Tameside Junior Chess Club was established in 1998 and the club re-opened in September 2022 after closing due to covid. The club is helping local children to play chess and organise teams for them to play other children on a national level. From this the club has produced quite a few England players to date.
We spoke to club organiser James Carrington and asked what is the appeal of the game? “I think it helps with development, promotes strategic thinking and helps them with their focus in learning. We can teach you how to play from a young age, currently that is 7 and the oldest currently is 14 but we welcome all ages and all abilities really. I first got involved in this club when it started 25 years ago when I was 10 and just carried on since.”
The club holds tournaments at local primary schools every month with various prizes and meet during term times at Flowery Fields Primary School in Newton on a Monday evening from 6.15pm where they have coaches and friendly chess tournaments. Occasionally there are simultaneous matches where all the children get to play an international level chess player. They also have various levels of coaches available to help anywhere from a beginner to an advanced player. Cost per session is just £1 and refreshments are included. For further details you can email tamesidejuniorchess@gmail.com