Membership – And How to Find Us

Potential members are asked to initially contact either John Fryer Tel 01543 264997 email jefryer@talktalk.net or David Short,Tel 01543 304212 email davidmshort42@gmail.com. If unable to make contact for any reason please contact General Secretary Stephen Smithson on 07817 946740 or email stephen_smithson@hotmail.co.uk

Newcomers can attend three chess club sessions free of charge before being asked to pay a subscription. There are two grades of membership – full member and social membership. The latter includes juniors under 18 and students still in full time education. The club meets in the Guildroom on the ground floor of the historic Guildhall in Bore Street on Thursday evenings from the beginning of September to the last week in April. From the beginning of August 2025 the club will also meet in spacious upstairs premises at the Kings Head Hotel in Bird St on the second and fourth Mondays each month and in a quiet downstairs area on all other Mondays. (apart from Bank Holidays)

Full membership of £50 a year applies to membersplaying league chess while those wishing to play social chess only there is a Social and Junior Membership of £35. All subscriptions include tea, coffee or soft drink at the Guildhall.

Those wishingto play league chess in one of the club’s 14 teamscompeting in four Midlands Leagues must apply individually to the English Chess Federation for Bronze Membership. This costs £18 for adults and £5 for juniors, Newcomers to league chess are allowed three matches in the same league before ECF membership becomes obligatory.

Social members and juniors are allowed to play in the three major club tournaments, a handicapped Quickplay event which starts the season, the Club Championship-which is also handicapped on time and played either side of the Christmas break and a Lightning 10 second a move tournament which ends the season.

Subscriptions are deided at the annual general meeting in May and are due for payment before the new season starts in September.