History

The current version of the Castle Rock Chess Club was formed in 2009 by Herb Simpson and Ron Rossi, and meets every Monday night in the Philip and Jerry Miller library. The first couple of years were lean ones as far as attendance goes. There were many times where only three or four people would show up, and two of those people were the founders. Not a lot of new faces back then. They often wondered if the club would survive, but with the help of Jane Smith and other library staff, we are still hanging on. The town has had other other clubs in the past, so here's a quick look back:

Sometime in the early 2000's there was a group organized by churchgoer Dave Cook. That club met once a month at the quaint old library on plum creek. The gatherings were small. They would meet on a crisp Saturday morning, eat doughnuts and play soothing celestial music while doing battle. Sadly the club disbanded after only a couple years.

Then in the mid 2000's another group emerged. Herb Simpson recalls that they would meet in a condo community clubhouse over in the Meadows area (the westside of Castle Rock). They too are gone.

Which brings us full circle to 2009, and the beginnings of our current version of the CRCC. Most people don't know it, but we were created by a Christian gentleman named Baughb Martin, who made a simple flyer and a request for a room at the library. Baughb didn't stay long though, he left a couple months after forming the club, and that's when Herb and Ron stepped in. They kept the boat afloat over the intervening years.

Ron eventually turned the club over to Herb. Ron makes it out to the club occasionally and can be found at local tournaments. Herb finally made the switch from snowbird to full-time resident of Arizona to enjoy his retirement.

Since 2018, the club has been organized by Zach Metcalf. He's taken the club through the pandemic of 2020 and new construction of the library. With the help of stellar members, the club has grown an online presence and has been enjoying larger and larger crowds of people who enjoy a casual game of chess. Although not a strong player, he truly enjoys casual games with new and long time members of the club.