About Us

Formed in 1929 - Revived in 2018

We are one of Surrey's most ambitious and fastest-evolving clubs. We welcome all players regardless of ability and would love you to come along and try out the club. You will improve in no time!

We are committed to achieving a more equal gender balance by providing women and girls with plenty of playing opportunities in a supportive environment. Our venue is fully wheelchair-accessible.

In a competitive sense, our long-term aim has been to win Division 1 of the Surrey Chess League and we achieved this for the first time in April 2024. We are now aiming even bigger for the future! However, most importantly, we are keen to support all members, including relative beginners and youngsters, to become an active part of our club and even captain one of our teams.

We run regular ECF-rated rapidplay and blitz tournaments, allowing new members to integrate quickly and test their skills alongside more serious players and friends of the club.

Our Story

The original Epsom Chess Club existed from 1929 to 1967, led throughout by a legend of Surrey chess, Hector Marshall. However, due to competition from other clubs and the difficulty of finding a permanent playing location, it went out of existence in the late-1960s. These days are fondly remembered by Mike Wickham, who is the only remaining member to have played for both the original club and our modern incarnation.

In 2018, two keen chess-playing friends, Marcus Gosling and Ravi Sharma, decided to revive Epsom Chess Club. Marcus remains the youngest president of any chess club in Surrey and continues to drive the club forward.

Our adult teams have multiplied for the 2026/27 season and we now have the most of any club in the Surrey League. We aim to ensure that all players get an opportunity to represent the club if they would like to. We cater for relative beginners too.

Our club nights take place on Monday evenings at Epsom Christian Fellowship, a cosy and well-kept church a few minutes' walk from Epsom town centre with parking nearby.