Why are Chess Clubs so arrogant?

Hi my fellow chess players! Hope you are all well.

Ok so help me out guys, I've been to a local chess club in my local town. I wa thinking that it would be a good way to actually meet fellow chess players face to face and have a good time discussing tactics, openings, strategies and the such. Well how wrong was I!!

Turns out the club I went to which will remain nameless, was full of silent, self absorbed players who didnt want to know new faces. Noone spoke a word! I know that it's important to keep quiet during matches, thats fine. But during a "social gathering" I'd have thought people would like to be social? I get so much enjoyment from meeting people on chess.com and exchanging ideas and reading thoughts and suggestions from all of you guys and gals. it's just a shame that my first "real" interactions with chess players was so cold and dissapointing. What are you're thoughts guys? Better online or going to clubs around the world? Do you have more friends who play chess on this site or outside? Would be interested to find out what you guys and gals think!

Stay classy you lovely chess people!

Michael (luvrug)

No one spoke a word?  Surely people talked about the games or recent tournaments or something?  Do you mean no one talked about their family or jobs?

There are better clubs out there... you were probably unlucky :-(

Clubs are great, much better than online, once you know the peole. But like most things, it wont feel normal the first time. If you go a few times and they start to recognize you then I bet they open up. It doesnt sound like they were rude as much as focused (sometimes I am the same way at club, sometimes I am more social.) Every week clubs have a different feel in my experience

At the OP: Don't give a crap about those people and stay here instead! Chess, as a game, should be treated like that, not as an excuse to feel self-absorbed and condescending to others.

If you mean to pose the question, there is no comparison. Online is merely a subsitute for real life.

Many clubs simply do not have a plan in place to actively engage new players. The new members end up standing around awkwardly, feeling out of place and ultimately never come back. It is a real shame. All it takes is one person to come over and greet you and explain how the club works. Try a few other clubs to see if you get a better reception.

Play poker ,  chess is f0r nerds and boring people.

I heard a 1500 say, "I always play the 100% best move"  Which was ultra-funny because not even Kasparov does and even admits that in all his games there are mistakes. 

I feel player @ club level interact with people who are at their same level so u can probably try 2 find a friend who is new n keen 2 learn new things would help u.....I mean there are good n bad people every where we just have 2 concentrate on ur chess

That's the way it goes oftentimes...I have been to the Mechanics club in San Francisco 4-5 times now and nobody will say a word unless you approach them first.  It's a miracle many chess clubs ever get new members ;)...

That being said, on one occasion when I approached someone to ask about the USCL games going on, he was very nice and friendly.  He was also GM Bhat, and was in the middle of a USCL game and was heading for the restroom.  I probably used up an extra 45 seconds of his clock ;).

try another club. It's normally not that way. I like to go to my local chess club, drink a beer, discuss chess and other topics, looking at other people analyzing games or doing puzzles. you just got unlucky.

I'm soon to try to visit a chess club in Zagreb being a complete and total beginner. Wish me luck.

When I visited my club for the first time I was warmly welcomed, talked to and played with.

Didn't share your experience at all.

Yeah.  The first club I went to the club president happened to be by the door as I walked in.  He shook my hand, asked me my name, and offered me a game.

Welcome to the chess world. 

You walked into a room of freaks, I've been in chess clubs on and off since 1978 and everyone was friendly and loved to talk and play.

Stay away from that place they are weird. 

@Xilmi, @waffllemaster, but you guys were much younger than 23yo when you first got to the clubs in question, weren't you?

I just feel that I'm too old and rusty for starting playing chess in general and the club level feels unreachable now :/

If you think this is bad, try a Go(wei-chi) club.  I went a few times to one in the city, and I asked the leader of the club what he did for work.  He replied,"I work in a paint store," with flat effect.  It was very elitist at this club and in typical go fashion because that game has very basic rules, for each move the higher players would predict what would happen next in authoritative fashion, not "if he moves here then this will happen.."  It was, oh this is the only move, as if all the other thousands of combinations were irrelevant.  When the location was changed from the local university to Chinatown, I stopped going, because most of the time the players were standing around acting nervous instead of playing.  I could get more out of watching youtube videos on Go than attending this snobbish club.  I havent bothered to attend the local chess club.  What is my motivation to do so when I have to drive there, deal with the introductions, vs. just working at home requiring no drive time hassles and no obligation?  I probably am learning more at home anyway.  If there were no internet the situation would be different and I would attend, but that isnt the case for now.

I was 21, so yeah, that's younger but not that much younger.

Maybe you're too old... but probably not.

We had a 65 year old man join our club as a new player.  He played every week for years and improved too.  Ok, not as much improvement as a 7 year old right?  But he enjoyed himself and made some improvement too.