Chess Groupies

[John Upham]

Within SMs amusing confessional article there is mention of

Chess Groupies

and

The Guardian reporter even said there were now “chess groupies”, though none has yet made an appearance at Kingston or Surbiton, where I play alongside other ageing aficionados of the 64 squares.

Do we know of which English clubs feature groupies?

Would Kevin of the Teachers be an example?

[Roger Lancaster]

John - The cIue is in the sentence. "Ageing" participants in any activity tend not to attract groupies.

[NickFaulks]

"Ageing" participants in any activity tend not to attract groupies.

Tell that to Jimmy Page.

[Stephen Westmoreland]

My dad (just finished radiology and wants to be as active as possible while he can) has joined the chess groupie movement. Going to watch his grandson (my lad Jacob age 13) play against Dewsbury today. I shot over after the NCCU AGM to see Jacob convert a nice win. I guess we are not as glamorous as traditional groupies.. Does that count?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Would Kevin of the Teachers be an example?

Well that distinctly odd racket was only tangentially connected with chess I think.

[Richard Thursby]

I vaguely remember reading a report (possibly in Chess Magazine, sometime in the late 1990s) of a chess club that had a supporters' club that would travel to away matches to offer moral support, complete with wearing club attire. Can't remember who the club was, sadly.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hans has groupies. This lot appeared a few days after Hans beat Magnus and loads of people started attacking him. I thought at least one of them would have had a 'Hands Off Hans' sign.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

(I suppose Magnus had, and probably still has, groupies, especially in Norway. Was surprised to see that reaction to Hans - this hasn't been Photoshopped has it? Am trying to think which of the current and most recent generation of grandmasters has attracted this sort of interest?)

[Ian Thompson]

this hasn't been Photoshopped has it?

No - here's a video of them.