Colchesster

Great to see so many players enjoying taking their chess on the road! The buzz on the club's WhatsApp group is amazing. E2-E4 has achieved great things and is not yet one year old - plenty more to come.

We can start looking forward to the end of August when the Old Heath Recreation Ground is the place not only for the New Town Community Fun Day but also a Chess Two Times Table event to welcome the new chess table. Come along to the GO4 Café and play chess for free. There will be chess and competitions (including a challenge to beat a world record of 29.85 seconds for.... and one inspired by William Roland Hartston) with prizes for junior players.

The event is organised with the support of Colchester’s chess clubs, groups and meetups – find out more about them on the day or visit the ColCHESSter website https://colchesster.org.uk/

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24484625.10-free-colchester-activities-school-summer-holidays/ Good that the Gazette lists the Jonathan Penrose Chess Park! You can also play chess for free at outside tables in Rowhedge and Old Heath Recreation Ground and Wivenhoe has a summer holidays Family Chess Club every Wednesday at 2pm at Wivenhoe Town Council offices - kids welcome! Details at https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =wivenhoe-family-chess-club;instance=20240807140000?popup=1&lang=en-UK

Listed: 10 free family activities to do in and around Colchester this summer In the interest of budget-friendly days out and activities, we’ve compiled a list of ten free, fun and local things to do in and around Colchester.

This Saturday is World Chess Day and there are lots of opportunities to play in the sunshine (optimist!) or indoors. If you are planning to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Chess Federation, there is a template to count your handshakes towards the 100 for the day.https://colchesster.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RecordOfTheDayA4.pdf

You can even join in without venturing to a meetup. Play a game at home or at a public table (Rowhedge or Old Heath Rec) or a pub/café and send a note of your traditional sporting handshakes at the start and end of a game to [email protected]

July sees some changes to chess in Colchester and an extra special event.

Colchester Chess Club's B team won the North Essex Chess League by the narrowest of margins ( https://necl.org.uk/ ) so the club is now on its well-earned summer break from league chess - still open for non-league chess at the usual times. https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =colchester-chess-club-summer;instance=20240703193000?popup=1

On 20 July, at the Jonathan Penrose Chess Park, we are celebrating World Chess Day and 100 years of FIDE, the world governing body for chess. The event is called "100 Handshakes" and emphasises the sporting handshakes before and after a game.
Come along and play some chess!
Some of the Colchester chess clubs will be there to talk to anyone interested in joining. https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =100-handshakes;instance=20240720150000?popup=1

The event coincides with a special farmers' mid-summer market (4pm to 8pm), so you are not going to be short of refreshments.
https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/colchester-farmers-mid-summer-market/

If you are in Colchester for Colourscape, follow your not-so-black-and-white-experience with chess and add your game to 100 Handshakes https://colchester-events.co.uk/event/colourscape/

Earlier on 20 July, Castle early CHESS continues to be the weekly Saturday chess meetup and we will also be counting chess games and handshakes towards the target for the day. https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =castle-early-chess-100;instance=20240720100000?popup=1

Any questions? Want to add your game to 100 Handshakes?
Please get in touch by email to [email protected]

The boards at the Jonathan Penrose Chess Park have been updated and the tables are now ready for play again. Pieces can be borrowed from the Mercury Theatre when the bar cafe is open (and of course a great cup of coffee helps the chess).

There is going to be a free chess event at the park on 20 July but there is no need to wait that long for a game! https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =100-handshakes;instance=20240720150000?popup=1

More about the chess park: https://colchesster.org.uk/2024/03/04/jonathan-penrose-chess-park/

Great afternoon of chess on Saturday 22 June at Ye Olde Albion. Outside or in depending on the rain spots. Most of the boards and pieces were provided by the E2-E4 club but there were some special boards brought along by Rowhedge players including the wooden board well-used by Dave 'shorts' Palmer in whose memory the event was held.

Perhaps this will become an annual event; the enthusiasm was certainly there!

Ye Olde Albion and Jam Jar coffee shop have kindly agreed to keep chess sets for further games or indeed to be borrowed for use on the Lion Quay chess table.
Checkout the info for all these places at: https://colchesster.org.uk/places-to-play-chess-in-colchester/

Ye Olde Albion Pub

Chess brings people together. What better way to celebrate World Chess Day 20 July than by meeting up to play chess. As this year is also the 100th anniversary of the global body for chess, we are going to celebrate by playing enough games to have 100 handshakes. Come along for some free and fun social chess. Bring a friend or make new ones.

100 Handshakes A Chess Celebration Sat Jul 20 2024 at 03:00 pm, Jonathan Penrose Chess Park, Colchester, UK, United Kingdom. An informal free chess meetup to play chess in the open air at the Jonathan Penrose Chess Park (or if the weather is bad play indoors at the Mercury Theatre Cafe & Bar). Come along for a game or bring a

Sunny day in Rowhedge is a great time to take a photo of the restored chess bench. Looking forward to some outdoor chess this year! https://colchesster.org.uk/docs/lion-quay-chess-table-rowhedge/

This coming Tuesday the E2-E4 Chess Club celebrates it's first half year by moving to a much larger venue in central Colchester.
Play some chess!

Find out where and when at https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =e2-e4-chess-club;instance=20240430163000?popup=1

Colchester A vs Chelmsford A (and Colchester C vs Braintree B) today. Needle match, so guaranteed at Colchester Chess Club is high quality chess and knitted brows (setting the place on fire?).
Come to watch the action or play a friendly game with those not involved in the matches. https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =colchester-chess-club;instance=20240424190000?popup=1

Wivenhoe Chess Club's meetup is not at The Greyhound on Monday 22 April. Instead, the chess action is at the Rose & Crown. https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =wivenhoe-chess-club;instance=20240422200000?popup=1
And if you need a chess fix before then, look at the ColCHESSter calendar for the weekend!

You could be forgiven for thinking that in Colchester we play chess eight days a week!

Keep up to date with clubs and meetups at https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/

Colchester the city of chess

Originally planned to be just a Saturday event on 6 April, there were so many players that another day of free chess was added.

But one weekend of chess is never enough, so a second weekend of free chess in central Colchester is taking place on Saturday and Sunday 20 and 21 April 2024. Every level of player will find one or more suitable opponents and anyone wanting to learn how to play or improve their chess will be welcome.

If you would like to know more about the E2-E4 Chess Club contact Jay at [email protected]

The Bootleg Banksie exhibition is at Eyesaw Gallery, 18 Long Wyre Street, Colchester CO1 1LJ 11am to 5pm Saturday, 11am to 4pm Sunday
https://www.eyesaw.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/EyeSawStreetArt/

Two chess meetups today - with new players at both! Castle early CHESS folllowed by Art and Chess - so much fun for so many players so the Eyesaw Gallery is hosting a second day of E2-E4 chess Sunday 7 April https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/ =art-and-chess-e2-e4-chess-club-open-day;instance=20240407110000?popup=1

The week after Easter is full of chess! On Wednesday Colchester Chess Club's A and B teams are taking on Braintree and Maldon and on Saturday a special open event in a new place for chess.: come along to 'Art and Chess' at the Eyesaw Gallery.

The Jonathan Penrose Chess Park is made possible by the Mercury Theatre. This week there's a great opportunity to support the Mercury's work in the community as any donations are doubled by BigGive https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV8VAAX
Mercury Theatre Colchester
https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/jonathan-penrose-chess-park/

Jonathan Penrose Chess Park - Mercury Theatre Colchester Chess may be played on the Roman Wall side of our building where some benches are equipped with chess boards and you are able to borrow chess pieces from the café bar.

Another full week of chess in Colchester! https://colchesster.org.uk/clubs-and-meetups-calendar/

After far too long, I have started updating the colchesster.org.uk website to change the message from '...as yet no street chess scene' to 'We have excellent chess clubs and many places to play chess including, in the open air, the Jonathan Penrose Chess Park by the Mercury Theatre. Whether you are in Castle Park, Knights Field, Bishop Road or Queen Street you will not be far from a game of chess!'

So, check out the website for all the clubs, meetups and places to play chess and PLAY MORE CHESS!

Great evening of chess at The Castle Inn yesterday. Thanks to Colchester Chess Club for hosting and the pub's staff for making us so welcome.

Hello funday Sunday 🤪
It's seriously muggy and with a threat of thunderstorms 😱. We have a few spaces left for Sunday lunch please ring 01206 734774 for bookings after 11am.
Sorry the postings have been thin on the ground,but this bird has taken over my life lol. She is an absolute time waster lol.
Calling all chess players ... Alan needs people to come in and play chess with him. So don't be shy pop in during the week and dust off the chess set. All levels welcome.
Hope to see you all later have a great day
Jan and team

Yet another good week coming up for chess in Colchester. It is not just the organised clubs and meetups either, you can borrow a set and play in an ever-increasing number of pubs, cafes and other places; see https://colchesster.org.uk/places-to-play-chess-in-colchester/