Friday 24th April 2026    
6:30pm Junior Club – Round 7 of the UK Chess Challenge Preliminary competition. Badges and Mascots still to be won. 
7:45pm Senior Club – Spring Rapid Week 6. Chocolate prizes are up for grabs. 
7:30pm 1st Team Home Match vs Haywards Heath    

Junior Chess Club   Entry to the UK Chess Challenge Mega-Finals are now open 
see https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/megafinals-2026/ 
Kent Mega-Final Saturday 9th May in Bromley 
Sussex Mega-Final Sunday 24th May in Cuckfield    

Senior Chess Club    
I am going to try something different for the Club Championship this year by keeping what seems to be a popular format of 4 games of 10+5 each evening  over the first 4 Fridays in May. With the winner being the player with the highest total score from the 16 games. Players will only play each other a maximum of two games.    

On the final Friday of the Season on the 29th May we will run our Spring Blitz Tournament.    

All our Senior Club games are submitted for rating so please ensure that if you have played in our tournaments that you become an English Chess Federation member before the end of May otherwise the club will get the bill. At least Bronze membership is required. 
See https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-membership-rates-and-joining-details/     

Teams    
We have our final Sussex League match against Haywards Heath so good luck to the team as we need a victory to have any chance of survival in the top division. See https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/organisation/752/tables     

We were very unlucky last week losing in the Cup Final on tie break after drawing our match against Uckfield.    

I have two dates coming up that I am looking for players for; 
Monday May 18th at 7:30pm a Friendly away vs Tunbridge Wells. All levels of players are welcome to play as we will try to match players of similar strength. 
Saturday June 27th start 10:30pm in West Hamstead 6 Rapid Play games. This is an all day event and players must have played for one of our Senior or Junior teams and have an ECF Rating to be eligible.    
I have had limited confirmation from players for these events. It would be a shame to cancel so if you have not already done so please send me an email to confirm your interest.    

AGM    
We are planning to hold our AGM on Friday 5th June at 8:00pm in MR3. If you would like a say in how the club is run please come along. All members and parents are welcome.  

Friday 6th March 2025

6:30pm – 7:30pm Junior Chess Club
7:45pm – 10:00pm Senior Chess Club

Tonight we start the junior UK Chess Challenge with badges, mascots and other goodies to be won. 
This is a club warm up for the Mega-Finals
The Sussex Mega-Final is on May 24th while the Kent Mega-Final date is yet to be announced.

Senior Club is when all our members are welcome to join in young or old featuring our 4 Round 10+5 tournament. 
With just 12 Fridays left to the end of the season we also need to decide the format for this year’s Club Championship. Suggestions welcome.    

Team News    

As in recent years the battle for survival in Division 1 is coming down to the last few games. League Table with two teams to be relegated. 

Remaining Fixtures are; 
Tuesday 10th March Away at Hastings 
Tuesday 14th April Away at Lewes 
Friday 24th April Home against Haywards Heath    

Better news in the Knock Out Competitions where we are due to play; 
Friday 20th March Home vs Uckfield in the PW Trophy Quarter-Final 
Friday 17th April Home vs Uckfield (again) in the Final of the Sussex League KO Cup    

The Juniors play in the Rapid League see the Table
The two remaining Fixtures are also both against Uckfield 
Friday 27th March at Home 
Wednesday 8th April Away    

In addition team members from the 1st Team and the Junior Team are invited to play on Saturday 27th June for our two teams of 4 players + 1 reserve
Players need to have played for our teams at least twice to be eligible. 
More details on https://sccu-chess.com/index.php/en/london-club-champs     

British Chess Championships   

For our more enthusiastic players just a reminder that the entries are now open for the British Adult Sections as well as Senior and Junior Age Groups. This year it is at Warwick University in Coventry and I have already booked my accommodation in Kenilworth a short bus ride from the venue. 
I understand Luke is planning to play and it would be great to see many more of you there. https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/     

Out and About    

Luke was busy in February playing in the Isle of Wight Masters and scoring a creditable 4/9 see his Chess Results 
This was following his success in the Sussex Under 18s GP5 tournament in Horsham      

Friday 16th January 2026

6:30pm - 7:30pm Junior Chess Club
7:45pm – 9:45pm Senior Chess Club
7:00pm Junior Match vs EG Bookshop

Week 2 of the New Year Rapid Play.
See the Crosstable of Week 1 Results where new Member Edgar Pack came out winner on 3½/4 

Friday 14th November 2025

6:30pm – 7:30pm Junior Chess Club 
7:45pm – 9:45pm Senior Chess Club 
Round 11 of Autumn Rapid Play  See the Crosstable of last week’s results with 16 players competing for the 1st Prize of Chocolate 
Jon Lawrance remains the leader of the Grand Prix – everyone welcome to join in let’s try catching Jon up while he is playing in the 1st Team Match..    

7:30pm – 10:40pm Sussex League Division 1 Home Match vs Horsham.
Please everyone help to clear away sets etc from MR1 at the end of the evening.    

Last Friday of this year will be Friday 5th December so just 4 more to go before Christmas. 
We will return in the New Year on Friday 9th January 2026

Friday 24th October 2025

Just a reminder that we do have a Junior Club tonight even though it is half term    
6:30pm Junior Club including Round 1 of our Winter 2025 Tournament 
7:45pm Senior Club including Round 8 of our Autumn 2025 Rapid Play    

Can I encourage more of our juniors to stay for the Senior Club. 
Players do not need to stay for the full 4 games and I will try to pair players of equal experience in Round 1 but it will get tougher after that if you win!
Games are the same time control as the Junior matches being 10 minutes + 5 seconds per move so do please give it a try. 
Also these games are ECF Rated so by playing you will be closer to getting a national rating.    

UK Chess Challenge 2025 (50,000 entries UK wide)

We started our Crowborough Preliminary tournament for the UK Chess Challenge back in January 2025 Players then moved on to the county round called the MegaFinals in which numerous Crowborough players competed. 
Those who reached the qualifying score moved on to the South of England GigaFinal. 
The GigaFinal winners qualified directly for the grand final called the TeraFinal. 
Those just missing out on qualification played in the Challengers with a further chance to qualify for the TeraFinal. 

This is where Luke Freeman the last standing Crowborough representative found himself. Luke scored 6½/9 coming second in the Under 14s and thereby qualified for the TeraFinal.    

The Terafinal consisted of a gruelling 12 player all play all played over two days with Luke ranked 9th. Losing just the one game and scoring 8 points Luke came Runner-Up. 

A fantastic result which has not been equalled by a Crowborough player (correct me if I am wrong) but I think the previous best was David Howell (future Grandmaster and British Champion) who came 4th in 2001.

See SJC Report

Sussex Junior Chess    

Results of last Saturdays Worth Grand Prix and London Junior Qualifier can be found on UTU Chess Results 
Well played to all those competing Crowborough players; Raul, Arjun and Shravan. I would recommend these SJC events to all our juniors.    

Upcoming Tournaments    

Sunday 9th November 2025 – Sussex Junior Chess Championships see SJC Entry. Please note all members of Crowborough Chess Club are eligible even if you live and go to school outside of Sussex    

Saturday 29th November 2025 – one for the adults and older juniors Bexhill Rapid see Bexhill Chess Club for details.  

New Season 2025-26

Crowborough Chess Club re-opens on Friday 5th September 2025    

6:30pm – 7:30pm Junior Chess Club consisting of ½ hour training followed by an organised game Juniors of all ages are welcome though parents of younger children should stay in the meeting room during training and games. There is a café area for other parents to sit in next to the playing room.    

7:45pm – 10:00pm Senior Chess Club consisting of an organised rapid play tournament of 4 games with a 10+5 time control. The games will be ECF Rapid Play rated so members should ensure that their ECF Membership is renewed. With a trophy presented December 5th for the player scoring the highest number of points in their best six events.

We are going to try this new format rather than the longer games of last season. If its not popular we will change back.    

Membership    
Covering the 14 Fridays 5th September 2025 to 5th December 2025 inclusive the cost is £50 per member juniors and seniors. For new members who want a trial session the cost is £5.   Please pay Gill at the club or preferably by direct transfer to the Chess Club bank account Account

New Junior Members    
Simply turn up at the club in the downstairs Meeting Room 1 of the Crowborough Community Centre Pine Grove TN6 1FE on Friday 5th September by 6:30pm and talk to Gill who will welcome you and provide a membership form for completion.    

There is an opportunity for the older and more experienced juniors to stay on for the senior club and to play adults. Please ask if you think your child would like to play in these tournaments that are played under adult conditions of quiet and longer time controls.    

We remind parents that;
Our child protection policy can be found on our website as can the email address of our safeguarding officer who can be contacted confidentially.
We cannot act as loco parentis and do expect parents or carers to remain at the venue where they are welcome in the club rooms or can use the café area to sit in.
Although the centre is reasonably safe in that there are no simple exits, if children do leave the playing room, we may not notice so parents should be vigilant.
We can always do with help on club nights.
We do offer water and biscuits and sometimes take photos for publishing on our website.
Please let myself or Gill know if you have any concerns in these regards.

As the children improve they will be encouraged to become involved in Sussex Junior Chess events. Please visit www.sussexjuniorchess.org for more information.    

42nd Crowborough Chess Congress    
A reminder for our experienced players that our tournament takes place on Saturday 13th September 2025. Now is the time to enter see https://crowborough.org/club/42nd-Congress.html      

Please note that the Congress is being held on a separate day to the Sussex Junior Chess Tournament that is being held the week after. Juniors are of course welcome to enter both.