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Can you attack like Spassky? We did!
GM Danny Gormally put a group of a dozen adult and junior players through their paces in a training session on Saturday February 4 – focusing on the games of World Champion Boris Spassky as a model for how to punish your opponent’s mistakes in the opening. Danny showed some […]

The new ECF grades are out
The new ECF grades were published on the last day of January, and showed that 42 Forest Hall club members now have official grades – reflecting an impressive growth at the club in the last few years! There were many players who improved their gradings dramatically, and the star result […]

New tricks at the Old Swan
4NCL Harrogate Congress, Jan 6-8, 2017 It’s always nice to start the New Year in a positive way, and for me this was the first time I finished first (or at least equal first) in a chess tournament of any stature in nearly 20 years. They say you can’t teach […]

Charlie triumphs at NCA Rapidplay
The Northumberland Rapidplay Championships, hosted by Forest Hall Chess Club on Sunday 29th January, ended in a resounding victory for FIDE Master Charlie Storey, who scored a perfect 9/9, to finish first by a full 2-point margin. His dominance of the event was such that he even had time to […]

Another fun Friday down at ‘The Legion’
It’s 5-15pm on Friday night and, as usual, I’m at the chess club. From now till 7pm there will mainly be junior club members present, who range from 6 to 14 years old. I expect the numbers to be lower this week because there is a junior congress tomorrow and […]

The Need for Speed: Rapidplay Comes to Forest Hall
This Sunday, January 29, the Northumberland Rapidplay Championships come to Forest Hall – with a 9 round tournament open to all players, from newcomer to expert. The tournament kicks off at 10am at the Forest Hall chess club venue, the Forest Hall Ex-Servicemen’s Institute, so there’s also the chance for […]

Train with GM Danny Gormally
Forest Hall Chess Club is proud to host its first-ever Grandmaster Training event, with GM Danny Gormally from Alnwick, the North East’s strongest player, on Saturday February 4, from 11:00am to 1:30pm, at the club. Apart from being a highly experienced Grandmaster and England team member, Danny is also an […]