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Site last updated 1 December 2024

Greater London Chess Club is an active, friendly chess club, based in central London. We run seven league teams and organise a programme of internal tournaments and special events to suit players of all strengths.

The club meets Tuesday evenings 6.30pm to 10pm, September to June, at the Upper Vestry House, St George's Bloomsbury 6 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HR.

Originally the works club for the Greater London Council and its predecessors, we're now open to all players, irrespective of employment, and more than half of our current membership is drawn from beyond the ranks of the GLC. We remain the chess club for players who have worked for the Greater London Council, London Residual Body, Inner London Education Authority or the current Greater London Authority.

We're always keen to recruit new members of all playing strengths for our league teams and club activities. You can get an idea of what the club does by browsing this site. We've been featured in Metro Newspaper, as a setting in a bestselling thriller and have advised a theatre company on the depiction of chess in a major London production. We hope you will want to join us!

Visit the Calendar page to see what's happening in the 2024-25 season. We also have a page on Facebook. Some of our club tournaments are open to non-members too, on payment of the non-member entry fee.

Covid-19 measures at our venue

• No person should attend the club if they have symptoms of Covid-19 ( e.g. cough, cold or flu-like symptoms, loss of sense of taste or smell) or have had a recent positive test result.
• Ventilation - the Upper Vestry House is a large room with high ceiling and windows at both ends, which can be opened on club nights to provide cross-ventilation, weather conditions permitting.

Joining

If you would like to try out the club, please drop by on a Tuesday evening - your first two club nights are free with no obligation to become a member To join the club and participate in internal club tournaments or play for one of our league teams, you must first complete a membership application form at the club on a Tuesday evening and pay your subscription. You must also take out English Chess Federation Bronze Membership (cost £20) to play in any of our rated competitions which includes all league matches and some tournaments. If you are already an ECF member, please provide your membership number and expiry date.

• From September 2024 the new member subscription to 31 August 2025 is £55.
  Juniors under 18 years of age and full-time students pay £40
• For existing members the full year subscription is £85 (£45 for juniors and full-time students)
  

The club offers free membership to holders of the GM, IM, FM and WGM, WIM and WFM titles.

Subscriptions can be paid using the Paypal buttons below, by electronic bank transfer, cheque (payable to 'Greater London Chess Club') or cash to any of the club officers or team captains.  

If you'd like further information on the club please contact John Lascelles, secretary.

 

Venue

The club venue is the Upper Vestry House, St George's Church, Bloomsbury. Our full address is:

Upper Vestry House
St George's Bloomsbury
6 Little Russell Street
London WC1A 2HR

Refurbished thanks to grants from the Paul Mellon Architectural Fund (World Monuments Fund in Britain) and Heritage Lottery Fund, the Upper Vestry House offers a light, spacious and wel-ventilated playing room with separate kitchen. There are several excellent pubs nearby for post-match refreshments, and the club normally adjourns to the Shakespeare's Head, Holborn, at the end of an evening. The venue is accessible from the rear of St George's Church, on Little Russell Street (map). The picture top right shows the front of the church in Bloomsbury Way.

 

The entrance to the Upper Vestry House is on the right hand side of the rear of the church, up the steps in the picture, lower right.

Nearest tube stations are Holborn (5 minutes walk) and Tottenham Court Road (7 minutes walk). Buses from the west end stop directly outside the church on Bloomsbury Way and those from the City and south of the river, in nearby New Oxford Street. There is limited on-street parking near the venue (free after 6.30pm). Bloomsbury Square underground car park is only 5 minutes walk from St George's.

Club nights are Tuesdays from 6.30pm, September to June. See the Calendar page for further details.

 

 

GLCC = Gin Lane Chess Club?

The spire of St George's Church, with the statue of George I on top can clearly be seen in the background of Hogarth's famous 1751 drawing 'Gin Lane'. The Lions and Unicorns adorning the steeple in Hogarth's drawing were removed in the 19th century but have recently been replaced as part of the church refurbishment.

 

 

 

These pages are maintained by Nigel Blades

 

 

 

 

Club Administration

President Tim Pelling

Vice-Presidents Gordon Broadbent Derek Hadley Phil Zammit

Officers

Chairman of the Trustees Tony Packham	Secretary John Lascelles	Treasurer Jamie Gordon	Trustees Nigel Blades Paul Chantrell Tom Fleming Jamie Gordon Roman Ismailov John Lascelles Tony Packham Tim Pelling
Tournament Controller	Equipment Officer Tony Packham	Publicity and Website Officer Nigel Blades

Details of team captains appear on the Public Service and London League pages.

Documents

General: Club Constitution (adopted at the 2016 Special General Meeting and amended at the 2017 AGM) Child Safeguarding Policy (adopted at the 2017 AGM) English Chess Federation Safeguarding Children Policy Membership Application Form Privacy Statement

For team captains and players: League Player Guidance Team Captain Guidance DGT2010 Digital Clocks Quick Guide FIDE Laws of Chess 2023 Match Result Sheet Template

 

Supporters

We are grateful to Big Game Hunters for supporting our summer tournament 2013.

Big Game Hunters have celebrated their love for activity and games for over 13 years, by providing a large selection of games for families of all ages, and are proud to include their range of garden chess sets which utilise the skilful and tactical play of traditional chess, while enhancing the fun with giant accessories.