News from 2026-27 for Oxfordshire Chess

New Captain confirmed for Oxon A Team, Chiltern League.

Im pleased to announce that Daniel Kidd has agreed to take on the captaincy of the Oxon A Team in the Chiltern League for the forthcoming 26-27 season. Daniel joined Cumnor Chess Club in 2024 and has been a committed league match player ever since. Competing in eighteen league matches in this very short period, as well as playing for Oxon A in the Chiltern League. We wish him the very best of luck, and give thanks for standing in at the last minute.

Chiltern A Team Captain set for 2027-2028. Still need a captain for this season

Dear All,

A volunteer has made it aware that they will be able to take on the management and captaincy for the longer term from 2027-2028 season.

This leaves the current season 2026-2027 still requiring a manger to step in for one further season.

Should no one present themselves to captain the side for this season, the Chiltern league will be informed that Oxfordshire will withdraw for one season, with a return in 2027-2028.

Should you or a colleague be willing to step in for one season, do let me know by October 1st, otherwise the plan above will be enacted.

Post AGM notes and further call for Chiltern League A Team captain

Dear All,

The AGM occurred on Tuesday 15th September. With unanimous votes passed on the league structure and fixtures, these are now moved from provisional to official. They are accessible via the competitions page.

There will be no major rule changes for this coming season. Division 4 remains played over 4 boards. The Frank Wood Shield will be played over 2 games per board (12 in total), both colours, rapidplay rules as in 2025/26.

The Chiltern League A Team captaincy remains vacant. It was determined at the AGM that should this not be filled, then there is a likelihood that the team will not be able to function and the Oxfordshire county A team will not compete in 2026-2027 without a person in post. Therefore, I write to appeal for a volunteer to consider again their availability in this regard. They can contact myself or Tony Burcham (the previous captain) for more details. If someone is interested, it would be best to inform myself so I can update the committee records and contact details with the Chiltern League (no doubt Tony will pass along his vast network of players' details if requested).

I will write again with new of the season 2026/27 opening officially, with my usual email to captains in due course.

Any questions, do get in touch, particularly regarding the County A Team if that is under consideration!

Venue Change - Banbury Chess Club

The Banbury Chess Club venue is now at the Whately Hall Hotel (in the 
Parkside Suite) 16-19 Horse Fair, Banbury OX16 0AN

Free parking is available after 6pm in front of the hotel or the hotel car 
park is available (for the hotel car park you will need to input your car 
registration at the reception desk - otherwise a charge will apply). 

Refreshments: Bar available (card only)
				

Andrew English

I've received sad news that Andrew English passed away on 12th August 2026. Andrew was diagnosed with terminal cancer last November and received treatment in January this year. Andrew was a maths teacher at Abingdon Boys School. Being a keen chess player he started Abingdon Boys Chess Club, and in 2015 the school joined the ODCL. Andrew managed to secure weekly tuition from GM Peter Wells, and so it wasnt long before Abingdon Boys became a very competitive team within the ODCL. Andrew retired early to concentrate on his philosophical writing projects.

Oxford 4NCL - call for players for 2026-27 season

Dear Oxfordshire chess players

Are you interested in joining the Oxford(shire) squads for 4NCL (Four Nations Chess League) in the forthcoming season running from October 2026 to May 2027? We are likely to have three teams, one in Division 2, two in Division 4, and are keen to welcome new and returning players. Last season, the ratings of players in Division 2 were typically in the range 1900 to 2300; ratings of players in Division 4 were typically in the range 1400 to 2100.

More information on dates and venues can be found via the link below. If you are interested, please email [email protected]. We are very happy to chat through logistics, commitments and any other aspect of the competition.

Oxfordshire County A Team Captain required

Dear all,

As we prepare for the new season, we are looking for someone to take on the role of 
Oxfordshire County A Team Captain.

The commitment is relatively modest, with just six fixtures spread across an eight-month 
season, starting in October. The administrative responsibilities are also fairly light and 
include:

- Booking the venue for home matches.
- Managing the teams cash flow.
- Organising and selecting the team for each fixture.

This is an important role that helps ensure we can continue to field a County A team, and we 
would be very grateful if someone was willing to step forward.

If you think you might be interested, or would simply like to find out more about what is involved 
with no obligation, please get in touch with Tony Burcham via email at
[email protected]. I would be very happy to discuss the role in more detail and answer 
any questions you may have.

Thank you for considering it, and I hope to hear from one or more of you soon.

Kind regards,

Tony Burcham