England’s leading and most prestigious team competition for schools. This competition, formerly The Sunday Times and then The Times Championship, and more recently run by the English Chess Federation has existed since 1957. The Championship is open to all schools and sixth form colleges in England. Teams are of 6 players, who should be pupils of the school they represent.
In the autumn term 2024, teams seek to qualify for the regional stage in spring term 2024 by playing in local qualifying events. These qualifying events are listed below. Teams which score at least 50% qualify for the regional stage. For those who cannot get to a qualifying event there is the possibility of individual matches or playing on the internet.
The regional stage in spring term 2025 is a knock out competition of schools in a region. Matches are played in schools and the region winner qualifies for the national final. A few places at the national final may be available for those eliminated at the regional stage by playing in repechage events.
The national final will be played on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 June 2025, at Nottingham University.
Please note that when entering this event you agree to:
1) Provide the names of team players, their gender and their dates of birth.
2) If the team manager is not a school employee then you will provide the name and school email address of school employee whom we can contact.
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED
Please only complete one entry form. If you subsequently wish to change your entry please email manager.secondary@englishchess.org.uk.
After your entry you will be contacted so that you can select the qualification event you wish to play at. For those who cannot get to a qualifying event they will be offered the option of playing an individual match or playing on the internet.
Click here for the tournament rules
For more information please contact Neill Cooper, National Secondary Schools Co-ordinator Email: manager.secondary@englishchess.org.uk
Regional qualifying events are listed below and shown on this MAP [yellow icons are for small events of 4 to 6 teams, marron for medium events of 8 to 12 teams, and green for large events of more than 12 teams]
Below is a list of qualifying events as on 9th September. For an up to date list of spaces at the qualifying events please see this Excel spreadsheet
| School | Town | County | Postcode | Date | Time | Places | Entries | Spaces |
| St Paul’s School | Barnes | Surrey | SW13 9JT | Tuesday 24 September | 3:00 – 5:30 | 4 | 2 | Closed |
| Stowe School | Buckingham | Bucks | MK18 5EH | Wednesday 9 October | 3:30- 6:00 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| Brentwood School | Brentwood | Essex | CM15 8AS | Thursday 10 October | 4:00 – 6:15 | 8 | 5 | Closed |
| Altrincham Grammar School for Boys | Altrincham | Manchester | WA14 2RS | Thursday 10 October | 4:00 – 6:30 | 8 | 4 | Closed |
| St Thomas More High School | Southend | Essex | SS0 0BW | Tuesday 15 October | 4:15 – 6:30 | 8 | 2 | Closed |
| King’s College Lower School | Wimbledon | Surrey | SW19 4TT | Wednesday 16 October | 4:15 – 6:45 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| Hammersmith Academy | Hammersmith | London | W12 9JD | Thursday 17 October | 4:00 – 6:00 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| RGS Guildford | Guildford | Surrey | GU1 3BB | Thursday 17 October | 4:30 – 6:45 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| Dulwich College | Dulwich | Kent | SE21 7LD | Thursday 7 November | 4:00 – 6:00 | 4 | 2 | Closed |
| Harrow School | Harrow | Middx | HA1 3HP | Thursday 7 November | 2:00 – 4:30 | 20 | 18 | Closed |
| Westminster School | Westminster | Middx | SW1P 3PF | Thursday 7 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| Internet event, team battle on lichess.org | Monday 11 November | 3:30 – 4:30 | 7 | Closed | ||||
| Mill Hill County High School | Mill Hill | Middx | NW7 4LL | Monday 11 November | 3:40- 6:00 | 8 | 4 | Closed |
| David Nieper Academy | Alfreton | Derbyshire | DE55 7JA | Monday 11 November | 3:45 – 6:00 | 6 | 3 | Closed |
| Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls | Ealing | London | W3 0HW | Tuesday 12 November | 2:00 – 4:30 | 6 | 6 | Closed |
| Winchester College | Winchester | Hants | SO23 9NA | Tuesday 12 November | 3:00 – 6:00 | 10 | 10 | Closed |
| Tonbridge School | Tonbridge | Kent | TN9 1JP | Tuesday 12 November | 4:30 – 7:00 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| Eton College | Eton | Berks | SL4 6DW | Tuesday 12 November | 4:30 – 7:30 | 8 | 7 | Closed |
| Windlesham House School | Pulborough | Sussex | RH20 4AY | Tuesday 12 November | 5:00 – 7:30 | 8 | 4 | Closed |
| Bede Academy | Blyth | Northumberland | NE24 2SY | Wednesday 13 November | 3:30- 6:00 | 12 | 10 | Closed |
| Devonport High School for Boys | Plymouth | Devon | PL1 5QP | Wednesday 13 November | 3:00 – 5:30 | 4 | 3 | Closed |
| Reeds School | Cobham | Surrey | KT11 2ES | Thursday 14 November | 4 | 4 | Closed | |
| Bolton School | Bolton | Greater Manchester | BL1 4PA | Thursday 14 November | 1:00 – 3:30 | 10 | 6 | Closed |
| Highgate School | Highgate | Middx | N6 4AY | Thursday 14 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 12 | 10 | Closed |
| Radley College | Radley | Oxon | OX14 2HS | Thursday 14 November | 4:30 – 7:00 | 8 | 6 | Closed |
| Gordon’s School | Woking | Surrey | GU24 9PT | Saturday 16 November | 10:00 – 12:30 | 6 | 3 | Closed |
| St Albans School | St Albans | Herts | AL3 4HB | Monday 18 November | 3:15 – 5:45 | 5 | 5 | Closed |
| Gateacre School | Belle Vale | Liverpool | L25 2RW | Tuesday 19 November | 1:00 – 4:00 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College | Darlington | Yorks | DL3 7AU | Tuesday 19 November | 2:40 – 5:20 | 8 | 6 | Closed |
| Nottingham High School | Nottingham | Notts | NG7 4ED | Tuesday 19 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 10 | 10 | Closed |
| The Grammar School at Leeds | Leeds | Yorks | LS17 8GS | Wednesday 20 November | 1:00 – 3:45 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| Stover School | Newton Abbott | Devon | TQ12 6QG | Wednesday 20 November | 2:00 – 4:30 | 8 | 5 | Closed |
| St Mary’s Catholic School | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Northumberland | NE7 7PE | Wednesday 20 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 12 | 10 | Closed |
| The Cotswold School | Bourton on the Water | Gloucs | GL54 2BE | Wednesday 20 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| North London Collegiate School | Edgware | Middx | HA8 7RJ | Wednesday 20 November | 4:15 – 6:45 | 6 | 4 | Closed |
| Great Yarmouth Charter Academy | Great Yarmouth | Norfolk | NR30 4LS | Thursday 21 November | 10:00 – 2:00 | 8 | 7 | Closed |
| Queen Mary’s Grammar School | Birmingham | West Midlands | WS1 2PG | Friday, 22 November | 2:00 – 7:00 | 30 | 13 | Closed |
| Bristol Grammar School | Bristol | Avon | BS8 1SR | Monday 25 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 28 | 28 | Closed |
| Taunton School | Taunton | Somerset | TA2 6AE | Monday 25 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| CSC Internet qualifier | https://lichess.org/tournament/LHqI4lnK | Monday 25 November | 4:00 – 5:00 | 10 | Closed | |||
| Wilson’s School | Wallington | Surrey | SM6 9JW | Tuesday 26 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 8 | 8 | Closed |
| Dunottar School | Reigate | Surrey | RH2 7EN | Tuesday 26 November | 4:00 – 6:30 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| Mercia School | Sheffield | Yorks | S7 2DY | Wednesday 27 November | 1:00 – 3:30 | 4 | 4 | Closed |
| Magdalen College School | Oxford | Oxon | OX4 1DZ | Wednesday 27 November | 5:00 – 7:30 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Repechage event, a team battle on lichess.org | Thursday 28 November | 4:00 – 5:00 | 7 | |||||
| Internet event, team battle on lichess.org | Thursday 28 November | 4:00 – 5:00 | 10 |