LACC History

The Los Angeles Chess Club was officially established by Sr. Master Mick Bighamian in January 2003 in the West LA area on the exquisite Santa Monica Blvd.
 

A little background about the owner: Sr. Life Master Mick BighamianChess  Resume

Mick (Left) with 2006 World Chess Olympiad Gold Medalist International Grandmaster Smbat Lputian (Armenia).

I have been playing and teaching chess, as well as directing tournaments for over quarter  of a century:

As a Player

• I have been on the list of United States Chess Federation’s (USCF) “Top 50 Most Active Players” in the country for several years in the 80’s-90’s.
• I earned the title of National Master (NM) in 1985.
• I earned the title of Senior Master (SM) in 1988.
• I earned the title of Life Senior Master (LSM) in 1989.

As a Coach

I have over 25+ of experience training hundreds of individuals, who have, over the years, been able to compete in, and win National Tournaments. A few have even attained the National Master titles and been able to receive Chess Scholarships from universities.

As a Tournament Director

• I have directed over 2,000 tournaments since the mid-80s.
• I have achieved the title of The National Tournament Director of the Year for directing most number of tournaments in the country in 1997.
• ...and finally, I am currently The Highest-rated tournament Director in the country!

As a Lecturer

I have been discussing advanced chess topics for hundreds of chess players for at my former club - Houston Chess Club - and then at the LA Chess Club (my lecture quality is highly refined and incorporates a refreshing teaching style that keeps the student interested in the topic) – try a complimentary session on us!

I have also been invited to many Chess Exhibitions, Group gatherings, and companies to discuss various chess-related topics; such as:

• Benefits of Chess For Children and Adults
• A Brief History of Chess
• Fundamentals of Chess
• Advanced Chess Topics
• World Championship Games Annotations
• How to Think Outside The Box
• PTA lecturer

As a Chess Consultant

I have been hired as a ‘Chess Consultant’ for several TV shows and movies such as:

• Bobby Fischer Live
• Charlie Wilson’s War
• Beauty and the Geek
• Criminal Minds
• Modern Family

Besides my full-time profession – as an Auditor – I direct tournaments at the LACC on weekends and conduct an Advanced Lecture on Tuesday evenings – exclusively for LACC members.

I also accept select talented individuals as ‘Private Students’.

A few achievements over the years