Waltham Forest & Haringey
Primary Schools Tournament 2026

The Waltham Forest and Haringey Primary Schools Chess Tournament will take place on Monday 23 March 2026 at Big Penny Social, Higham Hill. The tournament is organised by Walthamstow Chess Club with the support of the charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC).

Primary schools from Waltham Forest and Haringey are invited to enter a team of 6 players. The tournament is aimed at pupils who are new to competitive chess. Knowledge of how the pieces move is essential, but there is no minimum standard of proficiency – many of the players will be beginners. Every competitor will play 6 games of chess with 3 points being awarded for a win, 2 points for a draw, and 1 point for a loss. There will be trophies for the schools with the highest team scores and medals for the pupils with the highest individual scores. Every child will receive a chess goody bag for participating.

Timetable

9:30am · Schools arrive ready for a 10am start
10:00am · Lessons with a chess tutor
11:00am · Simultaneous game against a chess expert
12:00pm · Break for lunch
12:30pm · Tournament begins
2:30pm · Tournament ends
2:45pm · Prizegiving
3:00pm · Schools depart

Pupils will be accompanied by a teacher and should bring a packed lunch which they can eat on-site.

About Walthamstow Chess Club

Since starting in summer 2025, Walthamstow Chess Club has grown into a friendly group of players from across Walthamstow and beyond who share a love of the game. We meet every Monday from 7pm, and once a month on a Sunday afternoon.

About CSC

Chess in Schools and Communities is a UK charity whose mission is to improve children’s educational outcomes and social development by introducing them to the game of chess. Founded in 2009, they have supported over 3,000 schools nationwide with chess lessons, clubs, equipment, and training and currently teach in 380 schools every week.

Photography

CSC will be taking photographs during the day and the images may be used for publicity purposes. If there are any children or adults in your school party who should not be photographed, please inform any member of CSC staff on the day of the event.

Entry

Please note entry is being managed directly by schools. We can’t take direct entries for individual schoolchildren: please contact your school instead to suggest your child be made available for the event.

Parents of homeschooled children should email us at walthamstowchess@gmail.com to request a spot.

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