San Diego Chess & Social, a beloved Pacific Beach based game group, is moving up the coast.
With plans to launch a new weekly gathering at Modern Times Beer in Encinitas beginning April 8, the group serves as a third space for game players of all demographics and ability.
“We never set out to start a chess club, but people started coming up to us as we played and over time the community grew. Now, we get between 120 and 150 players every single week. Being able to see the friendships develop amongst players has been powerful. We have watched a community come together,” said Mark Laturno, San Diego Chess & Social co-founder.
What began as a Reddit post of two chess players searching for people and a place to play quickly snowballed into what San Diego Chess & Social is now, a gathering space for games of all kinds. From chess to boardgames to card games and even drinking style games, the group is on a mission to make socializing easy.
For Laturno and his co-founders, Aidan Ryan and Julia Gale, the club serves as a combat to what they call the “loneliness epidemic.” Stemming from Covid lockdowns and societies quick inward turn, the three noticed a lack of shared spaces.
In 2024, both Laturno and Ryan took to Reddit to seek out fellow players, and they were greeted with less than ideal results. When the pair finally met up, they began asking the question: Where could young adults spend quality time in an approachable and inviting setting?
“People are so attached to the digital space, and that in person connection gets lost. It has faded. I think through this chess club, we have highlighted just how important these spaces are,” said Laturno. “When we first began playing, we would go out and play at the same bar every week. Slowly, every single week, the same people started coming back. When it hit around 15-20 reoccurring people, we really turned it into something. We want people to get to know others in their community,” said Laturno.
Through the Pacific Beach branch of San Diego Chess & Social, that connection, community and shared interest is tangible.
“People have gotten to know their neighbors and the people they live around. Games are the easiest, best ice breaker you could possibly imagine. Going to a bar to meet people can be so intimidating, whereas if there is an open boardgame there is no intimidation of just walking up to play,” said Laturno. “You aren’t expected to spend more than 10 minutes playing a game with any specific person, so there is always an easy out.”
And for those uninterested in chess, there are plenty of other choices.
“There are a bunch of people who come who have no idea how to play chess. We have so many other games. I would say it is about 75% chess, and the rest is other types of games. Beyond the games, it really is just a way for people to bond and get to know one another and we get to facilitate that,” said Laturno.
With the North County move, it feels like San Diego Chess & Social is only just getting started.
Starting April 8, they will host meetings at Modern Times Beer, every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m.–9:15 p.m., and invite players of all abilities to join in.
“It was one of those things where we just said, ‘I think this makes sense.’ We walked throughout all of Encinitas and fell in love with the Modern Times spot,” said Laturno.
Membership begins at $15 a month. More information on the club and upcoming events outside of their weekly meetings can be found at chessandsocial.com/join
“Chess is what brings people together, but plenty of people come who don’t even know how to play. It’s really about giving people a place to meet and hang out,” said Laturno.