English Chess Forum

This thread raises interesting issues and I feel we need to address them dispassionately – occasionally the thread becomes a little heated. I fear there is every chance that as well as losing this season we may be seriously damaged next season as well. As some here have said, will players be happy t...

I describe my game against Tim, en passant as it were, in section a3 of The Rookie.

You are quite right, Brendan. It was Tim who beat me despite falling asleep (several times) in a game at the London Classic weekender in 2012. There was a further oddity in the game. I went to the loo at one point and came back to find he had accidentally played two moves. He made a move while I was...

Terribly sad news. A wonderful character who epitomised everything that was good about chess. Whenever I visited Harrow with Surbiton to play a match, he would be there helping children with their chess, exuding joy at the game, showing not the slightest ego despite being a far stronger player than ...

My idea of study nights (and knights) is largely academic – like you, we don't have many, despite good intentions. I think a group of local clubs (there are four within three or four miles of where I live in SW London) could occasionally come together for presentations, simuls, opening discussions, ...

This is a really interesting question, and goes to the heart of sustaining chess and helping it grow, In my view, chess clubs are far too much match and league oriented. To play league chess, you probably need to have a rating of at least 100 to 120, but even then you're a pretty marginal player at ...

Excellent idea to restart the event. I would play in most of them. Any chance of a weekender as well? We could do with some down here in south-west London. Plenty of clubs and plenty of players who can get behind this. Whenever I used to play in the tournament, there was invariably a good turn-out, ...

It's surely important for chess to cross into the mainstream, which is why columns in general newspapers are helpful. I recall during the Karpov-Korchnoi match of 1978 the Times running detailed daily reports of the games + showing all the moves. Unimaginable now. If we lose the general public, the ...

I will try to read my offerings through in future and eliminate the spelling mistakes (was rushing to submit that opening gambit). Pretty poor show from an allegedly professional writer.

Hi. This is my first post on the forum. Was tempted on by this thread. This is my experience as someone who returned to chess about 10 years ago after a long break (about 25 years). 1. First club I tried was v cold and unfriendly. Went along but everyone was heads down, playing maches, no time to ta...