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Social Chess & Chess for Youngsters

Details on clubs and Children's Chess competitions at Methody

Newman Hindley Series (Children’s Chess) – Methodist College, Belfast

Mark Newman and Geoff Hindley run monthly events at Methody for children in primary & secondary school.

There is also a puzzle-solving competition at each event.

The events throughout the series (October – May) are ran as a Grand Prix with the top four in each section being invited to an award ceremony at Stormont held in June.

The competitions in October, December, and May are qualifiers for larger events and therefore are an all-day competition (9:30am-5pm) with the time control 30+0.

Events in November, January, February, and April are our standard competitions (12:30pm-5pm) with a time control of 15+0.

We ask that children are registered for the events to allow for a smooth running of the competition.

Anyone interested should contact Mark Newman with the below details:

-          Child’s name

-          Child’s age + school year

-          School name (if applicable)

 

Local Chess Clubs and Activities

Lisburn

Lisburn Chess Club is very active and has many youngsters attending. They have a beginners class/tournament on a Tuesday evening and a club day on a Saturday.

The club is very active on social media and can be contacted through there or via email.

City of Derry

The club host learning nights for Primary School Students every Tuesday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
The club is very active on social media and can be contacted through there or via email.

Bangor

This is another club which is very active with a lot of younger members. The club meets every Thursday and can be contacted via social media or email.

 

2 Royal Avenue

Although not a club, 2 Royal Avenue meets every Sunday for some casual games. Children under 16 must be under supervision.

Contact Paul for more details.

 

NAS Newtownards (National Autistic Society)

NAS has a newly founded chess club for youngsters and meets every other Tuesday. You can contact NAS Newtownards via their FaceBook page.

News
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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 ... Jan 13, 2026
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Upcoming Events
FIDE rated Team Match: Northern Ireland v India. Saturday 21 Feb 2026 A Bangor Chess Club initiative, celebrating the outstanding contribution that players from the local Indian community ha... Feb 21, 2026 10:15 AM - 04:30 PM — Queen’s Hall, 13 West Street, Newtownards, BT23 4EN
FIDE rated Ulster Rapidplay Championship 2026 Feb 28, 2026 09:30 AM - 04:30 PM — Fruithill Chess Club, Falls Bowling Club, 63 Andersonstown Rd, Belfast, BT11 9AH
FIDE RATED Coalisland Blitz Championship 2026 Tuesday 10 March 2026. Check-in at 19:50 The 10 rounds will be played back-to-back from 20:00 to 22:30 Time-control 3-... Mar 10, 2026 07:50 PM - 10:30 PM — Washingbay Centre, 92 Ballybeg Road, Aughamullan, Coalisland, County Tyrone, BT71 5DX
Third Executive Board Meeting Agenda TBC Mar 10, 2026 08:00 PM - 09:30 PM — Lisburn Chess Club
FIDE RATED Black Mountain Rapid 2026 [event 2 of 10 in art & chess neurodiversity festival] The Chess neurodiversity festival continues. With second exciting event. Venue: Black Mountain Shared Space, 208 Ballyg... Mar 28, 2026 10:15 AM - 04:30 PM — Black Mountain Shared Space, 208 Ballygomartin Road, Belfast, BT13 3NG
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