UK Chess News
Chess Rising Stars

The Chess Rising Stars students had a busy weekend! We competed in rapidplay tournaments in Maidenhead and Oxford plus at the St Albans standardplay. 

At the Maidenhead Junior Congress two of our players played in the U11 section. They met in round 4 with and despite a win for Noah T, he finished 2nd overall with (5.5/7) and Aden came 1st, winning all of his other 6 games.

The English Junior Coaches and Organisers Association (EJCOA) National Youth Championships is a popular competition this year thanks to hard work of organisers across the UK. In the EJCOA Oxford Zonal, Noah B drew his first game but recovered to win the U12 section with 5.5/6.

A successful weekend for our Elite Club members as the Noahs each won a trophy and Aden picked up two! 

What’s Next?

The UK Chess Challenge starts this term with Megafinal tournaments taking place during May and June. In July it’s the EJCOA final in Nottingham, where we aim to continue our streak of success and make our mark on the national stage.

Related Post

CRS London Academy, UK Chess News
Nov 16, 2023

Learn Chess in London

Chess Rising Stars London Academy is creating the ideal new environment to help to introduce chess to younger children. We are delighted to announce that the Chelsea Chess Club for 5 to 7 year olds will start in January 2024.

Benefits abound as your child discovers the joys of learning chess in an interactive and enjoyable setting. No knowledge of chess is required, although we would suggest that without any chess background it would be best to join the club by week 3 of term.


Lessons are shorter than at our original Chelsea Chess Club and will be held in a smaller teaching group. The venue remains at Marlborough Primary School in Chelsea, where we have been based since 2019.

In 2023 the Chelsea Chess Club was recognised at Level 2 within the English Chess Federation’s Junior Development Pathway initiative. We are one of only eleven junior chess clubs across the country to achieve this status.

Once children have mastered the fundamentals of the game, and are feeling more confident about chess, then the Chelsea Chess Club would be the natural next step in their development.

Registration is now open for the Spring Term at the Chelsea Chess Club for 5 to 7 year olds

Read More
CRS London Academy, UK Chess News
Mar 02, 2026

Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars (5-8 y.o.)

Picture a room full of young children leaning over chessboards, sharing ideas and learning to think one step ahead. Chess at this age is less about competition and more about discovery. From April 2026, Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars will open a new Sunday club for 5 to 8 year olds taking their first steps into the world of chess.

The club will take place at William Morris House, Wimbledon on Sundays from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. It is specifically tailored for younger children who are new to chess and would benefit from an engaging introduction to the game. No prior knowledge of chess is required. However, to ensure children settle in comfortably and keep pace with the group, we recommend that complete beginners join by week 3 of the term.

Our experienced and enthusiastic coaches specialise in teaching young learners. Children will learn the rules, develop good habits and begin to think strategically in a supportive and encouraging environment. As students gain experience and confidence, we will recommend they progress to our main Wimbledon Rising Stars Club, which runs from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the same venue.

Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars will be our fourth in-person Chess Rising Stars club and we are excited to bring this opportunity to more families in the area. We look forward to welcoming our newest young players to our chess community this April!

Full details

Read More
CRS London Academy, UK Chess News
Oct 13, 2021

Chess Rising Stars London Academy Begins to Showcase our Rising Stars

This is the start of a new feature where we will introduce our Rising Stars.

Student Profile – Aden K.

Aden was still in Year 1 when he joined the Chess Rising Stars London Academy in April 2020. Since then he has been on a mission to prove that age doesn’t matter one bit in chess. Aden continues to impress us with his enthusiasm and desire to improve. He loves to get involved during group lessons and is quick to share his ideas with the class.

For now, tournament chess has moved online and Aden has enjoyed many successes. Perhaps the highlight so far was a 5th place finish in the London Junior Chess Championship Finals U8 section, whilst still U7. We are looking forward to seeing his continued progress when over the board chess returns.

Kent Junior Chess Association have benefited from Aden’s services in the National Association finals at both U9 and U11. Of particular note was the gold medal Aden won for a 5/5 performance on board 12 in the U11s. A formidable achievement given he can continue to play in this age category for another 4 years!

Aden has taken part in our online clubs, camps and the in-person Chelsea Chess Club. He quickly built a reputation as a sharp tactician who loves opening traps. Plenty of our students have fallen victim to Aden’s sneaky Stafford Gambit! We think this is partly why his EvenSturdyAlmond account on ChessKid has become widely feared with its 70% win rate.

Together with his coach, Maria, Aden has been building a collection of his best games. We hope that one day they will make for an excellent opening chapter to his first chess book! Here is one of our favourites:

White: Aden (1768)
Black: AdiMit (1948)

Aden’s Best Game

Selected Achievements:
2021
Barnet Junior Individual Championships U7, 4.5/6, 3rd
ChessKid UK Championships U8, 5.5/7, 9th=
Delancey UKCC, U8 Blitz Final 6.5/11, 3rd placed U7
Junior Masters Summer Cup U7 Finals, Bronze medal
Junior Masters Holiday Cup U7 Finals, Bronze medal
NATC, Representing Kent, U11 Finals 5/5, Board 12 Gold medal
Reached a lichess rapid rating of 1900

2020

LJCC U8 Finals, 5/7, 5th out of 79
Reached a lichess rapid rating of 1800

We look forward to more achievements to come from Aden!

Read More