GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux showcasing the Navy Blue HHCC t-shirt!
The Hart House Chess Club is proud to have high quality, club branded merchandise available for purchase. 100% of proceeds supports the activities and members of the Hart House Chess Club.
As of 2025, the Club maintains a stock of:
t-shirts available at $25 per shirt.
To purchase merchandise, please purchase online here and contact us at hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca to coordinate a pickup. Alternatively, you may pay in-person at the Hart House HUB, during Casual Chess Fridays or during tournaments.
Call for Support
During its history, Hart House Chess Club has benefited crucially from the number of its members who have chosen to maintain their association and support of the Club beyond their time as students. This has helped the Club to maintain continuity not only of its existence but also of its character. Anyone who has played at the Club will attest to the liveliness of its atmosphere and the enthusiasm of its members. The stream of students who have come through its doors over the years consists of the whole range of players, from complete beginners to ones with international titles.
HHCC Toque
As the Club moves into its 127th year of existence as U of T’s official Chess Club, its initiatives keep increasing, hitting record numbers of club members as well as internal and external events. More and more students get to enjoy the invaluable benefits of the game in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. However, these rich activities have also resulted in increased costs, costs that we need your support to sustain.
If you would like to make a donation instead, please visit Donation
Find the event report here. See below for event details.
The 2024 Canadian University Chess Championship is coming-up soon and we want to inform everyone of the logistics for this year. This year’s tournament is from Jan 26th to Jan 28th in Kingston Ontario, hosted by Queen’s University Chess Club. There is no qualifying procedure and everyone is welcome to play. Registration and accommodation fees will be covered by the Hart House Chess Club with a $30 nonrefundable deposit.
CUCC 2023 Information
When: January 26th – 28th, 2023
Where: Grant Hall, Queens’ University, Kingston, ON
Tournament: 5-round team Swiss (4 players per team) Each team may have a reserve fifth player, who may be substituted at will. The board order must be determined before the first round. The board order must generally follow ratings.
Eligibility: All players must be University of Toronto students, faculty, or staff members. All participants must also be members of the Chess Federation of Canada (CFC) or the Fédération Québécoise des Echecs (FQE).
U of T team coach: CM Koosha Jaferian
Schedule:
Friday, January 26th
Bughouse: 7PM (to be confirmed)
Saturday, January 27th Round 1: 9:00 AM Round 2: 1:30PM Round 3: 6PM
Sunday, January 28th Round 4: 9:00AM Round 5: 2PM Closing Ceremony: ASAP after round 5
Time control: 90 mins + 30 sec/per move increment
Hotel: Econolodge, 840 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7L 1G3
Contact: hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca if you have any questions
List of things you are responsible for:
1. Be a member of the Hart House Chess Club [mandatory]
You can do this at Hart House main desk or online for free.
2. Chess Federation of Canada membership
The CUCC will be rated with the Chess Federation of Canada (CFC). Some of you are already active members of the chess tournament scene, others are not. If not, you will have a published rating based on your results, after this tournament. You can get an annual CFC membership on-line for $48.
3. Sign up on Hart House Registration
Hotel fees and registration fees are all accommodated by Hart House Chess Club. Participants will be asked to cover their travel fees. Link to the sign-up page is now online here. Spots are given out in order of registration, except 4 spots reserved for the highest rated players. Highest rated players must inform the Club by January 12th to guarantee their spot on the team. Please join the waitlist so that you know when we open more spots!
4. Sign Waiver from Hart House
Because Hart House financially sponsors this event for students, a waiver form must be filled following registration. We will send you this waiver via email with a deadline for completion in early January. Following waiver completion, your spot will be secured.
The CUCC is a team event that will provide for an excellent tournament experience and a wonderful team-bonding event, so come prepared to play some chess and enjoy yourself! One of the goals of the Club is to encourage beginners and new-to-chess members to participate! We highly encourage beginners and those without tournament experience to play at this event!
The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce that the 2024 Canadian Zonal and 2024 Canadian Women Zonal will be held from Wednesday, March 27th to Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024, at Hart House, University of Toronto. In addition, a 7-round Swiss event will be held from Friday, March 29th to Monday, April 1st and will be open to all.
The Canadian Zonals, also known as the Canadian Closed, is the most important Canadian chess event of the year, with winners going on to represent the Canadian Chess Olympiad team and the Canadian World Cup contingent.
HISTORY
The Hart House Chess Club has served as one of the premier destinations for Canadian chess for the past 128 years. The Club has hosted numerous Canadian Zonal/Closed Chess Championships in the past, including events in 1972 and 1978 (see photos below).
VENUE
The tournament will be hosted at the historic, neo-gothic building, Hart House, at the University of Toronto. Hart House is regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful student centers and is a visual icon of the University of Toronto. Since its founding in 1919, Hart House has hosted numerous Canadian Open and Closed tournaments and welcomed many World Champions. Since 2008, the venue has hosted two of the biggest Toronto chess events yearly, the Hart House Holidays and Hart House Reading Week Open Chess Tournaments.
Join the Hart House Chess Club on Friday, December 1st, from 6:00 pm – 7:00pm in the Hart House Bickersteth Room for a Master Lecture given by WIM Yunshan Li. Students and members can join for free; non-members are asked to donate to the Club onsite. We hope to see you there!
Date: Friday, December 1st, 2023 6 pm – 7 pm
Location: Bickersteth Room, Hart House (3rd floor)
Lecture: Advanced lecture by WIM Yunshan Li, with a focus on her games and training regimen that she believes helped her become one of the strongest women’s chess players in Canada.
Entry-Fees: U of T students and HHCC members FREE, otherwise $10 (donation requested but not required)
Bio: Women’s International Master Yunshan Li is currently one of the strongest players in Canada, with a FIDE rating of 2281. She is currently a student at the University of Toronto and plays on the Varsity Chess Team. She has appeared on the FIDE top-100 list for top-girls numerous times. She is one of Canada’s leading women chess players and is expected to compete for Canada in the 2024 Olympiad.
Join the Hart House Chess Club on Friday, November 24th, from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm for a lecture, and 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm for a Simul hosted by CM Koosha Jaferian. Students and members can join for free; non-members are asked to donate to the Club onsite. We hope to see you there!
Date: November 24th, 2023
Simul Location: Hart House Reading Room
Lecture Location: Board Room, Hart House
Lecture Content:
1) Weak Squares / Pawns
2) Improving pieces
3) Prophylaxis thinking
SimulFormat: 3minute+2seconds Blitz simul, 3 players at one time slot, total of 1 hour.
Entry-Fees: U of T students and HHCC members FREE, otherwise $10
Bio: CM Koosha Jaferian began his chess journey at the age of 4 under the guidance of his father. Achieving notable success at a young age, he secured victory in the Iranian U10 Fajr Youth Chess Championship on two consecutive occasions and notably clinched the second position in the Iranian U8 Championship. His participation in the Asian Youth Chess Championships resulted in commendable finishes, securing 9th and 10th positions in separate tournaments. Demonstrating consistent excellence, he claimed victory in over 10 provincial youth championships.
In Canada, Koosha made a mark in different tournaments. He won the Ottawa Championship in September 2021 and showed strong gameplay at the Ontario Open 2022, where he came in second. He also grabbed the runner-up spot in the Canadian Open Blitz, proving his skills in various chess events. He has also competed for the University of Toronto’s Chess Team while studying and completing his MSc in Computer Science.
Koosha is also a very skilled blitz and bullet player, ranking over 2700 in online blitz! He has won or placed in many of Hart House Chess Club’s blitz/bullet events over the past year.
The Greater Toronto Chess League Cup is back again for another year at the Annex Chess Club. The Greater Toronto Chess League runs chess matches between clubs in the Toronto region and this year’s Cup tournament will be held on Monday, November 27th from 7 pm – 11 pm. Full event info can be found here.
Matches are four-on-four, featuring some of the strongest players in each GTA club. This year’s GTCL Cup is a 5-round Swiss tournament with a time control of 15 minutes per player, plus a 5-second-per-move increment from move 1 team. Each team consists of 4 players with the option of including one alternate. The event is CFC quick-rated and, CFC membership is required. Games will be played on Monday, November 27th, 7-11 PM.
Format: 5-round Swiss (team vs. team) in two sections – Championship and U1800 teams play in separate sections.
Round Times: Round 1 starts at 7:00 pm sharp; subsequent rounds to begin every 45 minutes; event expected to be over by 11:00 pm. Players are expected to arrive by 6:30 pm to check-in.
Time Control: 15 minutes plus a 5 second increment after every move.
Location: Annex Chess Club, 918 Bathurst St, Toronto
Entry Fee: 100% discounted entry for Hart House Chess Club members. Up to 12 players will be subsidized, plus a waitlist for dropouts. Depending on fundraising, and space allowing, HHCC will aim to cover as many interested players as possible.
Eligibility: All Hart House Chess Club members are eligible to represent our club at the 2023 GTCL Cup (a student membership is free). Our alumni are also welcome to play.
Registration: If you want to represent Hart House Chess Club in the tournament, please fill out this form. We are happy to accommodate people who want to play alongside their friends (e.g. as a team of four/five)!
Deadline for Registration: Saturday, November 25th or until space runs out. The Club will also maintain a waitlist for participants.
Steven is a first-year student studying in the Rotman Commerce program at UofT. Like many others, he first picked up the game during the Pandemic. Steven quickly learned that the true spirit of Chess transcends the game itself and lies in the relationships it can build. In his senior year, he became the president of his school’s chess club and helped organize many events for students and staff. He also played in various OTB tournaments where he experienced that first victory as well as many grueling losses. As the First-Year Coordinator, he is responsible for fostering a connection between first-year/new members and the rest of the club. He plans to implement events to integrate new members into the HHCC community. With his role, Steven hopes to create a welcoming environment and share the joys of the game to everyone.
We are thrilled to announce to the Hart House community that the annual Hart House Holidays Open Chess Tournament is back for another year! We invite you to join us from Friday, December 8th to Sunday, December 10th at Hart House for another edition of our annual flagship event. Featuring seven sections designed to accommodate all skill levels, this presents the ideal opportunity to participate in a competitive chess tournament. Official flyer
Information
WHERE: Great Hall and East Common Room, Hart House, University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, December 8th, 9th, 10th.
SCHEDULE:
Crown, U2200, U1900, U1600, U1300: Friday 8th at 6:30pm, Saturday 9th at 10:00am & 4:00pm, Sunday 10th at 10:00am & 4:00pm
5 Round Swiss split in 5 rating sections – Crown (2200+), Under 2200, Under 1900, Under 1600, Under 1300 using a 90 minute + 30 second increment from move 1.
6 round Swiss split in 2 rating sections – U1100 Juniors and U800 Juniors with a 30 minute + 30 second increment from move 1
PRIZE FUND: $8000 based on 200 entries
RATING: All sections will be CFC-rated. Crown, U2200, U1900, and U1600 sections will also be FIDE rated. The Crown Section will be paired using FIDE ratings.
FORFEIT TIME: Players who do not arrive within 30 minutes of the round start time will be forfeited.
BYES: Maximum 2 half-point byes in rounds 1-4 if requested in advance before the start of Round 1
ORGANIZER: Hart House Chess Club with FA Alex Ferreira as arbiter.
CAPACITY: 220 players in the Great Hall and 80 players in the East Common Room.
ReGISTRATION
Online registration is available until Wednesday, December 6th at 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House Hours.
Cheque registration (arrival by December 7th, 2023) can be made payable to The Governing Council of the University of Toronto, state Hart House Chess Club in the description, at 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto ON, M5S 3H3. No post-dated cheques.
Entry Fees
$70 by November 22nd at 11:59 pm, $80 by December 6th at 11:59 pm and $100 cash only on-site before 6 pm Friday.
Junior only sections: $40 by November 22nd, $50 by December 6th at 11:59pm, and $70 cash only on-site before 10 am Saturday.
U1100 and U800 Junior Section
Anyone U1100 or U800 will be added to the 2-day event with 30-minute + 30-second increment time control. Any over 18 players will be eligible to play in the U1300 section—no cash prizes for the Junior tournament, only trophies.
Playing up
Extra $20 to play up a section. Playing up is allowed only for players within 100 rating points of the section’s minimum rating. For example, a player in the Under 1600 section wanting to play up in the Under 1900 section must have a rating no lower than 1500.
No playing up to the Crown section. Players must be 2200+ CFC or 2000+ FIDE. In all other sections, requests to play up must be emailed to the tournament email by December 6th at 11:59 pm and then paid by cash before 6:00 pm.
Discounts
$35 discount for University of Toronto students (automatic) and unrated players (max one discount per player). Unrated players are not eligible for prizes. Free entry for IMs/WIMs/GMs/WGMs if registered by November 22nd. Please email us for all discount information.
Other Info
DGT Boards: HHCC will provide 12 DGT boards for the Crown section. Games will be published online with a delay.
CFC ID: Registrants for all non-junior only sections must be current CFC members https://chess.ca/membership-fees. Payment should be done online. Unrated players should get a CFC membership prior to registering.
Parking: Parking is available at a daily rate of $10-20; however is limited.
Photography: By signing up, you permit HHCC the ability to take and use photos from the tournament on its social media. If you would not like your photo used, please email us.
Wifi: Free Wi-Fi will be made available.
TEAM PRIZE: $400 ($100 per player), teams of 4 players, representing at least 3 different sections. All individual scores will be added up to find the winning team. Sign-up onsite.
Foreign Ratings: all participants must disclose all foreign ratings at time of registration or via email. Accessibility and Visitor Information: Hart House is an accessible building and conveniently located. For further details, visit Visitor Information and Accessibility.
Thank you to all the student photographers who took these great photos, which can be found on our Facebook here.
Pre-Registered – as of Dec 8
Players will be placed in sections according to eligibility, based on the Dec 6 rating update, not necessarily according to how people registered themselves.
Want to showcase your speed chess skills? Join the Club on Fri. December 1st at Hart House for a speed chess tournament featuring 7 double-rounds of 1 min + 1 second bullet starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!
Grand Prix Event: This event is part of the 2023 Grand Prix Series of chess events with an overall prize fund of $400. See here for all details and standings.
FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Friday, December 1st, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm.
WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Reading Room.
WHAT: 7 double-round Bullet Event (Swiss), with a 1 minute + 1 second time control.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7:30 pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $150. Distribution announced onsite.
The Hart House Chess Club is hosting its Fall Blitz tournament part of its Grand Prix series on Friday, November 17, 2023. Join the Hart House Chess Club for the first blitz tournament of the fall at Hart House! We’re playing 9 rounds of 3 minutes + 2 seconds blitz starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!
Grand Prix Event: This event is part of the 2023 Grand Prix Series of chess events with an overall prize fund of $400. See here for all details and standings.
FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Friday, November 17th, 7 pm – 9:00 pm.
WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Debates Room.
WHAT: 9-round Blitz Event (Swiss), with a 3 minute + 2 seconds time control. One section.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7 pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $250. Distribution announced onsite. Prizes for top-woman, top-unrated. Cheques are issued for arrival 1-3 weeks after the event.
Hart House Chess Club 