Month: June 2026

Hammers get proud!

We recently marked the occasion of LGBTQ+ Pride month at Hammersmith with a big team rapid tournament at our home venue, London Mindsports Centre.

A room full of colourfully dressed chess players, seated at their chess boards, look and wave excitedly at the camera
Teams Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple eagerly await the starting of the clocks

54 players took part in all, from Hammersmith Chess Club and beyond, spanning all ages and all rating levels (300 to 2400) across 8 boards.

Players were assigned to 6 teams, sporting different colours of the rainbow Pride flag.

A poster up on the Hammersmith Chess Club noticeboard at then London Mindsports Centre. It has the colours of the rainbow flag plus a heart in the colours of the trans flag, and the text "everyone is welcome here".
We unveiled a new Pride poster for our Hammersmith Chess Club noticeboard ❤️

The triumphant winners were Team Red, who bagged themselves Hammersmith rainbow t-shirts!

The smiling winning chess team of 4 adults and 2 children, wearing t-shirts decorated with the Hammersmith chess club logo of two crossed hammers, in rainbow colours.
Celebrating a hard-fought victory in their new rainbow t-shirts

Congrats to all who took part – thank you for helping us celebrate Pride month, Hammersmith-style 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️♟️

Special thank you to our chair Adam Cranston for organising and running the tournament.

Jenny Mulholland
Beginners’ Officer

Notice of General Meeting

Members are hereby given notice that a General Meeting of Hammersmith Chess Club will take place at the Mindsports Centre on Monday 13 July 2026 at 7.30pm.

A important milestone in our history, this will be the first General Meeting of Hammersmith Chess Club as a registered charity.

It marks the next stage in our evolution: strengthening our foundations, widening our community role, and continuing to build a club that is about more than the game itself.  Now with charitable status, we have the opportunity and responsibility to carry that vision further.

The agenda will be:

1. Annual report of the Club, including our finances up to 19th April 2026;

2. Outlook for the next year, our first full year as a charity.

All members are warmly encouraged to attend and take part in shaping our next chapter.

Hammers In The Community: 18th July

 

Hammersmith Chess Club will be taking part in a community event in Ravenscourt Park on Saturday 18 July, where we’ll be flying the flag for the club and showcasing the joys of over-the-board chess to the wider public.
It’s a great opportunity to promote the club, meet local people, and perhaps inspire a few future Hammers.

To make the day a success, we’d love as much support as possible:
● Meet at the Mindsports Centre at 10.00am
● Transport and set up equipment in the park from 11.00am
● The event opens to the public at 12 noon

How you can help:
● Gazebo – if you can lend one for the day, please get in touch.
● Transport & set-up – help moving and assembling the kit in the park.
● Play & engage – take on members of the public and help run the stand.
● Blindfold players wanted – if you can play without sight of the board, we’d love to show off your skills!

A car may not be needed, but extra hands definitely will be.  If you can help in any capacity, please email John White at jdrw9591@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Let’s make this a strong Hammers presence in the community.

john White, Events Officer

Hammer Celebrates Pride!

June is LGBTQ+ Pride month, and with diversity and inclusion at the very heart of Hammersmith Chess Club’s ethos, we are very excited to celebrate with a big team tournament on Monday 15th June (7.30pm at London Mindsports Centre).

Entrants will be assigned a colour of the rainbow Pride flag and placed on an appropriate board in a team of 8 players. All players in the team should dress in this colour, and each team will play 5 rapidplay matches against other teams. The winning team will all receive Hammersmith rainbow t-shirts!

Prizes for the winning team

These t-shirts will also be available to purchase on the night.

The tournament is completely free to enter, but numbers are limited, so only those registering in advance will be able to play. It will be open to players outside the club, but Hammersmith members registering before Sunday 7th June will be given priority.

Games will be rated, so it is a requirement to be ECF-registered to take part. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/k8XfcGC8hUv8TWF86

We look forward to a fantastic evening!

Adam Cranston & Jenny Mulholland
Club Chairman & Beginners’ Officer