Next club night: Monday 7 September, 7.30pm — with the AGMMondays 7.30pm at Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club

UK chess statisticsHertfordshire

Chess in Hertfordshire

927 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Hertfordshire club in August 2026 — the 9th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

927

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+27%

Constant definition

Before the boom

560

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

39

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Hertfordshire clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Hertfordshire clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.05001,0001,50019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge927
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994318
July 1995302
July 1996329
July 1997320
July 1998375
July 1999340
July 2000359
July 2001333
July 2002345
July 2003388
July 2004393
July 2005339
July 2006337
July 2007340
July 2008334
July 2009322
July 2010330
July 2011347
January 2012367
July 2012378
January 2013395
July 2013386
January 2014401
July 2014375
January 2015454
July 2015448
January 2016478
July 2016507
January 2017522
July 2017449
January 2018465
July 2018477
January 2019477
July 2019560
January 2020601
July 20201,050
August 20201,050
September 20201,050
October 20201,050
November 20201,051
December 20201,051
January 20211,051
February 20211,051
March 20211,051
April 20211,052
May 20211,056
June 20211,059
July 20211,060
August 20211,062
September 20211,079
October 20211,102
November 20211,127
December 20211,145
January 20221,150
February 20221,159
March 20221,166
April 20221,195
May 20221,205
June 2022732
July 2022702
August 2022697
September 2022692
October 2022695
November 2022706
December 2022708
January 2023696
February 2023661
March 2023638
April 2023585
May 2023598
June 2023611
July 2023620
August 2023627
September 2023629
October 2023643
November 2023668
December 2023695
January 2024706
February 2024720
March 2024734
April 2024745
May 2024753
June 2024758
July 2024767
August 2024774
September 2024778
October 2024782
November 2024803
December 2024813
January 2025831
February 2025841
March 2025848
April 2025883
May 2025876
June 2025864
July 2025858
August 2025859
September 2025860
October 2025871
November 2025899
December 2025905
January 2026904
February 2026920
March 2026922
April 2026926
May 2026919
June 2026921
July 2026934
August 2026927

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.

Hertfordshire clubs fielding rated players
Hertfordshire clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0102030401998200420102016202239
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199423
July 199521
July 199621
July 199721
July 199826
July 199922
July 200021
July 200121
July 200223
July 200324
July 200424
July 200523
July 200623
July 200723
July 200820
July 200918
July 201020
July 201120
January 201220
July 201220
January 201320
July 201320
January 201420
July 201419
January 201521
July 201521
January 201621
July 201622
January 201722
July 201722
January 201821
July 201823
January 201924
July 201925
January 202025
July 202026
August 202026
September 202026
October 202026
November 202026
December 202026
January 202126
February 202126
March 202126
April 202126
May 202126
June 202126
July 202126
August 202126
September 202126
October 202126
November 202126
December 202127
January 202227
February 202227
March 202227
April 202227
May 202227
June 202225
July 202225
August 202225
September 202225
October 202225
November 202225
December 202225
January 202325
February 202325
March 202325
April 202325
May 202325
June 202326
July 202327
August 202327
September 202327
October 202327
November 202327
December 202327
January 202427
February 202428
March 202428
April 202428
May 202428
June 202429
July 202429
August 202429
September 202429
October 202429
November 202432
December 202431
January 202531
February 202533
March 202533
April 202534
May 202535
June 202535
July 202535
August 202536
September 202536
October 202536
November 202537
December 202539
January 202639
February 202638
March 202638
April 202638
May 202639
June 202639
July 202639
August 202639

Hertfordshire, club by club

Every Hertfordshire 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
Watford65102127
St Albans6084118
Hertfordshire Juniors11312261
Barnet Juniors7312348
Chess Challengers21346
Letchworth & Hitchin212843
Hertford293842
Hemel Hempstead182341
Q Elizabeth School Barnet182440
Bishops Stortford172635
Welwyn Hatfield Chess Forum242535
Stevenage252733
The Broxbourne School——33
Little Heath181825
Rickmansworth School——21
St Albans School1117
Future Academies School——16
Dame Alice Owen6314
St Christophers School1114
Beaumont School—112
Borehamwood111412
Royston151712
AlphaChess——11
Berkhamsted5710
Manor Lodge8410
Hoddesdon787
Yavneh College——7
Barnet Elizabeth876
Haberdashers Askes Sch Herts15116
First Wednesday125
Stanborough School225
Haberdashers Girls School——3
Lockers Park School343
Northwood College——3
Immanuel College——2
Allenbury221
Rogue Rooks111
Lochinver House School——1
Royal Masonic School For Girls——1

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