About

Founded 1834

Frederick Dewhurst Yates

1884-1932

FD Yates was a very solid board one for Leeds Chess Club in the Woodhouse Cup when we won it five years on the trot from 1911-15. He was British Chess Champion 1913, 14, 21, 26, 28 & 31.

Leeds Chess Club has a long and illustrious history. The club was founded in 1834, but there is evidence chess players were meeting together in Leeds as early as 1820.

   the first Leeds club

Two hundred years is a long time and the club has had its ups and downs. Our glory years are somewhat in the past, but we're still here and we're still batting away at the top level of regional chess.

   1834 to the present day

In the good old days, we played at venues like the Grand Café on Boar Lane and the Gambit Café on Park Lane where we laid on lavish dinners for visiting teams. Our players were among the best in the land.

  illustrious players

We commisioned magnificent silver trophies from the likes of Fattorini in Harrogate.

trophy cabinet

Many famous grandmaster visited the club to demonstrate their skills.

famous visitors

To pay for it all, however, annual subscriptions cost about the same as keeping a horse or a servant for a year. Today, we are a more modest and unassuming outfit. Chess is now accessible to all.

There are other clubs in the suburbs of Leeds, but Leeds Chess Club has traditionally met in the city centre. This can lead to problems in the modern age, especially parking, but tradition is tradition, and with all the canal-side developments, we feel that Leeds still needs a city centre chess club.

If you are new to Leeds and thinking of joining a chess club, we would be delighted if you would join us, and help us to continue to write the rather amazing story of Leeds Chess Club, 1820 to 2020, and beyond.

The Silver Knight Trophy

(Rayner Memorial)

The trophy was presented to the club by James Rayner in 1898. Since then it has been awarded annually to the top scorer in

the Woodhouse Cup team.

It is just one of several similar trophies in the club's care.