US Chess Vouchers

To immediately purchase vouchers, click here

For more details see below

The membership voucher provided by US Chess is part of a group membership purchase made by Caveman Chess. This initiative helps make US Chess membership more affordable for young players. Caveman Chess has pre-purchased these membership vouchers, assuming the risk that not all vouchers may be sold. As a result, players can buy these vouchers at about 50% of the regular membership price. However, any unsold vouchers ultimately incur a cost to Caveman Chess.

Our vouchers may be activated through January 4, 2026, and a 1-year membership begins upon activation.

Caveman Chess takes the risk of purchasing 300 vouchers, lowering the cost to $9 per voucher on the current set plus a $2 processing fee that covers the fees for immediate automatic processing, credit card processing and general website fees, including minimal programming costs.

Caveman Chess has invested a bit extra to fully automate the voucher process. You will receive two emails immediately after your purchase. One confirms the purchase. The second contains a link to the voucher code.

We find that this second email often ends up in one’s spam folder. Please check there before emailing us if you don’t think you have received the code.

Here are some essential things to know.

• Availability: The half-price voucher is available to:

  • First-time members aged five through eighteen

  • Current members, within two weeks of your US Chess expiration date

  • Former members.

  • This voucher will not work for players under age five, or over age 18.

• Activate the voucher: with this link https://cavechess.cc/vredeem at the US Chess website (or go to the main page and choose “Join” and then “Redeem Voucher.”)

• Plan Ahead!: Although vouchers activate immediately, we recommend you do this at least a day before a tournament when the membership is needed, and when US Chess is open in case an issue arises.

• Full instructions: will accompany the voucher number you receive via email.

• Immediate: You will receive the voucher immediately. The process is automated and you will receive an email with a link to the voucher code. Use the code to purchase the membership. If you do not receive the email, check your spam/junk folders first.

• We manage the process through Shopify, and many types of payment are allowed

To purchase vouchers, click here.

FAQs

How Does the Voucher Work?

Caveman Chess purchased a block of memberships at $9.00 each. You may then buy those vouchers from us. The voucher acts as a coupon at the U.S. Chess website to allow players age 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.

Who is eligible to be part of a Group Membership Plan?

• 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.

What benefits do members in a Group Membership Plan receive?

• 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.

Can former U.S. Chess members be part of a Group Membership Plan?

• 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.

Who takes care of redeeming the voucher?

• 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.

How long is a voucher valid?

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

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

What information is required to redeem a voucher?

• 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.

Does redeeming a voucher cost anything?

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