The United Kingdom’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 ECF (English Chess Federation) has existed since 1957. The Championship is open to all schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Teams are of 6 players, who should be pupils of the school they represent.
Whilst the strongest teams are always very strong, they are offered automatic qualification to the Spring Term Regional Stage. Most teams are not as strong and many are quite inexperienced, so do consider entering even if you have not done so before. Details of the national final, to be played in late June or early July 2022, will be circulated as soon as possible.
In the Autumn Term 2021, teams seek to qualify for the Regional Stage in Spring Term 2022. Strong teams can claim automatic qualification to the Regional Stage (if they played in a 2019 Regional Final or have six pupils with a total ECF rating of at least 9,600). Other teams will have a range of routes to qualify for the Regional Stage, including after school events, small local leagues and internet events.
Click here for the tournament rules – https://www.englishchess.org.uk/NSCC/2021-22-under-19-rules/
Regional afternoon events are as follows
Birmingham King Edward School (Friday 19th November)
Winners: King Edward School; Other Qualifier: KE Camp Hill
Results – https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/list_games_event.php?event_code=EHNS19BQ§ion_no=1
Bolton School (Thursday 25 November 12.30 for 1.00pm start)
Winners: Cheadle Hume and Manchester GS; Other Qualifiers: Bolton School B; Kings School, Chester
Central London, Westminster School (Thursday 11 November at 4.15pm)
Winners: St Paul’s Girls School; Other Qualifiers: Fortismere School A; The Latymer School; Westminster School B; City and Islington Sixth Form College A
Devon, Torquay (Tuesday 23rd November at 2.00pm until approx. 4.30pm)
Winners: Torquay Boys Grammar School A; Other Qualifiers: Devonport High School for Boys; Colyton A and Torquay Boys Grammar School B
Essex, Greensward Academy (Tuesday 23rd November)
Winners: Entries: Westcliff High School for Boys A; Other qualifiers: Torquay Boys Grammar School B and Greensward Academy A
Hampshire, Winchester College (Tuesday 16th November 3.00 to 6.00pm)
Winners: Winchester College B, Other Qualifiers: Winchester College C: Seaford College
Kent, Tonbridge School (Tuesday 16th November at 4.45pm)
Winners: The Skinners’ School A; Other Qualifiers: Maidstone Grammar School A; The Skinners’ School B; Tonbridge School A
Results – https://ecflms.org.uk/lms/node/88218/efixtures
Newcastle, St Mary’s Catholic School (Wednesday 24th November 3.30pm)
Winners: St Mary’s Catholic School B; Other qualifier Ponteland High School A;
North London University College School (Wednesday 1st December 4.15pm)
Winners: Highgate School B; Also Qualified: University College School B and Mill Hill County
Nottingham High School (Monday 15th November at 3.30 for 4.00pm)
Winners: Nottingham High School B; Other qualifiers: Bourne Grammar A; Nottingham High School C
Oxfordshire, Radley College (Thursday 25th November 4.30pm)
Winners: Aylesbury GS; Also Qualified: Radley College; St Claires and The Cotswold School A
Somerset, King’s Bruton (Monday 22nd November, 4.00 to 6.30pm)
Winners: Millfield School A; Also qualified Millfield School B; Taunton School
South London, Croydon, Wilson School (Friday 12th November 4.30 to 6.30pm)
Winners: Wilson’s School B; Other Qualifiers: Sutton Grammar School A;Tiffin School B, C; Wilson’s School C, D
Results – https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/list_games_event.php?event_code=LN00001889§ion_no=1
Surrey, RGS Guildford (Thursday 18th November 4.30pm)
Winners: RGS Guildford B; Other qualifiers Guildford County School A; RGS Guildford C, D
Results – https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/list_games_swiss.php?event_code=ATEQ21§ion_no=1
West London, Wimbledon (Wednesday 24th November 4.30pm)
Winners: King’s College School B; Also Qualified King’s College Lower School A, B, C
Local Leagues
Guildford League
Winners St Catherine’s A, also qualified St Catherine’s B
Hereford and Worcester
Winners Hereford Cathedral School
Hertfordshire League
Winners Beaumont School
M3 League
Winners Gordon School
North London League
Winners North London Collegiate School A, also qualified North London Collegiate School B
Swindon League
Winners Commonweal School
Internet Qualifiers
Internet qualifier 1: Monday 15th November 4.10pm to 5.10pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/TUWuYXw3
Winners: QEH; Other Qualifiers St Olaves B; Altrincham Grammar School for Boys; Churchill Academy
Internet qualifier 2: Thursday 18th November 4.00pm to 5.00pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/4Xam1OCn
Winners: Redborne Upper School; Other Qualifiers Harrow School; Denmark Road High School
Internet qualifier 3: Monday 22nd November 5.00pm to 6.00pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/U5U4LToS
Winners: MCS Oxford B
Internet qualifier 4: Monday 29th November 4.00pm to 5.00pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/5RIrT4bk
Winners: St Paul’s School; Also Qualified: Bristol GS B; Exeter School; Dronfield Henry Fanshawe
Internet qualifier 5: Thursday 1st December 4.15pm to 5.15pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/6wrs5aL6
Winners: The Bishops Stortford High School; Also Qualified: Stover School, Holyport College
Repechage qualifier 1: Thursday 1st December 4.15pm to 5.15pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/Zlyvulv2
Repechage qualifier 2: Monday 3rd December 4.15pm to 5.15pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/XCOZ5tEb
Winners: Woodbridge School; Also Qualifier Latymer Upper and Sutton GS B team
Repechage qualifier 3: Wednesday 5th December 4.15pm to 5.15pm
https://lichess.org/tournament/1X8ZuOrJ
Winners: The King’s School, Canterbury; Also Qualified: Sir Thomas Rich; Tiffin D team
Age limit – Under 19 on 31st August 2021. A school may enter any number of teams, but players would normally only play for one team.
Entry fee – Free*
Contact – Neill Cooper Email: manager.secondary@englishchess.org.uk
* We are grateful to Winchester College for sponsoring this event so that it is free to enter. Schools participating at the National Final will need to pay accommodation charges, and in the Regional Stage some internet fixtures will incur ECF arbiter fees.
Teams entered
See the Google map of entries here where —
Dark red house shows afternoon qualifying event locations
Red shows playing at afternoon event
Green shows schools where all teams have automatically qualified
Black shows internet entries
Gray shows CSC entries
Blue shows all other entries