Juniors are players aged under 18 on 1 September at the start of the season. Those aged under 12 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian when playing at the club. The minimum recommended age for club junior membership is 5.
The junior club starts at 6.30pm with a puzzle and short talk for the early arrivals. From 6.45pm we provide coaching in separate rooms at two levels: for intermediate; and advanced players. All our coaches are volunteers, most of them strong players. From around 7.15pm the juniors play each other or in a tournament which currently has 50 players.
ECF Development Pathway Junior Club
We are pleased to announce that we have been officially recognised as a Junior Club in the ECF Development Pathway. There are currently only four clubs in London and 17 in England that hold this designation.
The ECF Development Pathway initiative recognises a structured and formal progression plan for junior chess players in England which incorporates existing coaches, junior clubs, associations and programmes. The Pathway is a five-level system with a majority of players at Level 1 (Schools) and just a handful of places nationally at the top Level 5 (Accelarator Programme). We are at Level 2 (Junior Club) but working towards our Level 3 (Centre of Excellence) status. Level 3 is intended for clubs “with an extensive junior chess training background” and we are confident that we meet the criteria.
Annual internal juniors competition
We organise an annual tournament for juniors consisting of 12 to 16 games. The time control is 15 minutes plus five seconds after each move is played. The top three scorers in the competition receive awards.
Occasional matches against other junior teams
We also organise in-person and online matches against other clubs with large junior sections. Each player plays once as white, once as black. The number of boards for any match is determined by the number of players available to play for the opposing team, and is usually from 6 to 20. The time control is 10 minutes plus a 3 second increment per move. Our opponents have included teams from St Olave’s, Tunbridge Wells, Wales and a visiting team from China.
Membership
Upon arrival for the first time, parents or guardians complete a registration form. The first evening is a free taster session. Please see our membership page for further details.
Getting started
For absolute beginners a full game of chess can be a bit daunting. There are mini-games like pawn capture that are good to start off with. Once you know the moves and can play a full game, you can really enjoy competing in a tournament. By the end of a few rounds you are generally paired with players of similar strength. You learn quickly from playing. Playing against a parent, sibling or online opponents will help you to progress.
BOOKS
For Beginners
Chess for Children by Murray Chandler and Helen Milligan
Chess for Kids by Michael Basman
Chess for Kids: How to Play and Win by Richard James
Winning Chess Strategy For Kids by Jeff Coakley
For Advanced Beginners
Chess Tactics for Kids by Murray Chandler
Chess Tactics Workbook by Al Woolum
How to Beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler
Learn Chess the Right Way by Susan Polgar (Series)
LINKS
Some websites with information about junior chess: