400, and Sam leads Under 1000. Three nights left, three needed to qualify for the prize. 🏆

And a goodbye. Steve, with us for four years, is moving to Colorado. We are proud of how far he has come, as a player and as a person, and he said it best himself: "If you win, I win, doesn't really matter. Let's have a fun game." On the club: "This group really is an ambassador for chess." All our love on the new journey, Steve. ❤️♟️

Club members in the reclining seats at AMC Bradenton 20 before Grandmasters
Grandmasters, AMC Bradenton 20.
Steve, on the right, arm in arm with Harold under the tiki
Steve (right) and Harold. Four years at the club, next stop Colorado.

Got a take? The conversation is on the club Discord.

The night's standings

Over 1400
  1. 1Benji44-0-1
  2. 1Harold44-0-1
  3. 1Mathew44-0-1
  4. 4Toska3.53-1-1
  5. 5Josh33-0-2
Under 1400
  1. 1Steve3.53-1-1
  2. 2Brian O33-0-2
  3. 2Jenny33-0-2
  4. 2Omar Cruz33-0-2
  5. 5Israel22-0-3
Under 1000
  1. 1Anton22-0-3
  2. 1Joe22-0-3
  3. 3Maddie21-0-3
  4. 3Vinny21-0-3
  5. 5Diego11-0-2
  6. 5Sam11-0-2
  7. 7Chad00-0-3
  8. 7Sean M.00-0-5

In-house club league ratings; they only count here. W-D-L = wins-draws-losses.

Every Sunday and Tuesday at eight. Say it's your first night.

Your first nightSee the calendarLeague standings
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About the club

Kava Social Chess Club is a chess club in Bradenton, Florida, meeting Sundays and Tuesdays from 8PM to midnight on the back patio at Kava Social Club, 540 13th St W in downtown Bradenton. It is the most active chess club in Manatee County and half an hour from Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto and Ellenton. Every level plays here: beginners, casual players, adults who have not played since school, and US Chess rated tournament players. An in-house chess league every other Sunday, study night on Tuesdays, US Chess rated tournaments a few times a year. 21+, no dues, alcohol-free, in English and Spanish. Established 2021, 600 club nights on record.

If you are looking for where to play chess in Bradenton, or a chess club near you on Florida's Gulf Coast, this is your first night.