New Membership Structure Coming to US Chess on June 1, 2021

During the Special Delegates Meeting in August 2020, US Chess Delegates adopted a simplified membership structure to reflect changing member preferences and for ease of administration. Before adopting these changes, which take effect on June 1, 2021, US Chess offered more than 25 distinct membership types. After the changes are implemented, the number of membership types will be reduced to 15, which includes options for one- and two-year memberships.

The US Chess Delegates approved a structure that recognizes the following age-level memberships:

Adult (25 – 64 years)
Young Adult (19 – 24 years)
Youth (≤ 18 years)
Senior (65 years and older)

US Chess Executive Board Secretary Ryan Velez sees the changes in a positive light. He notes, “The simplification of our membership structure is important to attracting first time members.”

In addition, printed copies of Chess Life or Chess Life Kids will be an add-on to any Adult, Young Adult or Youth membership. Your membership entitles you to purchase one or both at the member rate, set at no more than 105% of printing and mailing costs. For the fiscal year beginning June 1, 2021, the annual subscription cost for Chess Life is $9.35/year (12 issues) and for Chess Life Kids, $4.75/year (6 issues). Current premium members will continue to receive their print magazines; only when you renew your membership will you need to select the add-on option to continue receiving your print magazine.

The digital versions of both magazines remain available to all members, at no additional cost. With changing preferences for how members access published content, the Executive Board and Delegates affirmed those preferences with the new membership structure. Only Life Memberships continue to come with a printed magazine, unless the member has elected otherwise.

Further, the US Chess Newsletter, mailed to Regular Members who opted in to receive it, and the US Chess Scholastic Newsletter, mailed to Regular Scholastic Members who opted in to receive it, will no longer be produced as the "Regular" category will no longer exist.

According to Mike Hoffpauir, US Chess President, “Having run many tournaments over the years, a more-simple membership structure helps with the administration of selling memberships at tournament sites. The "pay-as-you-go" approach for the magazine will give us good data to see who "really" wants the magazine.” Memberships processed before June 1, 2021 will remain with the terms under which they were sold until their date of expiration. That is, all premium memberships sold will continue to receive the printed magazine until that membership expires.

New membership rates are as follows:

Adult: $45/one year; $87/two years
Senior: $40/one year; $77/two years
Young Adult: $27/one year; $51/two years
Youth: $20/one year; $37/two years
Family Plan 1 (parents and children under age 19, may include college age students up to age 24): $85/one year
Family Plan 2 (all children, under age 19 living in a household at same address): $55/one year