MCC Expands Member Experience Through New Mobile App

Beyond the pairing system, MCC has also made major progress on the member experience side. MCC members Zihan Hong and Yihan Hong worked together on the development of MCC’s mobile app for members.

One of the app’s most important features is mobile check-in. This allows members to remotely check into tournaments before arriving at the club. The feature has been especially helpful for members with busy schedules who may not be able to arrive before the 7:00 PM in-person check-in deadline. It also reduces pressure during peak arrival times when long check-in lines form at the club.

To ensure fairness and maintain tournament quality, members who check in remotely but fail to arrive at the club will receive warnings and may lose access to the mobile check-in feature.

In addition to mobile check-in, the app also integrates member profiles, QR codes, tournament schedules, and rating history. Members can easily check upcoming events and follow their personal chess progress over time. The app is also designed with a friendly and easy-to-use interface to provide a smoother experience for members.

The response from members has exceeded expectations. To the club’s surprise and excitement, adoption happened very quickly. During the most recent Monday event, nearly half of all members used mobile check-in, despite the app having been launched only one month earlier.

MCC’s volunteer team consists of a small group of warm-hearted and hardworking individuals who are passionate about building a better chess community. As the chess community continues to grow, the team is constantly working to improve the member experience, expand capacity, and serve more chess enthusiasts. At the same time, the responsibilities and pressures of operating one of Canada’s largest chess clubs continue to increase. MCC now has over 500 active members, with more than 60 players still remaining on the waiting list. The new technologies adopted by the club have greatly improved operational efficiency and made it possible for a small volunteer team to successfully manage such a large and active chess community.

Special thanks to Zihan Hong and Yihan Hong!

Writer: Shawn Liu