If like Kevin Howard (our Publicity Officer) and Phil Fisher (our President), pictured above you want the chance to match yourself against a Grandmaster, or like more social chess, you will find the opportunity at Formby Chess Club

We meet at Ravenmeols Community Centre in Park Road every Tuesday in the season from 7.15 pm.  In the summer we meet at the Royal Hotel, Liverpool Road, Formby from 7.30 pm.

We run three teams in the Merseyside and District League, one in the Wirral League and one in the Warrington League.

In addition our club championship is graded and you also have the opportunity to play graded games at any time by entering our Club Ladder competition.

 If you don’t know whether you want to play formal chess or not, come along and have a casual game against one of our members.

Comments on the website or contact with the club should be made through the Club Secretary at the telephone number given on the Membership page.

Some of you may not know that our President is a poet.  Here is one of his efforts published in CHESS magazine.

THE AWAY GAME

by C.P.Fisher

It is the usual mess

A long wait in the rain

The arrangements do not impress

Hopes of transport may be in vain

At last we are on our way

Discussions about the opposing team

The row over who is to play

Late arrival is certain it would seem

That is before we get confused

Or in reality totally lost

With diversionary signpost misconstrued

And no hope of 'phoning our host

We navigate less informed than Columbus

Passers-by don't live here

Try following that bright green bus

The venue's moved since last year

Arriving by starlight, clocks have started

Tired cold and deadbeat

Long since our brains departed

And of course there is no heat

The light is dim, vision slight

Not space enough to put your feet

Here you must battle with all your might

Last week's loss you must not repeat

A few moves on, in trouble already

No thought of retreat

Although to be safe and steady

A Kingdom for a comfy seat

 

If the upper hand you start to gain

Your opponent gives a cough

And coughs again and again

Any trick to put you off

 

The opponent's progress to retard

Such tricks we all can copy

And fight back very hard

Crunching crisps and slurping coffee

 

The inevitable march of time

Now at our vitals claws

As though it was one chime

We offer a flurry of draws

 

'Tis not good play or calculation

Allows our victors to strut

But our own realisation

That the pubs are about to shut