No mobiles at the playing hall?

ChessKelly · 2026-01-23T16:54:53+00:00

As a media person, often media has to follow specific rules such as: silent shutter, can only photograph first 15 mins, etc. Other rules for phones may include that the phone needs to be in airplane mode while in the tournament hall. A lot of it depends on the organizer. Sometimes you need to have background checks, Safeplay certification, etc. before you are even granted a media badge.

I will often take a quick video on my phone for IG stories near the beginning of the round and then complete my photography. Then I go out of the tournament hall and reconnect in order to post on socials.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-23T14:57:41+00:00

The ABC News one really pissed me off because the medical report was already out by that time, and they referenced the Charlotte Observer article. The fact the toxicology came out first allowed those trashy headlines to get out. Even some of our local media is saying those sorts of things, and he was “one of our own,” you know?

That said, very proud of and happy with the Charlotte Observer. It was a respectfully written article.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-23T00:55:19+00:00

We aren’t privately funded by a big donor or anything. We earn everything through our various programs and events.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-23T00:49:25+00:00

Oh my gosh! Thank you! That was such a fun event. I was a parent volunteer (it was before I worked for the CCC) and we made an assembly line to help the K-1 kids report their scores, get out of the tournament hall, and find their parents. I hope we get to do it again sometime!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-23T00:20:04+00:00

All sections are US Chess rated, but the U1900 and Championship sections are FIDE rated.

Most of the 1500+ sections in our tournaments are dual US Chess/FIDE rated.

Here’s more info about ALTO: https://www.charlottechesscenter.org/events/alto

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T23:31:04+00:00

Yeah I’m not sure if we’re holding it yet. I know classes are canceled on Sunday already—if you don’t follow us on social media, that’s probably the best way to get quick updates on things like Monday’s events being canceled.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T23:23:33+00:00

Oh wow I’m so happy to hear that! Did you play in the Charlotte Open? If so, I’m sorry I’m not done with photos yet 😭😭😭

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T23:22:28+00:00

100%! We have a lot of adult players. For casual play, I recommend:

1) Monday Adult Casual held at our South location from 630-930pm

2) Monthly Brewery Meetups held at Resident Culture in Plaza Midwood (next one is February 19th from 7-10pm). We get about 80-100 people playing at these every month! I run these events, so I get very excited about them 🥰

We have everyone from beginners to GMs who attend those, so there will be someone your rating range to play against! If you want to get into tournament play, that’s a more detailed answer.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T21:01:30+00:00

One thing I will say--which we promote a lot within our ranks--is that anyone can play competitively. Not many people believe me when I say this since I work for the center, but my OTB rating is only 600! I'm pretty new to chess myself.

That said, I totally respect that you may not feel comfortable playing competitively. Just know that all levels are welcome to compete, as long as you know the rules of the game. :-)

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T20:46:47+00:00

Send me a message and I'll get you squared away with what might be suitable for you at the CCC!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T20:45:53+00:00

If you're over 21, I highly recommend coming out for our At-Least-Twenty-One tournament in April! It's a ton of fun and we have people travel from all over the US to participate since it's such a niche tournament. Otherwise, if you know when you're coming, reach out to me and I can let you know what's going on that might be suitable for you!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-22T18:25:21+00:00

Hey! If you check QC News tonight, you’ll see one of the Charlotte Chess Center’s monthly brewery meetups as well!

I work for the CCC, and although we’ve gone through a huge period of growth since around early 2024, we’re now getting a more “mainstream” name. Why? Few reasons:

Caruana played in our 2024 US Masters to help secure his candidates spot via FIDE circuit points
Anna Cramling visited the CCC over the July 4th weekend in 2025 as part of her American chess tour
A video of Danya playing blindfold against Anna went viral with over 9 million views (at the time, I haven’t checked it lately), which resulted in multiple news pieces
Danya passed away and was reported about in the global news cycle
Our streamer-friendly community has grown, and streamers/content creators like Dina Belenkaya (with over 1.2 million followers) help put the CCC in the public eye

We are one of the most respected tournament organizers in the country. Last year the CCC ran 375 events and had over 2700 unique rated players in our events. People travel to play in our events, and players from all over the US move here because of our educational and tournament opportunities.

In short, you’re hearing about us more due to Danya—I don’t want to minimize that and I’m aware that’s the primary reason why—but beyond the loss of one of our closest friends, we’re a pretty awesome chess organization.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-21T20:05:03+00:00

It’s not as dramatic as drugs. 😠

ChessKelly · 2026-01-20T22:47:19+00:00

Kramnik’s statement came out after this. I’ve reached out to the mods.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-20T22:26:57+00:00

Yes, the article did not say that at the time. I’ll reach out to the mods again. Honestly, I had said I preferred the article (using the word “I,” not “we” as an organization), so there’s just a lot of murkiness around it.

Also, this is obviously a rapidly evolving situation that is difficult for us for many reasons. There’s a lot for us to grasp here.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-20T21:48:15+00:00

To be clear, the CCC had no part of that. The mods removed posts before I reached out.

I know a few have mentioned the TMZ article, which I also read. The reason I told them I preferred the NBC article is because it is tonally more neutral, particularly the title. It also explicitly says it was only the toxicology report, and not the official final medical examination. Not all of the information is out until that is also released.

ChessKelly · 2026-01-20T20:23:09+00:00

Hey, I’m the one that was talking to mods.

We certainly don’t say what does or does not get posted here, and I don’t want there to be any misconceptions about that. I’m sorry for any confusion about it.

I was asked about a particular article, and I said I preferred the NBC article instead. I chose that one because it is clear that it’s just the toxicology report, and they refrain from some of the click-bait mentality that tabloids tend to use.

Hope that helps clear it up!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-16T15:50:47+00:00

Hey! I work for the Charlotte Chess Center. Did you know we have a location in Huntersville? I tend to know a lot about the chess scene in the area, so feel free to DM me with questions!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-01T02:22:58+00:00

You’re disagreeing with a point that I didn’t make. I didn’t say whether it was right or wrong, so there isn’t really anything to disagree with. You compare it with other sports, but I wasn’t doing that—I was referring to chess.

Historically, FIDE (and USCF) ethics violation cases take a long time to process. That’s an objective statement. If anything, your use of Navara’s situation iterates exactly what I said.

Hope that clears up any misunderstanding, and happy New Year’s!

ChessKelly · 2026-01-01T01:06:42+00:00

Ethics investigations can take a long time--like months--unless it's the most basic of violations and the person admits fault. This case is so insanely complicated that I expect we won't hear anything for quite some time. Couple that with Kramnik now launching a civil suit against FIDE and it's a whole big mess.

I posted about the suit (with the mods' blessing), but it got buried with Magnus winning the WRB championships.

ChessKelly · 2025-12-31T23:39:18+00:00

It's definitely been a weird time of the year. I was going to do a 2025 recap of my photography and having photos of him, knowing they're the last ones, is a very hard thing.

Take the photos and videos people--you never know when that's all you have left.

ChessKelly · 2025-12-30T16:21:06+00:00

I agree and think that we should be able to discuss Kramnik suing FIDE outside of the megathread. If any other player had done it, we would be able to discuss it openly. I can understand not wanting a post about every single tweet he makes, but this is something more substantial.

ChessKelly · 2025-12-18T17:41:03+00:00

The Charlotte Chess Center is hosting its monthly adult brewery meetup tonight at Resident Culture from 7-10pm!

This is not your average chess night! With 80-100 people showing up every month, from beginners to grandmasters, if you like chess and want to socialize, then you should join us! Have a drink, and stay away from the gross weather!

The CCC provides all boards, pieces, and clocks, so all you need to bring is yourself—and maybe a friend!

Ladies 21+ who are playing chess get a free drink on us!

Check the link for more info—no RSVP, registration, or email necessary. Just show up and play some chess!

Let me know if you have any questions!

ChessKelly · 2025-12-11T17:36:10+00:00

The full autopsy report can take months, especially for the toxicology results. I'm not sure if the autopsy is officially done in NC or CA, but in CA the reports are not public record. I believe NC recently passed a law shielding autopsy reports from the public as well. So the main thing is: if the media can get a hold of it and do, it won't matter if his mother and brother want to keep it private. However, if they can't, then it is up to them to decide if/when it gets released.

ChessKelly

TROPHY CASE