A US Chess membership is an official, paid subscription to the United States Chess Federation (USCF), necessary for playing in rated tournaments. It provides a national rating, subscriptions to Chess Life or Chess Life Kids magazines, and support for chess events and growth across the US.

Click here for the guide to sign up and purchase a membership. For parents signing up scholastic players, we recommend skipping this step and purchasing a voucher to save ~50% off the cost.

Caveman Chess purchased a block of memberships at $12.00 each. You may then buy those vouchers from us. The voucher acts as a coupon at the U.S. Chess website to allow players aged 5 through 18 to pay for a membership. Per U.S. Chess rules, we charge the same price for the vouchers as we paid. We also charge a $2 fee to cover PayPal, Stripe, Filemonk (the instant response providing the link) and Squarespace fees, and for apps that provide immediate processing, website time, and expenses. The voucher you purchase can be redeemed online for a one-year U.S. Chess membership. To do so, you must not be a current member, or you must be within a few weeks of your membership expiring.

• Group Membership Plans are designed for all U.S. residents between age 5 and age 18 inclusive.

• You must not currently be a member, unless you are within a few weeks of your membership expiring.

• Group Members receive all U.S. Chess membership benefits except printed magazines.

• You will have online access to both Chess Life and Chess Life for Kids through the U.S. Chess website.

• Separate website registration required.

• When you complete your registration, we strongly recommend that you set your US Chess email settings to accept all types of emails. This helps organizers and lowers the cost of tournaments. If you are concerned about junk mail, set up a chess mail folder in your email inbox and file all chess corresponce there. This saves organizers money, and allows you to deal with chess email on your schedule.

• Yes, providing they meet other membership eligibility requirements.

• Someone whose U.S. Chess membership will expire a few weeks may renew as a member this way.

• You, or your parents, coach, or teacher.

• We will email the voucher code immediately, along with instructions for redeeming it.

• If you do not see it, check junk and spam folders before contacting us. Experience shows this is the issue 99% of the time.

• The current vouchers are valid (may be activated) through October 4, 2026.

• The resulting membership is good for one year from activation.

• If the individual is a current or former U.S. Chess member, you will need their 8-digit U.S. Chess Member ID.

  • This is crucial!! Please avoid putting an existing member as new!!

  • PLEASE BE SURE TO ENTER THE PLAYER’S CHESS MEMBER ID. Otherwise, you will create a second record—and rating—for them, and they will eventually need to merge their rating records.

• You will also need the member's full name, mailing address, sex, and birthdate.

  • Please enter the correct birthdate since it impacts prizes at some tournaments.

  • If you have a unit or apartment number, please be sure to include it. We find failing to include this often delays prize payments.

• An email address is not required, but if available, is especially important to ensure that the member receives the full benefits of their U.S. Chess membership, including registration for the U.S. Chess website.

• We strongly urge you to set your US Chess email settings to accept all emails as much information comes via email. If you are concerned about spam, set up a chess folder in your email inbox ti accept all chess mail which you can then review on your schedule. Chess email is significantly less expensive for organizers than other forms of advertising.

• No, the voucher and membership have already been paid for by purchasing the voucher.