One last Tuesday, Mathew
Tuesday, 20 October 2026 · Kava Social Club, 540 13th St W, Bradenton
“Chapter 36 done, a Réti vs Capablanca position, and a send-off for Mathew.”
Harold Gonzalez · Club director
Chapter 36 of 40 Lessons for the Club Player, done. Four to go, and fall finally showed up: cool air, clear sky, good weather for long thinks. 🍂
It was also Mathew's last Tuesday study night with us. He is moving to Texas to start a new job, and we could not be prouder. That is the book in his hands in the photo, the one we have worked through together all season. Congratulations, Mathew, and thank you. ❤️
It has been a bittersweet month of goodbyes to long-time regulars. Every one of them helped make this table what it is, and we are grateful for the time they spent at it. 🤝
We ended on a positional game, Réti vs Capablanca, played out from the position below. No cheap tricks, just slow plans and better squares. Stockfish calls it dead level, which is exactly why it is hard. ♟️
Four chapters left, then two big nights: Costume Chess Night on 1 November and Battle for the Bay 2 on 15 November. 🎃⚔️
Got a take? The conversation is on the club Discord.
Every Sunday and Tuesday at eight. Say it's your first night.
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.