I begin with Mike Carrel. Mike's Carrel Chess Club recently moved to a full-time location in Canton. We wish him the best of luck in his new venture. Mike answered the following questions by email. (BC 6/26)
Bill Calton (BC): Tell us about yourself.
Mike Carrel (MC): I'm a 12 year veteran of the United States Air Force. I'm currently employed with Koppert Biological Systems as a Financial Manager/Controller. I have a wife and two kids ages 3 and 11. I grew up in Westland Michigan. I have an MBA in Finance and an MBA in Business Administration. I live in Canton near where the new club is located.
BC: What is your background in chess?
MC: In chess years I'm still in diapers. I started playing at the end of 2004, the next year my daughter and I started the Carrel Chess Club. So my background is limited to playing in some tournaments, taking my daughter to the nationals and running the club from a coffee shop for three years.
BC: What motivated you to open the Carrel Chess Club?
MC: The original club at the coffee shop was started by my daughter when she was 8 so that she would have someone to play with over the board locally on the weekends. Driving to Warren or Ann Arbor to play was very time consuming. The new club is actually a natural progression from outgrowing the coffee shop. Over the last few years I've met a lot of new people and made some new friends from the chess world. I'd like to keep the culture and friendly atmosphere intact and continue to make new chess friends. Everybody in the chess world that I have met so far took a genuine interest in helping each other improve and I can relate to people like that.
BC: Tell us about the facility.
MC: The facility is 1800 square feet. It has a small lobby, three study rooms and a tournament room. One room is for private lessons, another is a members only library and study and the third room has two computers with several popular chess programs on them. The playing hall can easily fit 60 people.
(outside view, photo from carrelchessclub.com)
(tournament hall, photo from carrelchessclub.com)
BC: What services are offered at the club?
MC: In addition to the amenities listed above we offer lessons Free Wifi, low cost tournaments, classes, team coaching, a line of chess supplies, periodic simuls, beverages and snacks and a safe clean family friendly environment.
BC:Who are you targeting?
MC: We are targeting everybody. That's one of the things I like about chess, it doesn't discriminate on age, sometimes ability. It's funny how the club has developed. For example: Last Thursday we had a Simul with Expert Ken Sadowski in the tournament room, 8 blitz players in the members library, 6 tweens in the main lesson room and 4 kids playing on the computers with parents and other players scattered all over, all at the same time. It was great!
BC: What are your future plans for club?
MC: The plan is to get the club to support itself in about 6 months. That's the short term goal. In the near future we would like to host a multitude of monthly tournaments. (speed, standard, scholastic, etc.) We're kicking around a lot of different formats and trying to complete a schedule that doesn't conflict with other local tournaments. Also, we are only open on Thursdays through Sundays so the goal is to fill the other three days with activities.
BC: How can people contact you?
MC: The best way is by email carrelchessclub.com@carrelchessclub.com You can call me at 734-377-4907 or visit the web site at www.carrelchessclub.com
BC: Is there anything else you would like us to know?
MC: The Carrel Chess Club is an open door club for the whole chess community, not just Canton. We welcome all chess players of every age and ability. This is a member's club ran by volunteers and chess enthusiasts. Please feel free to send me comments, ideas, critiques or suggestions. |
