Latest MCCU News

Omicron 3-0 MCCU: Matches postponed

22 Dec. Shropshire and Worcestershire postponed their fixture due in the New Year. GMC and Leics also put back their fixture due on 5 Feb to 5 Mar.
11 Dec. Worcestershire and Warwickshire called off their Midlands Championship match at short notice after both teams suffered difficulties in raising teams and players withdrew at short notice. It's understood that one of the team captains was taken ill. Although the counties have agreed to reschedule the match, the rapidly spreading Omicron Covid variant and Government plans to further restrict social mixing, there must be serious doubts that this match can be played this season.

Nottinghamshire u1450 beat Leicestershire

27 Nov, Mick Frings reports. A decisive win playing away for Notts. Click county matches and then 2021-2 results for details.

27 Nov, Peter Sherlock reports. Warwickshire have been unable to find a captain for a proposed u1450 team and are not playing in the u1450 competition.

MCCU CEO named Sports personality of year

17 Nov. Ray Dolan received the award from Staffordshire Chess Association. Read more on the Express and Star website.

Warwickshire are first Midlands u1650 champions

14 Nov, Paul Sharratt reports. A terrific match with Warwickshire winning on board count at Stratford-upon-Avon. See details.
13 Nov. The Warks-Shrops Minor Counties match waqs postponed.

Capacity entries at Birmingham Rapidplay

17 Oct. Over 120 players took part and was sold out well-before the start of the event. GM Mark Hebden (Leics) was sole first in the Open with 6/7. Joseph Friar (Worcs) shared first place in the Major (u2000) with Karan Kukreja (Warks Jun) on 5½ points. Jack Nolan (Warks) won the Intermediate (u1750) with a perfect 7 points from 7 games. Toby Bates (Wales) won the Minor (u1250) also with a 100% score. Alex Holowczak was tournament organiser. Full results.

Derbyshire withdraw u-1850 team

10 Nov, Kevin Gallagher reports. The county have had to withdraw from the MCCU competition because of lack of support.

2021-2 Most league seasons start

31 Oct, John Fahy reports. The Dudley & District League has decided not to resume for the 2021-2 season.

22 Oct. Change in Staffordshire. At the recent AGM, Peter Evans was elected secretary taking over from Ray Dolan.

27 Sep, Peter Evans reports. Cannock League restarted a shortened season and North Staffs League will run three divisions starting at the end of October.

20 Sep, Mick Norris reports. Manchester League plans to start a shortened otb season with a new format in October and Stockport plans a start in the New Year.

20 Sep, Paul Sharratt reports. Wolverhampton league has an EGM scheduled for mid-October.

18 Sep. Leamington League held their first fixtures with four teams in action on 7 September. Worcestershire league re-started with a special match in memory of Nick Harris who died in June, but for this season the county league and Worcester and District League have joined forces to ensure viability. Birmingham League has matches scheduled for October. Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire are planning to resume. Dudley and and Staffordshire leagues are holding AGMs soon. Manchester and Coventry League continue online. No otb league chess was reported on the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, or Nottinghamshire, websites.

19 Sep. Making spaces safe. The Nuffield Department of Primary Care has produced useful videos about preventing the spread of Covid-19.

County entries for MCCU team championships

17 Sep, Peter Sherlock reports. Lincolnshire have entered the Open and have been permitted to proceed to the national stages without playing in the Open/Minor competition.

10 Sep, Peter Sherlock reports. Open - Greater Manchester have elected to entered a team in the Open but have been permitted to do so without competeing in the MCCU Open and Minor competition. Open/Minor - Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Counties will decide which section (Open or Minor) in the National Stages they wish to enter on December 31. u2050 section - only Nottinghamshire have entered and will go through to the National Stages as MCCU1. Entries for this section can be received (from any county) between now and December 31. Participating counties will compete for MCCU2 & MCCU3. U1850 section - Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and Leicestershire. U1650 section Warwickshire and Worcestershire. U1450 section Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Notts Juniors and Warwickshire. Warwickshire have, as yet, no captain so they will withdraw if they don't find one before their first fixture on December 4. Lincolnshire and Staffordshire are not participating this year.

Click "News" on the menu bar above for other recent items.

Next in the Midlands

20 Feb. Nottingham Rapidplay at Nottingham High School, Waverley Mount

Online events

Link for all ECF online events

The "chess counties" forming the MCCU

Eleven "Chess Counties" form the Midland Counties Chess Union and cover the areas shown in the map on the right. A small Board of volunteer directors currently led by Chief Executive Ray Dolan (Staffs) is elected annually by delegates from member chess counties. The Board organises regional competitions based on policies agreed annually by delegates from member chess counties.

By playing in the competitions hosted on this website you agree that your name, chess grade and your membership status with the English Chess Federation (ECF) may be published on this website for the purposes of recording the results of the competitions. You also agree that such information will be passed to the ECF, the governing body, for grading purposes, and published on their website.

The MCCU

The current webmaster is Ray Collett (Worcs). The website's policy is to report results of the MCCU competitions, principally the MCCU county team tournaments and congresses. Brief results of other chess congresses held in the MCCU area and and links to organisers' websites are on the "News" pages. A calendar of upcoming chess congresses is on the "Congresses" pages. Some important national and international chess events will also be reported if there is a "Midlands" interest. In the menu bar above: "About" gives more information about the MCCU and has links to rules and administrative papers; "Guide" explains the site's organisation and provides links to most of the site's key pages.

Please send news of Midlands chess events, corrections, notifications of broken links, and suggestions to improve the website to Ray Collett.