- Our clubs are designed to give children friendship and a lifelong hobby, not to improve their academic performance: informal clubs rather than an extension of school
- Everything we do in our clubs is designed to fit in with our members’ cognitive and emotional development
- We offer social games and mentoring rather than rated games and formal instruction
- We see chess as a game for older children and adults, not, in general, as a game for younger children
- We encourage home study using the Chess Heroes books along with advice on how best to use online resources
- We prepare children for competitive chess when they’re ready, providing opportunities to practise using times and recording moves
- We are run by volunteers, not professionals, to keep our clubs affordable for everyone
- We believe that membership of our clubs should be the choice of children, not parents: if your children don’t enjoy chess don’t force them to come
- We aim to be accessible and inclusive: our only requirements is that our members have a genuine passion for chess and are able to play quietly without distracting other members
- We take safeguarding and data protection very seriously,
We particularly welcome:
- Children of secondary school age, although younger children taking chess seriously are also welcome. Children in Y4 and below will need to be accompanied by a parent or carer
- Shy or anxious children who might struggle to fit in to other clubs
- Quirky and neurodivergent personalities
- Deep thinkers, problem solvers and logic masters
- Home schooled or unschooled children
- Children who enjoy competition but are not attracted to physical sports
- Children from immigrant and refugee communities
CHESS MINDS 