Latest MCCU News

Warwickshire She Plays to Win Rapidplay

28 Mar 2024. The Open was won by WGM Elmira Mirzoeva (London) with 4½ points from 5 games. The Secondary tournament was won by Siyao Ou (Warks) with 3½ points and the Primary was won by Arini Padala (Derbys). The event was held at Coventry, organised by Alex Holowczak, and the chief arbiter was Matthew Carr. See full results.

David Dunn Memorial Rapidplay

27 Mar 2024. Joseph Friar (Worcs) shared first place in the Open with 5½ points from seven games with Elis Dicen (Warks). Quraishi Shahab (Staffs) won the Major (u2000) with 5½ pionts. Three shared first place in the Intermediate: Rhys Edwards, Tayeb Kazemi and Sathya Vaidyanathan (all Warks) scored 5½ points. Usama Pervais (Staffs) dominated the Minor (u1500) with 6½ points. The event was organised by Terry Walker, the arbiter was Matthew Carr, and held at the Moseley All Services Club, Birmingham. See full results.

Nottingham Congress results

21 Apr 2024. IM Andrew Ledger (Yorks) and Samuel Walker (Bucks) shared first place with 4 points from 5 games in the Open. Gabriel Barr (London) and Paul Wheatley (Yorks) shared first position in the Major with 4½ points. Joseph Greco (Notts) won the Intermediate tournament with 5 points. The Minor was shared by Thomas Grantham (Wales) and Martin Winn (Notts) each scoring 4½ points. Noah Hicks (Gtr Manchester) won the Improvers tournament. Over 180 players entered and over £350 was raised for the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. The congress was organised by Nottinghamshire CA and chief arbiter was John Swain. Full results.

Cannock League’s 25th Anniversary

14 Apr 2024, Ray Dolan reports. Cannock & District Chess League was founded exactly 25 years ago by Robert Mayne, Brian Lynam, Robin Lewis and Ray Dolan. The league started with two divisions and has now grown to four. It also organises the Chase Trophy competition and the Robert Ward competition for trophy and plate. Ten clubs and thirty teams now play in the league. They celebrate with a rapidplay congress at Wallsall (see alongside). League Champions in 2022-3 were Wolverhampton, but Tamworth are in the lead this season. The current officers of the league are: Steve Whatmore (President), Peter Oliver (Secretary), Eunice Dolan (Treasurer), Ken McNulty (Web editor), Ray Dolan (Publicity), Peter Evans (ECF-delegate).

Clean sweep for Hebden at Peterborough

1 Apr 2024. Leicestershire GM Mark Hebden won all 7 games at the 4NCL congress held at Peterborough. Sharing second and third place with 5½ points were RM Sooraj (IND) and Sahbir Okhai (Leics).

South Birmingham win BDCL lightning tournament

13 Mar 2024. South Birmingham A team dominated section A. Mutual Circle C won section B and Olton D won section C. The event was held at Tyseley WMC and organised by John Mildenhall.

National stages County team competitions

Click "News" on the menu bar above for other recent items.

Text in blue-green links to entry form, website or email contact

Next in the Midlands

Sat & Sun 18, 19 May. Leamington Open at Warwick Trident Park, Poseidon Way, Royal Leamington Spa. CV34 6SW. Five rounds, Open, u2000, u1750, u1500 sections. FiDÉ rated, ECF gold membership required, half point bye available rounds 1-4.

Next Junior tournament

Sun 5 May. Herefordshire Megafinal UK Chess Challenge at Hereford Cathedral School, Zimmerman Building, Church Street, Hereford HR1 2LT. Trophies for winners, medals for high scorers and qualification for Gigafinal in Delancey UK Chess Challenge in many age categories. 10am start, prize-giving 5pm. Time control 15 min + 10 sec

Online competitions

Link for all ECF online events.

Link for all 4NCL online events.

Next national event

Sat & Sun 2-3 Mar. British Rapidplay Championship 2024 at Holiday Inn, Peterborough West, Thorpe Road, Peterborough. Start 12:30pm to 4:30 pm. Eleven rounds, time control 15 min + 5 sec.

The "chess counties" forming the MCCU

Ten "Chess Counties" form the Midland Counties Chess Union and cover the areas shown in the map on the right. A small Board of volunteer directors currently led by Chief Executive Ray Dolan (Staffs) is elected annually by delegates from member chess counties. The Board organises regional competitions based on policies agreed annually by delegates from member chess counties.

By playing in the competitions hosted on this website you agree that your name, chess rating and your membership status with the English Chess Federation (ECF) may be published on this website for the purposes of recording the results of the competitions. You also agree that such information will be passed to the ECF, the governing body, for rating purposes, and published on their website.

The MCCU

The current webmaster is Ray Collett (Worcs). The website's policy is to report results of the MCCU competitions, principally the MCCU county team tournaments and congresses. Brief results of other chess congresses held in the MCCU area and and links to organisers' websites are on the "News" pages. A calendar of upcoming chess congresses is on the "Congresses" pages. Some important national and international chess events will also be reported if there is a "Midlands" interest. In the menu bar above: "About" gives more information about the MCCU and has links to rules and administrative papers; "Guide" explains the site's organisation and provides links to most of the site's key pages.

Please send news of Midlands chess events, corrections, notifications of broken links, and suggestions to improve the website to Ray Collett.