Which Clubs are Reopening ?

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John Upham
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by John Upham » Fri Aug 20, 2021 2:27 pm

Basingstoke Chess Club re-opened this Wednesday thanks to David Graham.

One of the few English clubs to have a permanent venue. It is shared with Basingstoke Bridge Club.
Last edited by John Upham on Sun Aug 22, 2021 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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J T Melsom
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Aug 20, 2021 3:59 pm

Wycombe and Hazlemere will re-open the first Monday in September. It is not entirely clear what the path beyond that will be, the setting of membership fees being critical as well as the availability of other clubs to play against, but many of those discussions are easier to hold once open.

NickFaulks
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:06 pm

John Upham wrote:
Fri Aug 20, 2021 2:27 pm
It is shared with Basingstoke Bridge Club however.
That's not a bad thing, is it?
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John Upham
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by John Upham » Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:25 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:06 pm
John Upham wrote:
Fri Aug 20, 2021 2:27 pm
It is shared with Basingstoke Bridge Club however.
That's not a bad thing, is it?
I wasn't suggesting it was.

I didn't want to give the impression that the venue was wholly owned by the chess club.
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Simon Rogers
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:46 pm

John Upham wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 6:46 pm
Simon Rogers wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 6:12 pm
I've found quite a few that are reopening on my travels around the country.
Perhaps you could report on these?
Here are two more clubs that have reopened recently:
Grantham Chess Club reopened on Wednesday 28th July and starts at 7.15pm every Wednesday.
Grantham Chess Club
Great Gonerby Social Club
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG31 8JP

Lincoln Chess Club reopened on Wednesday 4th August and starts at 7.30pm every Wednesday.
Lincoln Labour Club
Grafton House
32 Newland
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN1 1XJ

Dan Lambourne
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Dan Lambourne » Fri Aug 20, 2021 11:58 pm

Cheltenham reopened at the beginning of August, and are open every Tuesday and Thursday again, but the venue rules say masks must be worn.

Redditch were worried about their venue not reopening, after being sold during the pandemic, but we are being allowed back after some refurbishment, and the chess club is hoping to open on Wednesday 8th September. This will make it tricky for us to decide how many players and therefore teams we will have for the Birmingham League where entries are required by August 31st.

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John Upham
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by John Upham » Sun Aug 22, 2021 11:06 am

Does anyone know if Bedford Chess Club has re-opened?

A junior student of mine lives close by and is looking for a junior club.
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Stephen Westmoreland
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Stephen Westmoreland » Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:24 pm

Great to see competitive games returning and clubs. There were 14 players in matches at Huddersfield last Wednesday and a good number of new faces.
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Graham Borrowdale
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Graham Borrowdale » Sun Aug 22, 2021 3:52 pm

John Upham wrote:
Sun Aug 22, 2021 11:06 am
Does anyone know if Bedford Chess Club has re-opened?

A junior student of mine lives close by and is looking for a junior club.

John, this link should give you or your student the information they need.

http://www.bedfordchess.co.uk/

Paul Habershon
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Aug 22, 2021 3:57 pm

John Upham wrote:
Sun Aug 22, 2021 11:06 am
Does anyone know if Bedford Chess Club has re-opened?

A junior student of mine lives close by and is looking for a junior club.
Bedford Chess Club opened when it became legal for more than 6 people to meet indoors, i.e. from July 22 (we meet on Thursdays 7.30-late).

The junior club was meeting, on Thursdays also, before the pandemic from 6.00-7.30 p.m. at a different venue close by. The leader is hoping to resume in September, though that is far from guaranteed of course. Our website is easy to Google. (I saw Graham Borrowdale's link after I wrote all this)

John, your student would be most welcome to visit the main club (venue: North End Social Club, Roff Avenue) if you feel it may be appropriate. You ring the visitors' buzzer to gain access when the door catch is released, then the chess is up the stairs immediately to your right.

Currently we are trying to finish our two-division 2019-20 club championship games by mid November in the hope of running the 2021-22 edition in time to get back on track by September 2022. However, there is an ongoing 'go-as-you-please' open Rapidplay (25+5) tournament from which results are sent for grading. There is also a good chance of casual games with members who don't have a tournament game arranged. We have also had a couple of prospective new players who aren't in the tournaments at all.

Attendance has been understandably low so far (max 11 from a membership of about 30). Probably continued nervousness about Covid, but also August is a holiday month. We do expect adults to be double jabbed or to have taken a very recent Covid test. We provide hand sanitiser. Masks are optional unless one of the two players requests that they be worn.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:12 pm

Bourne End is reopening on Wednesday 1st September in our usual venue at the Bourne End (Bucks) Community Centre. We have our usual pre-season unrated "friendly" against local club Maidenhead scheduled for Wednesday 22nd.

Simon Rogers
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Aug 26, 2021 5:34 pm

I am pleased to announce that Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club is reopening this coming Monday.
However we have a new venue.
More details when my phone has recharged.

Simon Rogers
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:26 am

Simon Rogers wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 5:34 pm
I am pleased to announce that Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club is reopening this coming Monday.
However we have a new venue.
More details when my phone has recharged.
Get ready for this.
FILL YOUR BOOTS 👢
Here it is:
Carleton Bowling Club
Maycroft Avenue
Carleton
Poulton-le-Fylde
Lancashire
FY6 7NE
http://www.carletonbowlingclub.co.uk

The secretary and I will be there from 7pm on Monday to welcome members old and new, including any beginners. The Bowling Club closes at 11pm.
All very exciting.

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John Upham
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by John Upham » Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:38 pm

I attended Winchester Chess Club which had its first OTB club night for some time.

Every week at 7pm on a Wednesday. :D

See https://winchesterchessclub.uk/
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ben.graff
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Re: Which Clubs are Reopening ?

Post by ben.graff » Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:27 am

The Leamington League 21/22 started last night with Stratford v Kenilworth. It has been a long eighteen months, so we are really delighted to be back! We don't have quite as many teams as we did for the previous campaign, but all of our clubs have survived. We are very much looking forward to the season, both in its own right and as a further step toward full normality.
Ben Graff
Author of 'Checkmate! Great Champions And Epic Matches From A Timeless Game' 'The Greenbecker Gambit' and 'Find Another Place'

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