Help us to fund free promotion of OTB chess clubs

Chessnuts.com, dedicated to the free promotion of OTB chess clubs.

Hello, my name is Nicholas Murnin ( Nicky, AKA, Chessnut ) With the help and support of chess enthusiasts and friends, I have sent up a Youtube channel dedicated to promoting OTB Chess Clubs. This is completely free for all OTB chess clubs. The purpose of the channel is to attract new members to chess clubs by making engaging videos, playing fun blitz and hand brain games. We are not simply looking for donations, we are appealing to GMs and IMs to appear on our channel to support our efforts to promote OTB chess clubs,

a rising tide lifts all boats. If you can offer support by appearing on our channel or you have an OTB chess club, please contact me.

OTB Club Marketing Challenges:

Chess has grown in popularity over the past two years. This popularity can be attributed to national lockdowns and the release of The Queens Gambit on Netflix. With chess.com reporting over 1.5 million UK users on-line, chess has become extremely popular.

The challenge OTB clubs face, is how to capitalise on the rising popularity of on-line chess. Many clubs have some fantastic ideas to convert these player from on-line to OTB play, to increase club membership. However, this is an uphill struggle for many smaller clubs, because they lack the time, financial resources or expertise to launch a successful marketing campaign.

This is where we come in at Chessnuts.com. I believe chess clubs should be concentrating not only on chess facilities, but on the great personalities and characters within chess clubs. I believe a better way to attract new members, is to promote the possibility of making new friends and develop social connections, to meet people from all walks of life. To promote clubs as fun, exiting and enthusiastic places where we can not only improve our game, but enrich our social life. A place where we have a chance to meet others with a common interest, to socialise and make friends and have fun.

Funding:

As I have mentioned, we don't simply need donations. This is also an appeal to GMs and IMs to appear on our channel, to support our efforts to promote OTB clubs, a rising tide lifts all boats. If you can offer support by appearing on our channel or you have an OTB club please contact me.

Although I get a great deal of satisfaction visiting clubs and filming, it takes time and financial commitment, (not to mention the wear and tear on my old van) to get to clubs and many hours of editing videos. Now that the pandemic restrictions are almost over, I would like to travel further afield in the UK. There may be times this may include the odd cheep hotel room over night. Donations would be welcome and would help a great deal toward the following expenses:

About me:

Since an early age, I have always loved chess and chess culture. Im not great at chess, by any stretch of the imagination, but my inexperience has never been a barrier to joining a club. Some of my fondest memories have been having a great time playing chess, where I have made life long connections and friends. This includes my friend Robbie Grounds from Crusaders Chess Club Blackburn. Without his help with filming and the time he has dedicated visiting clubs and setting up Chessnuts Social Chess Club, this project would have been near on impossible.

For me, there are two important neuro exercises which stimulate empathy and creativity, chess and socialising. I am a great believer in the fundamental power and importance of socialising, for our physical and mental health. Playing OTB regularly, not only improves our skills, but also stimulates creativity and empathy, both of which we need to survive and thrive. We have all faced significant challenges over the past two years, with many people forced into isolation. With this in mind, I created Chessnuts Social Chess Club in my hometown, Blackburn, Lancashire.

It was after setting up Chessnuts Social Chess Club, and speaking to members from other clubs, we decided to set up the Youtube channel to help promote OTB Chess Clubs. We have loved every minute of filming around different clubs. We get great fulfilment from experiencing the skill and friendliness of these clubs, where we have made many new friends.

The Future:

Our short to medium term goal, is to film at more chess clubs in the UK and at chess congress. We would like to attract GMs and IMs to promote our fantastic UK chess clubs on our Youtube channel. Ultimately we would like to to see OTB chess club membership growing and thriving in the UK. We would like to see chess being played at pubs and cafes' and schools everywhere in the UK. We would like to see our national curriculum enhanced is all UK schools with the introduction of OTB chess. We would like to see our communities and community spaces, enhanced by the creativity and social aspect of OTB chess.

This is our small contribution to making this a reality.

Thank you to fellow chess enthusiasts, friends and club players, who share our vision and enthusiasm for OTB chess clubs, without whom it would be near on impossible to get this off the ground.