Full membership of the club for the 2026/27 season costs £60. We believe this is amongst the lowest subscription rates in London. The club needs to fund rental costs, the purchase, repair and replacement of chess equipment, furniture, stationery, league entry fees and other operational costs. 

Kingston Chess Club recognises that there are friends of the club who are already members of other clubs and will not play representative chess for Kingston but would like to take part in our internal events. We have instituted a new category, affiliate membership, for these players. Affiliate membership will cost £40 in the 2026/27 season.

Junior (under 16) membership costs £60. Juniors who are members of Kingston Junior Chess Club (KJCC), which will offer coaching and chess for juniors, are offered a discounted rate of £30 for annual membership of Kingston Chess Club. Details of KJCC will be available shortly.

Benefits

Full membership confers the following benefits:

1. Participation in club events, such as the club championship, simultaneous displays, and blitz and rapid tournaments. Where these are charged for, members will pay the members’ rate.
2. Playing rated games at the club.
3. Using the club’s sets and clocks for social games.
4. Monthly online Zoom meetings.
5. Talks on chess.
6. Eligibility to represent the club in league and cup competitions.
7. Eligibility to vote in the annual general meeting, and to serve as a committee member or club officer.

Affiliate membership confers all of these benefits except 6 and 7 – eligibility to represent the club in league and cup competitions, to vote at AGMs and to serve on the committee. Junior members, aged under 16, enjoy all the above benefits except 7 – eligibility to vote at AGMs and to serve on the committee.

ECF membership requirement

Members who play rated games, either in a team or in club events, should also belong to the English Chess Federation. There are different membership tiers. For most club players, Bronze membership (£22) is sufficient. For players who wish to play in Fide-rated events, Gold membership (£38) may be required. Juniors go free for the first year, and thereafter pay a bronze rate of £9 or a gold rate of £16.

Club Policies

Members should familiarise themselves with the club policies in relation to conduct, safeguarding, data protection and media release. Reading these policies, you will find that:

• Members are expected to ensure that chess is played in a respectful and civilised manner.
• We take safeguarding of juniors and vulnerable adults seriously. All members are expected to take each other’s welfare into account.
• We only allow authorised people to take photographs, but there is a presumption that photographs may be taken at the club.
• Club members’ activities may be described on our website or in our social media. Club policy is to be positive: about the game; our own and other clubs; and the individuals who play for them.
• We look after any data you provide, and use it only for the purposes for which it was collected.

Membership form

Existing members seeking to renew please sign in with your usual email address.

Those applying for membership for the first time should complete the form below. Those wishing to join as affiliate members, eligible for Kingston CC internal events but not to represent the club in any league or cup competitions, must indicate of which club they are already a member

Those wishing to join as junior members should indicate whether they are already members of Kingston Junior Chess Club. Those who are not may join KCC as full members for £60, but may ask for a £30 refund if they subsequently join KJCC.

If you have any questions about membership, please contact our club secretary Seth Warren.