Social Chess

When we don't play matches, our regular club evenings (now Thursdays) are for social chess. Here's a flavour of what you should expect:

• A friendly group of players who will make you welcome (just don't interrupt them if they're too deep in concentration!)
• Help and tuition through replaying some openings or your end game.
• Retirees, who are looking for something to brighten up their lives when they are not abroad on Safari
• Games where formal rules (e.g. if you touch a piece you have to move it) gives way to the informal (e.g. your opponent suggesting you should retract a bad move).
• Young professionals for whom playing chess is a way to meet some sane people and relieve stress
• Simultaneous games, where one of the club's better players takes on 2-3 all-comers (meaning that a weaker player stands a better chance).
• Friendly chit-chat - sometimes to do with chess.
• Some frantic 'blitz' games, where you each have so many minutes (e.g. 5 or 10) on the clock; again, a weaker player can be given more time than their opponent.
• Meeting a newcomer who admits to being 'rusty' but still brings out a novel opening to startle - and beat - his opponent!
• Casual players who throw caution to the wind with incredible piece sacrifices, that somehow never seems to work out in their favour.

When we were at Mary Hare Grammar School - a national school for the deaf - we occasionally had school pupils play. For example, Lewis Martin was in our A-team for several years before going to Bristol University. In 2017 his grade was 198, higher than any of our current players. From 2013-17 we were joined by a former pupil of Mary Hare from quite a few years ago whose career has taken him back to the Newbury area.

Over the years we have had all types of chess player (male / female, young /old, newscomers, old hands, returners), and players of all standards and senses of humour. So come and join us in the fun - and serious - aspects of chess. Read the section on 'how to join' on our Club Information page.

An in between the truly social chess (which is often played quite fast and without a clock) and formal matches with other teams we had a club championship, from 2011-17. This was played under match conditions and gave the opportunity for team and social members to practice more seriously. Typically each entrant played around one match a month (taking most of the evening).

This page last updated 20th August 2021