One of the advantages of chess over other hobbies and sports is that it can be played at all ages. Many tournaments have a strong following from under 10 year olds, and some of them are strong chess players. But equally, it can be played at home, for fun, between Grandad and Grandson where they both enjoy some time to bond.

Our photo here is an example of how chess appeals to all ages. Bourne Chess Club members, Harrison (12 yrs) from Glinton playing on the Chess Up 2 board with Ian who is over 80 yrs old. As you can see, both are deeply engrossed in the moves being calculated. Bourne Chess Club invested in the Chess Up 2 because it helps members to recognise strong (and weaker) moves, it can be very useful at helping them to see passages of play that they otherwise may miss, so it develops their ability.

There is also the Bourne Junior’s Club that has under 10 year olds going up to 13 years. The Juniors get to make friends and have fun with puzzles and learning about the game.

Learning chess and then playing the game prepares young people with some vital life skills. To begin with, to learn how to play chess is not easy; rarely does a beginner advance to higher levels of ability that might occur with a natural golf swing or kicking foot.  

The natural progression involves learning how to set the pieces up, how each piece moves and their individual worth. It is beneficial to get some kind of appreciation of what the aim is, many newcomers mistakenly believe it is to take as many of the opponent’s pieces as possible. Recognising the rules or structure in which the game is played does take time such is the depth of all the laws of chess.  

At Bourne Chess Club we methodically guide our learners through 5 stages of progression, each with its own externally marked exam leading to a personalised certificate.   

Beyond considering how to move and how to win, the game introduces to a youngster vital lessons such as learning how to lose gracefully and benefit from losing. Judging an opponent’s ability by their appearance is a common early error. Developing grit, perseverance and patience; as a new player will almost inevitably suffer many losses at the start of their learning path.  Utilising that vital information of why the loss occurred will accelerate progression. 

The game is rich in history and for those who are interested, offers a great insight into how different countries around the world have engaged in the game over hundreds of years and offers an intriguing profile of traits and characteristics of how people tend to play in different continents. It is fascinating that a game that starts off in the exact same position no matter where or who you play, can provide such complexity and unpredictable outcomes.  

A youngster will get used to the etiquette of the game; shaking hands at the start while offering good luck, shaking hands at the end while either being gracious in defeat or generous with advice in success. The discipline that is required to play a game in an orderly fashion takes some getting used to – to not put off or distract your opponent, to remain still, to not instantly play the first move that comes into the mind, to maintain concentration for long periods of time, to maintain the abiility to think while under pressure, to double check for blunders prior to moving.  Nobody would expect a youngster of 6 years to accomplish these skills instantly, but over time, they come to recognise the expectations.  

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable lessons that youngsters learn about chess is its ability to deceive. It takes great skill to not only consider our own position and possible attacks, but also to accurately monitor the intentions of our opponent. It is wonderful to discover how a game can flow in one phase, and yet dramatically twist and turn in another phase. The realisation of the power of pins, skewers, forks and other such tactics is very pleasing to discover. A wonderful lesson for the surprises of life. 

As a young player progresses they inevitably start to play matches in more formal settings of organised tournaments. Often they will gain a sense of pride in representing a chess club as a team but can also enter events as individuals where they try to increase their chess rating, collect trophies and win prize money.  

Playing the game of chess will foster in a child a sense of belonging, where other members in a club support and guide, encourage and praise, and offer in a friendly environment comradeship which is quite particular within chess circles. 

At Bourne Chess Club we would recommend to come along to our Juniors evening first of all on Tuesdays 6.30-7.30pm. Our chess pupils are provided with their own training pack to help them remember key ideas. It is a friendly and fun environment where we mix puzzles, drills, theory and practical chess to help keep our juniors motivated, enthusiastic and able to start seeing the many benefits that chess can offer.  

There is something very satisfying and enriching about sitting down for an hour or perhaps half an hour, and playing a game of chess with a person ‘over the board’ as opposed to online. There is the opportunity to put all of the days stresses and worries aside for a moment, and just contemplate your next move in peace and quiet. 

Playing ‘over the board’ has been seen for hundreds of years in cafes, outside spaces like parks or street squares, within chess clubs, in pubs and schools and colleges and universities. Even some employers now have a ‘quiet room’ set aside for employees to benefit from playing chess.

At Bourne Chess Club we can offer a relaxing game of chess on a Tuesday and Thursday evening for the price of a Starbuck’s coffee!  We have different tournaments for competitive chess if you’re wanting to improve your chess rating. But if not, we have tournaments where our members (there are now over 20), get to play each other in a variety of structured events. It is of course beneficial to play different opponents so that a steady increase in experience is achieved.

Our members range from 6 years to over 80 years of age, and we have a dedicated Juniors section for our younger members. In addition to that, for anyone interested in popping down just to perhaps have a game and see how you get on, our Tuesday evenings (7.30-9.30pm) is a great starting point.

Teas/coffees and snacks are provided free of charge to our members, as is parking, and you can come along without the need to bring any equipment with you – we have it all here, including move sheets, clocks and the latest Chess Up 2 for your free use!

If you have had a busy, stressed day then Bourne Chess Club gives you a chance to make friends with like-minded people over an enjoyable game of chess.

Playing chess in Bourne has become a whole lot easier thanks to Bourne Chess Club.

Young players are welcome to come to the “Junior’s Club” on a Tuesday evening at Wake House, in the Windmill Room from 6.30-7.30pm  Cost £2   This is a very friendly and relaxed way to learn about chess for youngsters. The club has a Safeguarding Policy that is enforced and parents are required to accompany their children at all times in the building.

For older newcomers to the club, you are best off starting by coming to the Tuesday evening “Social” session. You can meet some of the members of the club in a relaxing environment, and it matters not what ability or previous experience you have of the game. This is also on a Tuesday evening and it starts at 7.30pm going through to 9.30pm – cost £5

For any players who like more competitive chess, and perhaps want to play rated chess where they improve their grades within different time controls, the Thursday evening session is for you. It is in The Baxter Room of Wake House, Thursdays 6.30-9.30pm  £5  We have refreshments available for free.  You may enter yourself in the pool of players to represent Bourne Chess Club in external league matches within the Cambridgeshire County Chess Association. All we ask is that newcomers to the club first of all come to the “Social” session on a Tuesday evening before visiting us on a Thursday as Thursday evenings do have rated league matches running.

Everybody who comes to Bourne Chess Club on either evening is welcome to make use of the private car park at the rear, and are advised to tap in their registration on one of the many monitors in the building- parking is free.

Bourne Chess Club has been running for just under a year at the time of writing and for most of that time, it has been running at a loss. But we have persevered in the hope that at some point, we would manage to keep afloat. We have no intentions of making profits, our aim is for residents of Bourne to come and enjoy chess and make friends along the way. But clearly, there are expenses to running clubs and thankfully, recently there have been a few kind donations provided to help keep the Club running.

The members and Committee of Bourne Chess Club would like to thank the following organisations for their generous donations:

Cambridgeshire County Chess Association

The Len Pick Trust

Bourne United Charities

Let’s hope that with these kind donations, we are able to continue growing and helping more and more people experience the joys of playing chess.

For people who have played chess before but it might have been a long time ago, or perhaps other things prevented them from continuing, the Thursday evening session is a good way to get back into the game in a relaxing atmosphere. Please be aware that we do insist on silence when there are competitive games being played so as not to distract others. There are many members who are willing and able to help newcomers to get back into chess again. There are two seperate playing rooms to assist members in keeping the volume down.

There is a library of chess books, self-help guides to get back into the game at home. All we ask is that members return the books.

There is also a Chess Up 2 to help members improve their game that they can utilise if they want a break from playing an over the board match.

Tea/coffee and nibbles are provided free of charge.