SW England v Wales – 26th May 2024

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

We are keen to share Chess Rising Stars London Academy’s upcoming Christmas and New Year chess courses with you.

Online Chess Camp

The 24th Chess Rising Stars Camp will be held online between Monday 18th and Wednesday 20th December, 9am – 12 noon. Beginners, intermediate and advanced players are all welcome. Our online holiday camp returns by popular request after the success of our Summer Holiday Online Club. Secure your spot with our Early Bird registration discount.

Christmas Tournament

Embrace the festive spirit with our Christmas Online Chess Tournament on Saturday 9th December from 10:00-12:30 using lichess.org! The tournament will also incorporate our 9th Girls’ Online Chess Tournament. Entry is open to all Chess Rising Stars students, parents, coaches and friends.

Spring Term

Be the first to mark your calendars with the Spring Term dates for all of the Online Chess Clubs and our prestigious Chelsea Chess Club. Chess Rising Stars clubs will have 9 weeks of lessons across the term and a week off for half-term. As usual, spaces are limited across our chess clubs and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Chess Rising Stars teacher GM Marian Petrov was selected to coach the Bulgarian team at the FIDE World Youth Olympiad tournament in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Registration is now open for all of these fantastic courses. If you’d like more details, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

For many young chess players, qualifying for the London Junior Chess Championships (LJCC) Finals is one of the first major milestones in their chess journey. This November, Chess Rising Stars is delighted to host an official LJCC Finals Qualifier in Wimbledon, giving local players the opportunity to compete for a place at one of the most prestigious junior chess events in the country.

What is an LJCC Qualifier?

Founded in 1924, the LJCC has been part of the junior chess calendar for over a century. The event has helped provide a pathway for generations of young players to improve, including some past winners who have even gone on to achieve the Grandmaster title.

Each year the London Junior Chess Championships brings together talented young players across different age categories, with qualifying events held during the Autumn Term for the Finals in December.

For many children, an LJCC qualifier is an exciting introduction to rated tournament chess. It provides the opportunity to meet other young chess players and test their skills in a formal tournament environment.

Chess Rising Stars and the LJCC

Chess Rising Stars has already organised two over-the-board junior tournaments in 2026, both were qualifying events for the EJCOA National Finals.

“It’s a great pleasure for Chess Rising Stars to be selected to organise an LJCC Qualifier and become a small part of such a famous tournament.”
WFM Maria Manelidou

Chess Rising Stars students have achieved many LJCC successes over the years. For example, Aden joined Chess Rising Stars as a 5-year-old back in 2020 and has since progressed through the academy, becoming a member of our Elite Club, where he continues to develop his understanding alongside other ambitious junior players.

Aden has now won the U12 LJCC title once and the U14 LJCC title twice, with his first Under 14 victory coming when he was just 10 years old! We are excited to see whether he can defend his title again in 2026.

Tournament Information

Date: Saturday 7th November
Venue: Everyday Church, Wimbledon, SW19 8LR

The tournament will be overseen by International Arbiter Lance Leslie-Smith, ensuring that games are conducted in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess and ECF tournament regulations.

For families who are new to rated chess, our guides to ECF Membership and ECF Ratings help to explain how tournaments work and what players need to do before entering.

“We attend a great many tournaments and I say this without any hesitation: this was by far the best organised we have ever experienced. The care and thought that went into every element was evident and I wanted to make sure that was acknowledged.”
Email feedback from a parent after our 2nd EJCOA Zonal

Please do check out our full tournament guide if you would like register or just find out more.