Worcestershire Chess Association

Next events - Words in green are hyperlinks to pdf entry form, congress website, or contact’s e-mail

ECF Online tournaments Something on nearly every day
Sat 28 Jun. Delancey UK Chess Challenge Worcestershire Megafinal at St John’s Campus, University of Worcester. Megafinal begins at 10am, six round rapidplay, time control 15 min + 10 sec, Prizes for highest boy and girl scorers in each year group.
Sat 1 Nov. Worcester u1650 team play Lincolnshire probably at a neutral venue. Contact Aiden if you would like to play.
Sat 15 Nov. Worcestershire -Lincolnshire at Sharnwood Leics in the Midland Counties team Championship. Please contact Harry Evans (Redditch) if you can play.
Sat 21 Feb 2026. Worcestershire-Derbyshire in the Midland Counties team Championship. Please contact Harry Evans (Redditch) if you can play. Venue TBA.

County champion wins Guernsey International Chess Festival

25 Oct 2025. Kata Toma won the seven round Open tournament at St Peter Port, Guernsey on tie-breal from FM Hamish Olson (Scotland) with 5½ points. Kata was the only player in the tournament who did not lose a game. Picture shows Kata at the awards ceremony (Picture: BWCI Guernsey Int Chess Festival).

Online teams have mixed fortunes

21 Oct 2025. Worcestershire Wolfpack A, playing Ashfield Anonymous B, suffered its first defeat and team B lost heavily to Cozy Tomatoes in Division 2 4NCL Main Online, Team C lost to Juassic Coast and the night was saved by team D claiming its first win this season against War & Piece Banner. See score cards.

County champion at awards ceremony Guernsey International Chess Festival

Worcestershire Windmills’ first win

19 Oct 2025. The new county over-the-board team made its debut in 4NCL Division 4. There were two rounds at Cropthorne Hotel, Merry Hill, Dudley. The first match against Eternal Optimists was lost 2-4, but the team recovered strongly in round 2 beating Guildford Young Guns B by 5½-½. David Waud won both of his weekend games. The team stand twelth in the table at the end of the weekend. See score cards.

Sad passing of County and Stourbridge stalwart

11 Oct 2025, Julie Wilson reports. Eric Horwill passed away at home in the early hours of this morning. Eric’s health had been deteriorating since the Summer. He was 92. Eric first joined Stourbridge chess club in 1946. Throughout his life he has worked tirelessly to support the chess club, having served as club president and captained numerous teams. Earlier this year Eric was presented the Jim Friar trophy in recognition of his contributions to chess in Worcestershire. He played over a 50 year period for county teams both over-the-board and by correspondence. Eric, besides being an excellent attacking chess player, was also an international race-walker. Eric is survived by his wife Pam, daughter Katherine and grandchildren to whom we extend condolences. The funeral is on Monday 17 November at Stourbridge Crematorium at 12:20pm.

County players finish mid-table in Stroud Rapidplay

11 Oct 2025. Three players entered the Stroud Autumn Rapidplay: Ian Clarke (Malvern), Nigel Towers (Redditch) and John Varilone (Kidderminster). There were six 15+5 rounds. Ian and Nigel scored 3½ points and John 3 points. Sixty five players competed.

Worcestershire Wolfpack online team achieve another 4-0 win

7 Oct 2025. The A team in 4NCL Division 2 had its third 4-0 victory, this time over Charlton Cobras B. The B team lost against Oxford 1. In Division 4, the C team drew with Five Towns Superchargers and the D team lost to Corieltauvi. See full results and links to games.

Kidderminster celebrate win in Wolverhampton League

1 Oct 2025, John Wrench reports. County champion WGM Kata Toma clinched a match win over West Bromwich A in Division 1. John Wrench claims it is the first time a WGM has played for Kidderminster.

u1650 team lose to Warwickshire

25 Sep 2025. Worcestershire lost 5½-6½ playing away at Stratford-on-Avon. Giles Stanton (Redditch), team captain Aiden Griffiths (Worcester) and Tom Sherwood (Longbridge) won thier games. See full results.

County online teams in 4NCL

23 Sep 2025. The A team powers ahead, but others stumble in round 2. Team A had another 4-0 victory - this time over East Kilbride - but B lost to Trelawney's Army in Division 2 and C lost to Malpass & Friends and D lost to Shrewsbury Pirates in Division 4. See full results and links to games.

9 Sep 2025. For the first time the Worcestershire Wolfpack teams were led into the round by a titled player. The A team was rewarded with a 4-0 victory over Hertford 2 in Division2. The other three teams move up divisions because there were fewer entries for the tournament this season. Team B now playes in Division 2 and achieved a draw against Dundee City C. The Wolfpack C team made a clean sweep against Colchester JFF , the D team lost 4-0 against a very highly rated Chess Rising Stars team with two 2000+ rated players. See full results.

Kidderminster awards night

15 Sep 2025, Lorraine Henry reports. The major honours were again claimed by 26-year-old Joseph Friar who won the club's President's Cup, Lightning Cup, Handicap and Quick-Play tournaments. Brandon Wilkes took home the Graham Bunn Trophy and Cameron Henry, 15, the Minor Club Championship for the fourth year in a row and also received the Clive Billinge memorial award for his contributions to the club. President of the club John Wrench said: "Joseph continues to be an inspiration to everyone at the club and one of Worcestershire's leading players. We're also extremely proud of Brandon for his hard-fought wins, whilst Cameron continues to build his reputation as a formidable teenage player. He made history by becoming our youngest ever captain in the Club's 180-years and continues to show a brilliant attitude."

County begins league season

3 Sep 2025. The first match of the season was the Derby between Lonbridges A and B teams in the Championship League. That match ended in a draw. See match card.

Redditch honour former member with Blitz tournament

3 Sep 2025. Seven players participated in a double round all-play-all in memory of Phil Church. After losing his first round game, Dan Lambourne went on to win by a 2½ point margin and a total of 13 points. Nearest and runner-up was David Smith with 10½ points.

Redditch win the Towers Cup

27 Aug 2025. Redditch won the Towers Cup on tie-break from Longbridge A with both teams ending on 6 points each. Longbridge’s B team with 5 points was edged into third position, follwed by Worcester 3 points, Malvern 2½ points and Kidderminster 1½ points. The first round left three teams in the lead: the two Longbridge teams and Redditch, but Redditch were not quite able to keep up. See details.

Kata Toma makes history! first woman Worcestershire Individual Champion

24 Aug 2025. It is a bit of a risk for a titled player recovering from an injury to enter a tournament with an unusual format and facing local untitled players. WGM Kata Toma took that risk. She faced tough opposition throughout. In round 1, a quickplay round 20+10, she was black against defending junior champion James Allsopp (Malvern). James played well in the opening but Kata prevailed. In round 2, a fast classical time control 45+30, she beat another junior, Muhammed Mehmood (Halesowen). Subsequent rounds settled to a more conventional 75+30 time control against seasoned campaigners. In these she played John Wrench (Kidderminster) in round 3 - see below. In round 4, Kata played Matt Gillings (Redditch). Matt showed he was unafraid and launched a sacrificial kingside attack, but to no avail. This left two players only with 4 points each: defending champion Joe Friar (Kidderminster) and Kata to play for the 2025 title in the final round. Kata countered Joe’s king side opening with a Sicilian Defence and Joe maintained a slight initiative into the middle game. After a series of exchanges players were left in an equal position with pawns and bishops on opposite coloured squares. Kata had an advanced passed pawn and continued to probe Joe’s defences. Joe defended reolutely to force a completely drawn position and Kata had to settle for half a point. Both players finished on 4½, but Kata had the a slightly superior tie-break to take the title. Read about our new champion on BBC news.

The prize winners in other sections were: Junior champion - James Allsopp (Malvern); Women's Champion - Julie Wilson (Stourbridge); Senior Champion - Matt Gillings (Redditch); Veteran Champion (John Wrench (Kidderminster); Minor Champion (u1650) - Sean Conway (Worcester). The other awards were for the Most Enterprising Game - Matt Gillings; Best New Player - Muhammed Mehmood (Halesowen); Slow Starter Prize - Ian Clarke (Malvern); and Double Misfire Prize (for scoring best after losses in rounds 1 and 2) - James Nicholl (Worcester). See final cross-table.

See more pictures and and find who organised this event.

Four players lead the pack in Worcester congress after day 1

23 Aug 2025. Four players have perfect 3 points from 3 games: WGM Kata Toma (Worcs), defending champion Joe Friar (Kidderminster), Matt Gillings (Redditch) and former champion Kevin Hurney (Longbridge). First seed Kata Toma pulled off an elegant pseudosacrifice playing on John Wrench’s (Kidderminster) weak king side squares in round 3. Matt Gillings (Redditch) had a complex minor piece and rook ending and eventually prevailed against Dorin Luca (Worcester) In round 1, Giles Stanton (Redditch) beat former champion Ian Clarke (Malvern). Defending Junior champion James Allsopp and a former junior champion Joshua Clarke (both Malvern), material down but with an advanced passed pawn drew an intense and long game in round 3. John Varilone (Kidderminster) had a surprise victory against Welsh internationa CM Lee Davis (Malvern) in round 3. Of the new players in the tournament, Graham Kemp (Pebworth), Alaric Stephen, Sai Rentachintala and Sean Conway (all Worcester) have the 2 points each. See detailed results in rounds 1-3.