News
Arkell Put to the Test in Carrickfergus
English chess legend pushed all the way as local players claim two wins and two draws in a memorable evening for the Ulster Chess Union
City of Belfast Chess Tournament Delivers Drama, Upsets, and Two Champions in a Thrilling 2026 Edition
The May Bank Holiday weekend brought six intense rounds of competitive chess to Lisburn Chess Club, as 34 players from across Ireland converged for the 2026 City of Belfast Tournament. From Dublin to Letterkenny, from teenagers to seasoned veterans, the field was stacked — including three players rated over 2000 and seven above 1900 — setting the stage for a fiercely contested event.
Annual General Meeting 2025/2026
2025/2026 season is rapidly coming to a close and with this comes the announcement of the UCU’s Annual General Meeting.
The Childrens Chess April Tournament took place on Sat 11th April hosted at Methodist College.
An afternoon of fun chess. A tournament and puzzle solving competition. Almost 30 young players gathered to enjoy our monthly competitions. With the school year coming to an end we have one tournament remaining - the Belfast Megafinals, part of the UK Chess Challenge. A qualifying event for one of the largest and prestigous chess competitions.
Bangor club celebrates its 60th anniversary
60 years in 60 minutes. A fun and playful documentary capturing the magic of Bangor Chess Club. Short interviews and event highlights over past 8 months as the club celebrates its 60th anniversary
UCU League 2025/26 final tables and board prizes
Report on the UCU Belfast & District League 2025/26
Standings of the Childrens Chess Grandprix after March 2026.
The Ulster Chess Union runs monthly tournaments at Methodist College. All pupils are welcome to play. Five of these tournaments make up the Childrens Chess series and these have a Grandprix scoring system with the top players being invited to the Elite Tournament in June at Stormont. Next tournament Methodist College 11th April.
Amost 40 young players gather at our Monthly Childrens Chess tournaments
Saturday March 14th. Methodist College. We continue our monthly events. An afternoon of Chess games and puzzles. With all ages and some top players. Our next tournament is on Saturday April 11th.
Standings of the Childrens Chess Grandprix after February 2026.
The Ulster Chess Union runs monthly tournaments at Methodist College. All pupils are welcome to play. Five of these tournaments make up the Childrens Chess series and these have a Grandprix scoring system with the top players being invited to the Elite Tournament in June at Stormont.
New Rapidplay Ulster Champion Crowned 28th February 2026
Fruithill Bowling Club hosted in its brilliant venue the annual Rapidplay Ulster Championship. Many thanks to the Club and to the Fruithill Chess Club. Some 26 players gathered to play with a time control of 25mins and 6 rounds of exciting chess.
Saturday 14th Feb 2026 and another brilliant monthly Childrens Chess Tournament.
Youngsters from all over Ulster gathered at Methodist College to compete in an afternoon of Chess, a swiss tournament and a chess puzzle competition. This monthly series of tournaments continues .... The next one is on March 14th.
UCU Events Update – Remainder of the Season
This has been a challenging year for UCU events; however, we have been fortunate to secure arbiters for events held so far. We would like to provide members with an update on plans for the remainder of the season.
Standings of the Childrens Chess Grandprix after January 2026.
The Ulster Chess Union runs monthly tournaments at Methodist College. All pupils are welcome to play. Five of these tournaments make up the Childrens Chess series and these have a Grandprix scoring system with the top players being invited to the Elite Tournament in June at Stormont.
The new year and the chess league continues....
Playing chess in a team is one of those joys of chess. You have the beautiful game and the team spirit. Each player focused on their contribution to the match, their game. Players and captains proud of their teams, happy to play tough matches against other good teams. Here are some pics from the first league weeks of the year and two interesting games.
Chess Players of Carrickfergus and Beyond!
The Ulster Chess Union is delighted to have been contacted to share the details of a new club coming in Carrickfergus.
The New Year - Welcome - and Childrens Chess continues at Methodist College : Sat Jan 10th 2026
Young players gathered at Methodist College to compete in the monthly Chess tournaments. Players of all ages from P2 to Sixth form. From players who are just getting a footing to top players who represent Ireland and could beat most adult players.
Christmas and New Year sees the Ulster Blitz Championships 2025/26
Hosted by Fruithill Chess Club, Falls Bowling Club. A brilliant venue and Chess Club. 37 players played a marathon of 18 rounds of 3mins + 2 sec increments.
