Our Clubs

We’re planning to start a Chess Minds club at some point in 2026.

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 timers 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

Our clubs in the Richmond/Twickenham area are run as part of Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club.

Club rules:

Safeguarding Policy Document:

GDPR (Data Protection Statement):

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 at all times
Shy or anxious children who might struggle to fit in to other clubs
Quirky and neurodivergent personalities
Deep thinkers, problem solvers and logic masters
Homeschooled or unschooled children
Children who enjoy competition but are not attracted to physical sports
Children from immigrant and refugee communities