Latest MCCU News

Team entries for Midlands team competitions

8 Aug 2026. MCCU County Championship Controller, Stephen Smithson, is delighted to report that 8 Midlands Counties have confirmed that they are entering one or more teams in the 2026-27 Championship.  This is wonderful and exciting news for the hundreds of chess players across our region who will be able to compete in a Section suitable for them.  Many of them will also thereby earn a chance to continue to the National Stage of the Championship. Current entries are: Midlands Championship -Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Worcestershire; Under-1850 - herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Worcestershire; Under-1650 - Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire; Under-1450 - Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. Furter entries can be made by 23 Aug for the Championship, under-1850 and under1450 competitions. Staffs and Warks are still considering whether to enter the championship and Leics is considering whether to field an under-1850 team. The union will request applications for nominations to play in the under 20250 national stage.

Staffordshire new officers

29 Jul 2026, Stephen Smithson reports. Alberto Gissi has joined as acting secretary and Stephen Smithson is acting President with Peter Evans remainig as treasurer. Chris Hankey takes over from Jonathen Blackburn as junior organiser and Connor Whetnall is county team captain.

Annual meeting confirms new union officers

11 Jul 2026. For the first time the annual meeting was held remotely. Acting CEO Stephen Woodhouse (Worcs) was elected as as CEO and acting finance director Alex Nicholls (Worcs) was re-elected. Stephen reported that he was continuing negotiations to re-activate the union’s bank account. The uncollected fees from each county for 2024-5 and 2045-6 seasons were set as £21 per season and the fee for 2026-7 season set at £50. It was agreed that the arrangements for nominating an MCCU player for the British Championship in future seasons would be by performance at a nominated Midlands congress. A junior jamboree will be organised next season.

Plans for next season

8 Jul 2026. Following the revival of inter-county chess in the Midlands this season, Stephen Smithson has confirmed that the MCCU will be inviting all Midland counties to submite entries for the 2026-7 Midlands County Team Championship, the u2050, u1850, u1650 and u1450 team championships. Stephen reports that one new county and a new u1850 county team will be participating next season even though formal invitations for the 2026-7 championships have not yet been sent to counties. Please contact Stephen for more information.

Honour for former MCCU president

28 Jun 2026. Staffordshire Chess Association honoured Eunice Dolan with a life Vice-Presidency at its annual meeting to recognise her contributions to chess in Staffordshire. Eunice was a founder member and coach at Bloxwich Junior Chess Academy, and has been treasurer of Cannock & District Chess League and the first Female president of the MCCU in the years 2022-25.

MCCU names player for British Championship

23 Jun 2026. Joe Friar (Worcs) was planning to enter the Major Open at Warwick University this summer. Joe won an individual tournament in Worcestershire and was placed second on tie-break at the last Worcestershir Closed Congress where he tied on points with WGM Kata Toma. The union’s executive committee members considered several players nominated by county associations. This year the unexpected loss if the union’s CEO meant it was not possible to organise an over-the-board contest to select a nominee and are determined that next year’s nominee would be selected on the basis of results in congresses held in the MCCU area.

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Text in blue-green links to entry form, website or email contact

Next in the Midlands

Sat 15 Aug. Lincoln Rapidplay at Lincoln Cathedral, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PX. Open, Major (u1800), and Minor (u1500) tournaments, six rounds starting 10am, time control 15+10.

Next Junior tournament

Sat 21 Nov. Staffordshire Junior Championship at Painsley Catholic Coll, Sation Road, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1LH.

Online competitions

Link for all ECF online events.

Link for all 4NCL online events.

Next national events

Sat to Sun 9 to 16 Aug British Chess Championships at University of Warwick, Warwick Road, Coventry CV4 7AL. Numerous tournaments, senior, junior, rapid, blitz rated and weekend.

The "chess counties" forming the MCCU

Ten "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 rating 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 rating 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.