News

Twelve enthusiastic juniors checked in bright and early for a wonderful morning filled with exciting chess matches. We are especially pleased to welcome two newcomers to our group, Tishitha and Arthur. We truly hope they enjoyed their experience and will continue to join us every Saturday for many more engaging and fun-filled chess sessions. This weeks theme is all about Pawns:- They define the shape of the game. Once moved, they can’t go back—so every Read more

Launching the ‘Quiz Master’ competition, 10 fairly easy questions that are directly based on the lesson from last Saturday. Each participant will have the opportunity to earn one point for every correct answer they provide. This competition aims to reinforce your understanding and encourage active recall of the material covered in the recent session. Please write down your answers and either email them to me at graham7morris@gmail.com or bring them with you to the Chess Read more

This weeks lesson focused on Openings in chess, so just to expand on that theory a little more, for those of you who want to improve your chess, here are some ideas to consider. It’s important to understand the ideas behind the moves. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most effective and popular openings to memorize, along with tips to help them stick: 🧠 Top Chess Openings to Memorize Opening Name Moves (White) Key Read more

Sixteen juniors attended today, our first week back after the summer break. We are pleased to welcome seven new recruits:- Jake, Jacob, George, Alex, Finn and Austin + he who should not be named!, some of whom previously attended the Wimborne club, which has now closed. So where exactly do you start? Well, the opening is always a great place to begin because it gets you right into the heart of the game. However, there Read more

A new season kicks off this Saturday, featuring both familiar and fresh faces eager to conquer the 64 squares. Let’s get ready with a few questions and puzzles: Couple of puzzles to get you thinking:- Best move for White? Best move for Black? If you would like the answers to all the questions, please email me at graham7morris@gmail.com. Kindly let me know if you plan to attend on Saturday the 13th and your expected arrival Read more

A new term starts every Saturday morning from the 13th September 2025, held in the Ferndown Library from 10am until 12am, two 1 hour sessions for juniors 6yrs to 14yrs all skill levels welcome. Here are some great reasons why your child should learn to play chess:- Chess isn’t just a game—it’s a brain-boosting, character-building, globally beloved activity! Here are some of the most fascinating benefits of playing chess:- 🧠 Cognitive & Mental Benefits 🧒 Read more

Fancy some Summer Chess ? Here are a some alternatives to keep you ‘Sharpe’ during the summer break Lichess.org This site is free to all and you don’t have to register, play games against humans or computer, also there are loads of teaching/learning aids, a great site. NEW! – POOLE CHESS CLUB BEGINNERS’ BACCHUS CHESS TOURNAMENT -MONDAY 18TH AUGUST 2025 Poole Chess Club is inviting all new chess players to a friendly 10 minute chess Read more

Two juniors from Ferndown Junior chess competed in this tournament and both walked away with prizes! A total of 26 juniors attended which was split into two sections, Major and Minor. Gagan and Eden were both entered in the Minor section, 5 rounds of 10min each on the clock. With so much going on around them in unfamiliar surroundings, neither seemed troubled by this and played some great chess. Gagan A fantastic achievement with 5 Read more

Great turnout today with 12 juniors despite the really hot day, as this was the last Saturday morning until September, a bit of fun chess took part before prize giving and various presentations. First off a round of suicide chess, but first the rules for those who don’t know:- Suicide Chess Rules    The general ruleset follows: This was followed by a round of 960 chess, quickly followed by a round of Hand & Brain, Read more

On this penultimate day of Chess we had 12 juniors including newbies Luke and Alex who look to be good chess players in the making and hopefully they will return in September where they will learn much more. The Ladder competition has come to a conclusion as next week will be a relaxed fun day with presentations. Todays theme was a step back to basic opening principles which a few members still need to grasp. Read more