Beers by the Bay, a chess social club, celebrates first anniversary in Pacific Beach

by Madison Beveridge

It all began as a Reddit post, when two strangers started messaging about where to play chess.

With each of them searching for a casual and social way to engage in their shared hobby, they decided to meet up and play a round.

A year later, that one message has blossomed into Beers by the Bay, a social club for chess and board games, hosted weekly at Tavern at the Beach in Pacific Beach.

Oct. 17 marked the club’s first anniversary and to celebrate, the group gathered at its usual meeting spot for drinks, cheers and of course, chess.

With all three founders in attendance, the night kicked off with several tables hosting chess boards and members filing in.

Julia Gale, Aidan Ryan and Mark Laturno, the club’s founding three, mingled amongst longtime participants and introduced newcomers to the group.

“Chess is not the main point of this club. Whether you are good at chess, or just learning, this is an event that connects people,” Laturno said.

With more people coming into Tavern, the night’s activities quickly got underway. Chess games in full swing, drinks being shared and flowing conversations, the night was backdropped by chess-themed balloons, decorations and the club’s “Happy Birthday” sign.

For Laturno, Beers by the Bay serves as the social club he spent years yearning for, and the first anniversary celebration tells him that others share his sentiment.

“I have been playing chess religiously since my freshman year of college. I only ever played online, and I think that is the experience for a lot of people,” Laturno said. “Ryan and I began playing once a week and every time, we would have four or five people come up to us and want to get a game in. Slowly, these people would start coming back every week like we did, and after a couple months we thought to ourselves, ‘we should look into this more seriously and see what we could create here.’”

Sparked by the longing for a “third space,” where hobbies, social time and learning can come into one, Laturno and Ryan saw an opportunity. With a lot of social groups stunted by the COVID pandemic, Laturno was eager to form a group that embraces any and every player, but keeps things light and enjoyable.

“COVID separated people out. The opportunity for groups like this is so strong in college and high school, but post-grad they just do not have that feeling of community,” Laturno said. “It has been so interesting to see the friendships develop through this. We are creating a third place for people, that is not work and is not home.

“Without even intending to, this has really become a community for me and the people we are connecting with,” he said.

Beers by the Bay cofounders Aidan Ryan, Julia Gale and Mark Laturno during the social club's first anniversary celebration on Oct. 17. (Madison Beveridge) — Beers by the Bay cofounders Aidan Ryan, Julia Gale and Mark Laturno during the social club’s first anniversary celebration on Oct. 17. (Madison Beveridge)

For Ryan, the search for a group of eager chess players was equally as strong.

“I moved back to San Diego from working abroad in Spain and I was looking for people to play chess with,” Ryan said. “In Spain, I would always play at a café or around the house. Coming back here, I didn’t have that, and I had no idea how to meet people who played chess. When I posted on Reddit, I got a couple responses, but when Mark and I connected, we began playing frequently.

“When we played, people would always come up to us. The first person to ever come up was actually a 5-year-old daughter of someone who now comes to chess club regularly,” Ryan said.

The speed at which the club grew, and the fact that it now draws in 70-plus players weekly, reflects society’s need for groups like Beers by the Bay, Ryan said.

“Chess is a game for people of all levels. Everyone can enjoy it. We create a welcoming space,” Ryan said. “Julia (Gale), the third cofounder, started off only having played chess a couple times with her dad growing up. She has stepped into the role of teaching new players and explaining the pieces you want to move and the approaches you want to take.

“We love introducing people to one another and making people feel comfortable,” Ryan said. “Compared to some other chess clubs, we are not very serious. We just want to keep it fun and relaxed.”

Gale is newer to chess, but was quick to acknowledge the group’s need for various skill levels.

“You don’t need to know anything, you can just pop in,” Gale said. “We are there to spend time with and hangout with the people we are surrounded by. Prior to this, I didn’t have a big chess history, but it is such a fun thing to do every Thursday.”

Typically, Gale is the teacher when new members join.

“We have all levels of play. I’ll teach you how the pieces move, you don’t need to know any big openings or even know what a board looks like,” Gale said. “By just one Thursday, you will know how to move the pieces to the end. We also always have people who are willing to give their pointers.”

For those not wanting to play chess, Connect 4, Jenga, Uno and Yahtzee are other games offered to those gathered.

A shared sentiment amongst all three founders is the community building aspect to Beers by the Bay. Whether you want to play chess, watch people play chess, play other games or simply want an activity to fill your Thursday night, the group urges people to come check it out.

“It’s a great way to spend your Thursday and the community is so welcoming,” Gale said. “Everyone is looking to make friends.”