Why Join Us?

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Good news! You can attend up to three chess evenings free of charge before deciding on membership. If you are interested in attending a chess evening for the first time, please contact David or John in our New Member Team.

Welcome to Lichfield Chess Club

Lichfield Chess Club meets at two venues which are conveniently located in Lichfield City Centre. We warmly welcome chess players of all levels from Lichfield and surrounding areas, including Tamworth, Rugeley, Burton upon Trent, Cannock, Burntwood and Walsall. If you're new to club chess, are an established player who has recently moved into the area, or are looking to return to over-the-board chess after a period of chess inactivity, below are four good reasons to get in touch and to pay our club a visit. We'd love to hear from you.

Reasons to join us:

Two chess nights per week during the chess season. As one of the largest chess clubs in the Midlands, Lichfield is able to offer members two evenings of play each week: Thursdays at the Guildhall from September to April, and most Mondays at The King's Head. Both venues are in the city centre.
Tuition. While we are not equipped to teach the game from scratch, a new initiative is in place to help players with a sound grasp of the basics develop their skills further. One of our senior team captains has kindly volunteered to dedicate time at the club to supporting newer members as they grow in confidence.
Development teams. Newer players have historically found it difficult to secure regular opportunities to play league chess, and we are determined to address this. For the 2026-27 season, we have added new teams in lower divisions of league chess, offering more opportunities for less experienced members to participate in competitive, rated games.
Season-long internal ECF-rated tournament. A further recent initiative, our internal ECF-rated tournament runs across the season and offers competitive play outside the four major Midlands leagues, helping members work on their ratings throughout the year. The event runs over eight rounds, with one round completed each month.

Photos by Andrei Pinzaru and Albert Chacko

Lichfield's top-rated player, Turan Asgarova, with GM Nigel Short at a tournament in Shanghai.

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Annual subscriptions run from July: £50 for full members (including league chess), £35 for juniors and social-only members. There are discounted rates for new members joining in the second half of the season. Please note that players playing league chess will also need to pay a subscription to the ECF (English Chess Federation) after their first 3 league games in any league. The 2026 cost of an ECF Bronze subscription is £21 per year, £7.50 per year for juniors.

Frequently asked questions:

How do I join Lichfield Chess Club?

Get in touch with the New Member team via the Contact page. You can attend up to three chess evenings free of charge before deciding whether to take up membership.

When and where does the club meet?

We meet two evenings a week. Thursdays from 7:15pm at Lichfield Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield WS13 6LU (September to April only), and Mondays from 7:15pm at The King's Head, Bird Street, Lichfield WS13 6PW (all year except Bank Holidays).

How much does membership cost?

From July 2026 the rates are £50 a year for full membership (including league chess) and £35 for junior or social membership. The first three visits are free for prospective members.

Are newer or inexperienced players welcome?

Yes. The club isn't set up to teach chess from scratch, but anyone with a good grasp of the rules and an online rating of about 1000 or higher is warmly welcomed.

Do you welcome juniors?

Absolutely, yes - see the Juniors page for details on what we offer for younger players.

Do I have to play league matches?

No. Some members never play league chess at all. Members who want competitive games can play in teams in four regional leagues.

Banner photo by Micael Sáez on Unsplash