Hammersmith Chess Club

Every Thursday evening, the Mindsports Centre becomes the beating heart of Hammersmith Chess Club. Whether you’re brand new to the club, returning after a break, or already a Hammer, Thursday nights are the friendliest and easiest way to get involved.

We run a blend of social chess, rated classical games (Sledgehammer), and rated rapid games (Rockhammer). You choose what you want to play each week — or simply come along to enjoy the atmosphere.

What Are Sledgehammer and Rockhammer?

Sledgehammer

ECF-rated classical games

Time control: 75 minutes + 15 seconds increment

Rockhammer

ECF-rated rapid games

Time control: 2 (or 3) games of 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment

To play rated games, you’ll need ECF Bronze membership or above.
To play social (unrated) games, you simply need to be an HCC member.

How Sign-Up Works

Each Wednesday, Adam posts a short poll in the “Hammer Thursday Club Nights” WhatsApp group.  Just:

1. Select what you’d like to play that week
2. Wait for pairings, published Thursday lunchtime
3. Turn up for your game

By signing up, you’re committing to attend — just as you would for a league match.  If something unavoidable happens, please contact your opponent as early as possible.

Submitting Results

All Sledgehammer and Rockhammer results are submitted via the online form:

👉 Results Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUm6yaOxRZoTU9xa-38NBVBFMqQEhM04ZALYX-h11mbr03HGg/viewform

Please note:

• Sledgehammer (classical) games must be notated, and you’ll need to upload a PGN.
• Rockhammer (rapid) games do not require notation.

Match Details

Start Time:  7:00pm, unless you agree otherwise with your opponent.

Colours:  Randomly determined on the night (coin toss, app, or any fair method).

Time Controls:  You may flex the time controls if both players agree, provided they remain within the ECF definitions of standardplay or rapidplay.

Casual Chess

If you prefer unrated or more relaxed games, we’ll happily pair you with another casual player — or you can simply play freely in the main area.  Casual and rated chess sit side by side every Thursday.

Why Thursday Nights Matter

For many new members, Thursday evenings are your first real taste of the club. They offer:

• A consistent weekly routine
• A welcoming environment to meet players of all strengths
• Easy access to rated chess
• A pathway into league teams
• A social hub in the MSC café and bar

If you’re new to Hammersmith, start here.
If you’re returning, this is where you reconnect.

Jenny Mulholland, Thursday Admin

 

 

The year may be drawing to a close, but our teams are far from winding down.

We’ve got a packed schedule over the next two weeks before the Christmas break, and you can explore everything that’s coming up via our live calendar below:

👉 https://hammerchess.co.uk/calendar/category/league-matches/

We’ll shortly be sharing a round-up of how all our teams have been performing across the leagues and divisions. And if you haven’t played for Hammer yet this season, now is a perfect time to get involved.

There’s a place for every level of strength and experience.

If any fixture on the calendar catches your eye, simply click the listing to see full details—venue, start time, and captain. Then drop the captain a note to register your interest. If you’re unsure where to begin, just message me directly and I’ll point you in the right direction.

A quick reminder: to play in official matches you’ll need to be both a Hammer member and an ECF member for the 2025/26 season.

Let’s finish the year strongly—see you over the board!

Gaston Franco

Club Captain, Hammersmith Chess Club

Hammersmith Juniors Stun Lewisham 3 in an Historic Victory

On Tuesday 18th November, Hammersmith Juniors delivered their best result ever. Facing Lewisham 3 — an experienced adult side with five players rated 1700+ — our young stars won 4.5–3.5. Whilst as ever a team effort, three games stand out for the courage, composure and inspired chess that characterise our Juniors.

Charlotte Oudet’s Amazing Comeback

Charlotte, playing Black on Board 7, was in serious trouble after just ten moves. The position looked bleak and resignation felt possible.

Yet Charlotte fought for every tempo and slowly turned the tide. By move 36 she was a piece up and her opponent resigned — a brilliant example of resilience under pressure.

Alex Royce’s Tactical Brilliance

Alex faced a much higher-rated opponent and slipped a pawn early on. Lesser players would have folded; Alex instead recalibrated, regained control, and began pushing. Twenty moves later he was the one pressing, with a pair of rooks dominating the centre. His opponent was forced to resign, completing a superb turnaround.

Cedric Demarcus Saves the Match

At 4–3 to Hammersmith, the whole match came down to Cedric on Board 2. His game stretched beyond three and a half hours, drawing players from neighbouring matches as spectators. Cedric defended an incredibly difficult ending: king and five pawns against a knight and four pawns. Several times defeat looked close, but at the critical moment he found a brilliant resource — advancing the h-pawn to force an exchange and reach a stalemate.

The heroic half-point that secured the match.

A night to remember — and proof that talent, courage and determination can more than match experience. The future of Hammersmith Chess is bright.

Tomorrow evening, Monday 24 November 2025 at 7 pm, we welcome IM Jovanka Houska to the Mindsports Centre for a very special event: a lecture followed by a 20-board simultaneous display.

This is a friendly reminder to all members — don’t miss one of the highlights of our calendar! Jovanka is a nine-time British Champion and one of the game’s most inspiring voices, and it promises to be a wonderful night of chess and conversation.

We look forward to seeing everyone there.

 

A Special Evening with IM Jovanka Houska

Monday 24th November 2025 – 7pm, MindSports Centre

Hammersmith is thrilled to welcome IM Jovanka Houska for a very special evening at the MindSports Centre. The event will feature a lecture followed by a 20-board simultaneous display.

Jovanka needs little introduction. A nine-time British Champion and one of the world’s leading commentators, she has been an inspiration in both British and international chess for more than two decades. A few highlights from an extraordinary career:

• Achieved all three IM norms within a single calendar month
• European Junior Champion in 2000
• Commonwealth Champion in 2001
• Completed a Law degree at King’s College London while competing at elite level
• ECF Player of the Year in 2006 — the first woman ever to receive the award

It promises to be a genuinely memorable night.

How to Get Involved

The lecture is free and open to all Hammer members.

For the simultaneous display, places are limited to 20 boards:

• Five places are reserved exclusively for our women and girl members
• The remaining 15 places are open to all other club members
• Entry fee: £5
• To take part, please email John White: jdrw9591@gmail.com
• Deadline for entry: Friday 21 November, 8pm

We look forward to seeing you there.

John White

Events Officer

 

🎃 Hammer House of Horrors – Final Call!

It’s Halloween, and the blood is still dripping from the board…

The Hammer House of Horrors is coming this Monday 3rd November, hosted by Adam Cranston, and we’re still hungry for your most terrifying games.

Forget ghosts and ghouls — nothing chills the soul like watching a +5 position crumble into defeat.

💀 Deadline: Midnight tonight (Halloween!)

💀 What we need: Your full PGN, with a short note on where you think it all went wrong.

💀 What’s at stake: Eternal shame… and possibly a prize or two for the most haunting games.

Submit your disasters — if you dare.

🩸 Hammer House of Horrors – where nightmares over the board come to life.

Ever lost a game so bad it still haunts you at night?

This is not about the everyday blunder — dropping a queen, missing mate-in-one, the kind of stuff we’ve all done. No, we are after something far more special…

This is for the connoisseurs of catastrophe.

The true artists of self-destruction.

The players who can take a completely winning position… and dismantle it with ten moves of pure, unfiltered incompetence.

For the first time ever, Hammersmith Chess Club presents:

Hammer House of Horrors 🩸

An evening dedicated to your worst games — the shorter, the bloodier, the better. Junior or veteran, 800 ECF or 2400 Elo, it doesn’t matter. This is the prize for those of you who have never won a chess prize in your life.

📅 Event Night: Monday 3rd November, hosted by Adam Cranston

Halloween Prizes for the most haunting games (categories revealed on the night)

👻 How to Enter: Email your full PGN to adam1234321@googlemail.com by Friday 31st October, Halloween. No photos/scans of scoresheets, please. If you can, add a brief note on where you think the rot set in.

Come along for laughs, groans, and a reminder that we are all human.

Hammer doesn’t take itself too seriously — this is your chance to prove it.

 

 

 

 

 

Liverpool Chess Club — this year’s host of the British Chess Championships — has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged Hammersmith to a showdown in the North.

🗓 Saturday 8th November
📍 Liverpool
• 3:00–5:00pm – Meet, greet, and soak up the Scouse atmosphere
• 5:00–8:00pm – Match play: Hammer vs Liverpool
• 8:00–10:00pm – Celebrate chess, camaraderie, and the great city of Liverpool

Think you’ve got what it takes to cross Abbey Road with us?
Email John White at jdrw9591@gmail.com

HAMMERFEST 2025

Match 1: Hammer 1 vs Hammer 2
1. Sergiy Teslya (B)  0–1  Cian Ward (W)
2. Christof Brixel (W)  1–0  Greg Billenness (B)
3. Tom Townsend (B)  1–0  Paul Kennelly (W)
4. Bajrush Kelmendi (W)  1–0  Mark Croasdale (B)
5. Andrew Macleod (B)  1–0  Thomas Ewart (W)
Final Score: Hammer 1 – 4 : 1 – Hammer 2

Match 2: Hammer Mackenzie vs Hammer Cadets
6. Danielle Kelly (W)  0–1  Gergana Ilieva (B)
7. Alan McBride (B)  0–1  Max Mouradian (W)
8. Sarah Ewart (W)  1–0  Nico Auffarth (B)
9. Diana Andrade (B)  0–1  Maria Vinyukova (W)
Final Score: Hammer Mackenzie – 1 : 3 – Hammer Cadets

Match 3: Hammer 3 vs Hammer 4
10. Ahmed Ahmed (B)  0–1  Leon Railhac (W)
11. John Ryan (W)  1–0  Ehsan Mojahedi (B)
12. Joe Courtier (B)  1–0  Samrath Singh (W)
13. Florin Toma (W)  1–0  Julien Snell (B)
14. Zayed Ahmed (B)  1–0  Aarya Raina (W)
15. Rebecca Ewart (W)  1–0  Zab Chen (B)
Final Score: Hammer 3 – 5 : 1 – Hammer 4