Mass Chess Update: Our Next Step Forward

Letter to Mass Chess members
from Mike Urbonas
October 2025

Note: This letter was also emailed to Mass Chess members
on October 16, 2025.

Dear Mass Chess members, members of the Massachusetts chess community,
and members of the broader chess community throughout New England,

The Mass Chess board has achieved a lot over the last two years, none of which would have happened without NM Rob King ushering in an era of action, transparency, accountability and community-building. Elected President in 2024 and 2025, Rob built a coalition of talented board candidates and incumbents determined to revitalize Mass Chess' leadership role in actively promoting and advancing chess for everyone, statewide.

More recently, Rob openly discussed with the board that he was dealing with a perfect storm of family, travel, work and other personal commitments that were not going to abate anytime soon. While this left Rob with inadequate time to fulfill the demands of President, he also very much wanted to continue to serve Mass Chess on the board.

Recognizing it's time for others to continue and expand Mass Chess' record of success that has begun under Rob's presidency, we have some key leadership changes to share with you.

I am excited to inform you that I will now serve as Mass Chess president, and Kateryna Odnorozhenko will serve as Mass Chess vice president. Our appointments were both passed by unanimous board vote.

Rob King will continue to serve on the board of directors, passed by unanimous vote as well.

What's Next — and a Call for Volunteers

I believe the Mass Chess board has made great progress on a variety of fronts, including our website, more active communications with members, organizers and clubs; use of social media, and, most importantly, running engaging, successful official state chess events annually, from the Massachusetts Open to our full season of scholastic chess and championships.

Additionally — as I emphasized above — I also strongly believe that Mass Chess membership should offer new, compelling value that goes above and beyond being mainly a requirement to play in Mass Chess-run tournaments. We have many ideas, but to make them all happen, we need more people to get involved.

You can choose to help us on a specific project, on a short-term basis... whatever fits your schedule and interests. We also have open seats on our board we would love to fill, but such a level of commitment is not necessary in order to be of great help to us!

If you have ever given any thought to volunteering, let this be the time to raise your hand! We need you!

Please contact us and let us know what area(s) in which you are interested in volunteering, and/or what skills/experience/subject matter expertise you have that you would like to utilize to help Mass Chess move forward. Thank you!

Same as it Ever Was: Our Guiding Principles

I look forward to hearing from you, and also staying in touch and keeping you informed of our progress. In the meantime, we will, of course, continue to fulfill the guiding principles that Rob defined on day one of his presidency:

• Maintain integrity and ethical, professional conduct in everything we do. We are an all-volunteer group that supports and respects one another and takes pride in acting in the best interests of our members, and advancing our core mission of actively promoting and expanding chess statewide. I also believe the seamlessness of our leadership changes noted above is further proof of the board's high level of versatility, open communication and personal commitment.
• Demonstrate transparency and accountability. No one ever has to wonder or guess what Mass Chess is up to. We will proactively communicate with our members, consistently share our financial results and statements, and ensure personal data remains secure.
• Actively protect children and vulnerable individuals. Children (and their parents), women, minority groups—everyone—have an absolute right to play and enjoy chess in safety, free from bullying or harassment. Mass Chess actively supports and enforces the tenets of USCF Fair Play.
• Financial Responsibility. We are careful with the financial resources entrusted to us, avoiding unnecessary costs while also making active, informed investments in chess programs and initiatives that will advance the visibility of chess in Massachusetts and draw more players to the game.

Sincerely,

Mike Urbonas
President, Massachusetts Chess Association