Chess at Sidcup remains outstanding value at £55 for 51 three-hour meetings. Even better, pensioners get a £5 discount and anybody whose yearly income is under £10,000 pays only £35. And the most outstanding value is for juniors under 18, who pay nothing at all! Joiners during the year pay pro rata.

This is even better value than the cups of tea or coffee available at 20p per cup.

Another decision of the members at the Annual General Meeting was to enter 4 teams in the Kent League this season. There will be two six-board teams and two four-board teams of various average strengths run by the same experienced captains as last year. Members who intend to play in Kent League matches should now renew their membership of the English Chess Federation (see the English Chess Federation website for details).

Also like last year the club will run its knock-out tournament for all members bar the stronger (“over 120 grade”) players and an all-play-all handicap tournament where the handicap is that the stronger player has less time to make all the moves than the weaker player.

There will also be an “all-play-all simultaneous” in the summer. Perhaps you will play a game worth showing on the website. If you have items for the website, continue to send them to Steve Moon by emailing chess at (use the @ character) sidcupchessclub.org.uk.

Ian McAllan