Below are some of the main junior events in the English junior calendar for 2026. ENGLISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS March 7-8, 2026 Nottingham High School 2 Qualification places for U18, U16, U14, U12, U10, U8 – Open and Girls &nd...
This Sunday, July 16, up to 15,000 Londoners and visitors are expected to crowd on to the British capital’s iconic Trafalgar Square for the world’s biggest outdoor chess carnival: ChessFest 2023! Entry to ChessFest Is Free for Everyo...
Lots of things in England are a little bit difficult to explain to foreigners. The role of a man wearing fancy garters, called ‘Black Rod,’ in the Annual State Opening of Parliament. The rules of cricket. Boris Johnson’s hairstyl...
Dear Chess.com readers, what follows is a report on the state of English chess, two weeks ahead of a key election for the Chief Executive of the English Chess Federation (ECF). While some of the issues raised in this report are unique to the UK,...
Britain’s biggest-ever outdoor chess festival, ChessFest, was a roaring success with 6,000 visitors enjoying a day of sun, chess and fun at Trafalgar Square in central London. Chess fans watched live chess games with actors, and took part ...
All too often, it seems to me that reviving grassroots chess is being virtually ignored by some of the higher-ups in national chess federations, who prefer to concentrate instead on ‘saving the federation’ first. Events over the 15 m...
After more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions on over-the-board chess, London will enjoy its biggest-ever outdoor chess event on Sunday July 18: ChessFest, in the city’s iconic Trafalgar Square. The square is not just London’s...
“Some online chess is bad, No OTB can really make you mad, While anonymous cheats just make you swear & curse, When you're dreading banter blitzing, Don't grumble, try kibbitzing, And local leagues’ll help thi...
What do you do when Covid-19 restrictions make it difficult to hold any large-scale or even small-scale OTB chess gatherings, but players would really like to see each other after months of lockdown? Well, the hybrid European Youth Champs show ...
Hi, everyone! These are strange times we're living in, and your chess federation needs you like never before! Wherever you live in the world, national federations require our support to keep going, particularly when playing over-the-board chess sa...
Here are my 7 Top Tips for playing rapid and blitz tournaments and matches online: 1. Be relaxed and healthy. That means: Don't tire yourself out with blitz games in the hours before the match. Get enough sleep, do some light exercise daily an...
rokirovka = the Russian for castling Last week at the London Chess Classic, the world was turned upside down. Magnus Carlsen was knocked out, Ding Liren won the Grand Chess Tour, and American actor Woody Harrelson beat tournament director Malc...
[Event "16th 4NCL Congress"][Date "2017.11.03"][Round "1"][White "Longson, Sarah"][Black "Hebden, Mark"][Result "1-0"][ECO "C92"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Re1 d6 7. c3 Na5 8. Bb5a6 9. Ba4 b5 10. Bc2 c5 11. Nbd2 Re8 1...
An interesting game from the Northumberland League, against an old mate of mine, Paul Dargan.
Here is an interesting game that proves the old saying, 'Fortune favours the brave!' It was played in the recent Northumberland Open, and I needed to win to stand a chance of getting into the prizes. After an adventurous opening, the Vaganian...
