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UK chess statisticsGreater Manchester

Chess in Greater Manchester

980 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Greater Manchester club in August 2026 — the 8th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

980

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+60%

Constant definition

Before the boom

486

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

38

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Greater Manchester clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Greater Manchester clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.03006009001,20019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge980
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994383
July 1995367
July 1996386
July 1997375
July 1998394
July 1999250
July 2000332
July 2001319
July 2002330
July 2003315
July 2004336
July 2005319
July 2006321
July 2007327
July 2008316
July 2009327
July 2010338
July 2011344
January 2012360
July 2012353
January 2013355
July 2013322
January 2014320
July 2014319
January 2015370
July 2015392
January 2016403
July 2016382
January 2017397
July 2017442
January 2018460
July 2018465
January 2019460
July 2019486
January 2020503
July 2020784
August 2020784
September 2020784
October 2020784
November 2020787
December 2020788
January 2021790
February 2021797
March 2021799
April 2021800
May 2021789
June 2021789
July 2021789
August 2021790
September 2021800
October 2021834
November 2021837
December 2021850
January 2022855
February 2022860
March 2022867
April 2022898
May 2022918
June 2022613
July 2022623
August 2022619
September 2022620
October 2022622
November 2022641
December 2022655
January 2023653
February 2023660
March 2023651
April 2023595
May 2023621
June 2023643
July 2023657
August 2023671
September 2023692
October 2023703
November 2023719
December 2023758
January 2024765
February 2024781
March 2024800
April 2024821
May 2024831
June 2024860
July 2024869
August 2024882
September 2024896
October 2024904
November 2024923
December 2024924
January 2025922
February 2025935
March 2025949
April 2025948
May 2025953
June 2025946
July 2025948
August 2025954
September 2025953
October 2025962
November 2025976
December 2025975
January 2026981
February 20261,003
March 20261,003
April 20261,000
May 2026978
June 2026985
July 2026987
August 2026980

County attribution uses each player's latest-known club, so the early decades understate clubs that have since closed — recent years are exact, the far left of the chart is indicative. The two marked breaks are changes in the national list definition, not local events. Full caveats on the methodology.

Greater Manchester clubs fielding rated players
Greater Manchester clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0102030401998200420102016202238
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199427
July 199525
July 199625
July 199725
July 199827
July 199926
July 200026
July 200126
July 200226
July 200326
July 200427
July 200527
July 200627
July 200726
July 200825
July 200925
July 201024
July 201125
January 201226
July 201226
January 201326
July 201325
January 201425
July 201424
January 201524
July 201526
January 201628
July 201629
January 201727
July 201729
January 201830
July 201830
January 201929
July 201929
January 202030
July 202031
August 202031
September 202031
October 202031
November 202031
December 202031
January 202131
February 202131
March 202131
April 202131
May 202131
June 202131
July 202131
August 202131
September 202131
October 202131
November 202131
December 202131
January 202231
February 202232
March 202232
April 202232
May 202232
June 202230
July 202230
August 202230
September 202230
October 202230
November 202230
December 202230
January 202330
February 202330
March 202330
April 202329
May 202329
June 202330
July 202330
August 202330
September 202330
October 202330
November 202331
December 202331
January 202431
February 202431
March 202432
April 202432
May 202432
June 202433
July 202433
August 202433
September 202433
October 202433
November 202433
December 202433
January 202533
February 202534
March 202534
April 202534
May 202534
June 202534
July 202534
August 202534
September 202534
October 202535
November 202535
December 202535
January 202636
February 202639
March 202638
April 202638
May 202638
June 202638
July 202638
August 202638

Greater Manchester, club by club

Every Greater Manchester club with rated players on the current list, including school and junior organisations, with their July 2019 and June 2022 figures for the before-and-after. The ECF rating list records one club per player, so players who turn out for more than one club are counted once, at their listed club.

ClubJul 2019Jun 2022August 2026
Bolton506690
Swinton & Worsley Community214681
3Cs485874
Eccles Community143774
Chorlton-cum-Hardy355072
Wigan3260
Ashton313756
Stockport283052
Altrincham & Hale201840
Bury182333
Greater Manchester Juniors333932
Marple212331
Oldham Juniors181428
Urmston152128
East Cheshire222224
Blue Club (Oldham)131224
Northenden122023
Bowen Sale——22
Wilmslow121616
Denton161715
Urmston GS2212
Manchester University1111
Cheadle Hulme School1211
Great Lever111110
Manchester Social359
Altrincham Grammar School148
Radcliffe256
Wright Robinson College——6
Golborne & Lowton——6
Oldham464
St Peter's RC High School——4
Manchester Grammar School154
Tameside Juniors12113
Stockport GS483
Wigan Knights623
Cheadle Hulme Primary School——2
Withington Girls School——2
Tameside1191

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