English Chess Forum

It is with very great sadness that I have to report to you that Paul Sharratt, secretary of Worcestershire Chess Association, passed away suddenly. This has come as a great shock and was totally unexpected.

He was CEO for the Midland Chess Counties Union, former President of the Birmingham Chess & District Chess League, President of Dudley & District Chess League, former secretary of Stourbridge Chess Club, founder and secretary of Kinver Chess Club as well as playing a leading role in the ECF’s safeguarding policy. Paul was instrumental in the association's recovery from the 2019-20 Covid emergency. In terms of personal achievements he was presented the Jim Friar award for services to Worcestershire chess in 2020, he captained the Worcestershire under-150 team to become 2016 national champions, and won the Worcester & District Chess League individual competition for the Ball Cup in 2015. He was rightly proud of these achievements.

Former MCCU CEO Ray Dolan said: “He was a legend” and former ECF CEO Andrew Farthing writes: "Paul was always unfailingly friendly and helpful in all his dealings with the chess community. He took on so many of the thankless tasks that are essential to keeping a chess organisation or league running, and he will be missed enormously. His common sense and even-handed approach were a boon ...".

Away from the board, Paul was a staunch supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers and ensured no Worcestershire county match should take place on a date of a Wolves home fixture. He retired from a head teacher's role at a secondary school in Cornwall and took an honours degree in mathematics from the Open University as a retirement project. He will be greatly missed both locally and nationally for his services to chess.

Ray Collett President Worcestershire Chess Association.

The family has told me the funeral is taking place on Weds 25 March at 11.30 at St Peter’s Church Kinver

Players may not be aware, but Paul confided to me at the last match he captained for Worcestershire that his eye-sight was deteriorating and he would not be team captain for the 2025-6 season. I suspect his decision to resign the sercretary's role at stourbridge CC and found a new club at Kinver where he lived was intended to allow hime to continue to play the game he loved when he could not drive.

The family have said donations to Guide Dogs for the Blind charity in preference to flowers. The funeral director's website has a giving page at: https://octopuslegacy.com/support-hubs/BGXWPQ/share for players who wish to honour Paul but are unable to attend the funeral.