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

UK chess statisticsLondon

Chess in London

645 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a London club in August 2026 — the 18th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

645

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+82%

Constant definition

Before the boom

303

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

75

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with London clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with London clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.020040060080019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge645
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994540
July 1995490
July 1996533
July 1997472
July 1998414
July 1999371
July 2000347
July 2001313
July 2002313
July 2003297
July 2004310
July 2005293
July 2006264
July 2007269
July 2008258
July 2009253
July 2010258
July 2011263
January 2012266
July 2012261
January 2013263
July 2013255
January 2014258
July 2014267
January 2015299
July 2015269
January 2016277
July 2016294
January 2017325
July 2017322
January 2018314
July 2018290
January 2019295
July 2019303
January 2020323
July 2020504
August 2020504
September 2020504
October 2020504
November 2020504
December 2020504
January 2021504
February 2021504
March 2021504
April 2021504
May 2021504
June 2021504
July 2021506
August 2021506
September 2021508
October 2021516
November 2021527
December 2021532
January 2022534
February 2022536
March 2022542
April 2022549
May 2022550
June 2022354
July 2022347
August 2022343
September 2022343
October 2022343
November 2022347
December 2022354
January 2023346
February 2023355
March 2023331
April 2023309
May 2023316
June 2023330
July 2023331
August 2023336
September 2023338
October 2023349
November 2023374
December 2023393
January 2024397
February 2024409
March 2024424
April 2024431
May 2024437
June 2024442
July 2024450
August 2024449
September 2024454
October 2024455
November 2024495
December 2024509
January 2025515
February 2025530
March 2025533
April 2025533
May 2025545
June 2025549
July 2025575
August 2025574
September 2025575
October 2025576
November 2025595
December 2025623
January 2026632
February 2026639
March 2026642
April 2026643
May 2026637
June 2026634
July 2026646
August 2026645

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.

London clubs fielding rated players
London clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0204060801998200420102016202275
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199471
July 199572
July 199672
July 199765
July 199857
July 199951
July 200049
July 200148
July 200244
July 200343
July 200443
July 200540
July 200638
July 200736
July 200834
July 200931
July 201035
July 201133
January 201232
July 201232
January 201332
July 201331
January 201431
July 201431
January 201538
July 201532
January 201630
July 201634
January 201737
July 201735
January 201835
July 201831
January 201932
July 201933
January 202038
July 202043
August 202043
September 202043
October 202043
November 202043
December 202043
January 202143
February 202143
March 202143
April 202143
May 202143
June 202143
July 202144
August 202144
September 202145
October 202146
November 202147
December 202147
January 202248
February 202248
March 202248
April 202249
May 202249
June 202245
July 202244
August 202244
September 202244
October 202244
November 202244
December 202246
January 202345
February 202344
March 202343
April 202343
May 202344
June 202345
July 202345
August 202346
September 202346
October 202346
November 202348
December 202353
January 202453
February 202453
March 202454
April 202454
May 202454
June 202454
July 202455
August 202454
September 202455
October 202455
November 202458
December 202460
January 202562
February 202565
March 202565
April 202565
May 202565
June 202567
July 202575
August 202574
September 202574
October 202574
November 202575
December 202574
January 202674
February 202674
March 202676
April 202676
May 202675
June 202675
July 202675
August 202675

London, club by club

Every London 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
Hackney536469
Greater London Chess Club345166
Pimlico333535
British Bangla Chess Association262727
DHSS222724
Lycee Francais Charles De Gaulle——23
Barclays Bank131321
Treasury182121
London Women's CC——21
JP Morgan——17
Macquarie——16
Lift Richmond Park Academy——14
Bank of England61013
Sacred Heart Catholic School——12
Yas Queen! CC——11
The Pointer School——11
PKF Littlejohn——11
St Thomas The Apostle School——11
Morgan Stanley2510
Unats91010
Hope Chess Club229
OTB Southbank238
HSBC558
UK Chess Academy——8
Railways London10108
Societe Generale——8
EBRD117
City Of London School For Girls——7
Bloomberg766
BNP Paribas126
Cen Lon Legal League536
HMRC Croydon—46
Fulham Cross Girls School——6
Phoenix Academy——6
Cosmopolitan Banks335
Bank of America115
Canada Water Community115
Standard Chartered Bank125
Fulham Boys School——5
Amazon——5
Gulf International Bank——5
London Banks League214
Southbank International School——4
Golden Falcons (London)—24
Qube Research & Technology——4
Passed Pawns—13
UK Parliament113
U3A in London—13
Revenue and Customs783
Dixon Wilson——3
HaysMac——3
Royal Bank Scotland332
Eastern Knights112
Insurance662
Gambit Juniors—12
Greenwood ECA112
London CC——2
Hon Members LCCL122
Metropolitan Police112
Transport for London662
Deutsche Bank——2
Hackney Chess & Go——1
Natwest Bank111
Civil Service CA111
Idler Academy CC——1
Knights of Gidea Park Juniors——1
Queen Mary University of London121
London South West Juniors1561
Norton Rose111
Simmons & Simmons111
Allen & Overy111
Brambleberry Juniors111
United Financial Services221
Ada Lovelace CofE High School——1
Schroders——1

← All counties and the national picture