The Chess Society is a chess club for members of the University to play friendly games, improve their chess, and/or play competitively. We offer a relaxed environment that welcomes everyone at the University to join and participate, and are the leading University chess club in the country.
What we offer?
Weekly Clubnights
Our weekly clubnights are for all members to play friendly games and enjoy a relaxed evening once a week, where anything from standard chess to exchange chess tournaments take place. Clubnights run during all three undergraduate terms of the year and are held every Thursday from 7.30pm to 10.00pm in the Oculus building in OC0.04. Please note the first two clubnights will be in Lib 2.
Clubnights are followed by an optional social at 10pm, where we play pool and have drinks at the Pool Tables in the Student Union.
Learning and Improving Your Chess
If you are a complete begineer, the Society offers a FREE Beginners' Course for members of the Society. The sessions are held in OC0.04 (Lib 2 for the first two weeks) every Thursday from 8pm to 9pm (concurrent with Clubnights). This course will last through term 1 and will be given by various members of the exec of strong playing ability.
For those who already know some chess, or are profficient, the experienced members, Exec and the Society Coach are always happy to give Chess advice and guidance.
Competitive Chess
The Society offer a wide range of competitive chess opportunities for members.
Each Tuesday evening in Term 1 and 2, the Society plays in the Coventry & District Chess League. The Society fields five teams across three Divisions, catering for players of all abilities, from beginners to masters level.
We also play in major national competitions. Our most important event of the year is the annual British Universities Chess Championship (BUCA). In the last few years Warwick have sent in more teams than any other university, with a huge amount of success! Warwick have been the British Champions in 2002, 2017 and 2018, leading to our qualification for the European Universities Chess Championship in 2017. Warwick were placed 10th in Europe.
In addition to BUCA, we also regularly have players competing in major events around the country, including the London Chess Classic, with several of our members even arbiting at these events.
Social Events
Apart from a light social after weekly clubnights, we have several drinking and non-drinking socials each term, catering for eveyone.
There have been several Laser Quest socials, ventures to Kasbah and Skool Dayz, and meals as a Society. We have also had joint socials with other Societies, which have been very successful.
Outreach Links
The Society has a long-standing relationship with the Coventry Chess Academy, a very successful social enterprise that can boast as one of the most successful chess clubs for under-teens in the Midlands. We provide many coaches every Saturday to help run sessions and provide assistance to the academy's director.
On Friday lunchtimes we also send a team to teach chess to children at Grange Farm Primary School. Both events are great to earn teaching experience, clock up volunteering hours for your HEAR report and also just to have great fun.
Other Events!
For the last two years the Society has invited Super GM Anish Giri to give a Simultaneous Display to our members. This event has attracted a huge amount of success and been a great experience for all members involved!
We have also had Simultaneous Displays in the past from FM Peter Batchelor, CM Peter Williams, IM Ameet Ghasi (The leading British Blitz Player) and Dimiter Daskalov. The Society has hosted chess talks, inviting both internal and external speakers.
The annual Warwick University Rapidplay is a FIDE and ECF rated event which will normally be held in February at the University. It was first launched in 2017 and attracted players from all across England, and even international players from as far as Australia!
Sponsors
We are currently sponsored by Optiver. A leading, multi-national, securities trading firm.
For More Information about us
Please feel free to join our Facebook group here, or visit and like our Facebook page here.
If you have any questions, please contact the society by messaging our Facebook Page or by emailing us at su276@warwicksu.com.
Contacts
Executive Commitee 2018-2019
President: WFM Louise Head
Vice President: Jorel Ali
Secretary: James Harrison
Treasurer: Paul Shellard
Publicity: Eduard Andreescu
Social: Helen Cavanagh
Outreach: James Munns
League Officer: Andy Pollock
Captains:
Div 1: Vicki Sit
Div 2: Robert Pikmets
Div 3: Siti Anwar