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

UK chess statisticsNorthumberland

Chess in Northumberland

686 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Northumberland club in August 2026 — the 15th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

686

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+144%

Constant definition

Before the boom

206

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

30

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Northumberland clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Northumberland clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.020040060080019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge686
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994232
July 1995231
July 1996258
July 1997243
July 1998232
July 1999204
July 2000256
July 2001223
July 2002225
July 2003228
July 2004229
July 2005221
July 2006230
July 2007241
July 2008246
July 2009259
July 2010251
July 2011260
January 2012283
July 2012271
January 2013284
July 2013240
January 2014266
July 2014230
January 2015236
July 2015246
January 2016251
July 2016242
January 2017273
July 2017281
January 2018293
July 2018240
January 2019212
July 2019206
January 2020207
July 2020435
August 2020435
September 2020435
October 2020435
November 2020435
December 2020435
January 2021435
February 2021435
March 2021435
April 2021435
May 2021435
June 2021435
July 2021437
August 2021440
September 2021447
October 2021458
November 2021459
December 2021486
January 2022489
February 2022495
March 2022507
April 2022508
May 2022511
June 2022281
July 2022283
August 2022291
September 2022292
October 2022293
November 2022304
December 2022306
January 2023300
February 2023324
March 2023316
April 2023331
May 2023336
June 2023342
July 2023376
August 2023385
September 2023391
October 2023400
November 2023411
December 2023491
January 2024494
February 2024499
March 2024505
April 2024508
May 2024516
June 2024520
July 2024531
August 2024544
September 2024544
October 2024546
November 2024563
December 2024620
January 2025621
February 2025620
March 2025619
April 2025624
May 2025625
June 2025628
July 2025646
August 2025647
September 2025643
October 2025646
November 2025667
December 2025683
January 2026687
February 2026687
March 2026691
April 2026677
May 2026680
June 2026684
July 2026690
August 2026686

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.

Northumberland clubs fielding rated players
Northumberland clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0102030401998200420102016202230
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199424
July 199522
July 199623
July 199724
July 199822
July 199921
July 200023
July 200125
July 200225
July 200326
July 200425
July 200522
July 200620
July 200723
July 200823
July 200925
July 201022
July 201120
January 201218
July 201217
January 201317
July 201317
January 201418
July 201417
January 201517
July 201517
January 201617
July 201616
January 201719
July 201718
January 201818
July 201816
January 201915
July 201916
January 202016
July 202020
August 202020
September 202020
October 202020
November 202020
December 202020
January 202120
February 202120
March 202120
April 202120
May 202120
June 202120
July 202120
August 202120
September 202120
October 202120
November 202120
December 202122
January 202222
February 202222
March 202222
April 202222
May 202222
June 202218
July 202218
August 202219
September 202219
October 202220
November 202220
December 202219
January 202319
February 202323
March 202323
April 202323
May 202324
June 202324
July 202325
August 202325
September 202325
October 202325
November 202325
December 202330
January 202430
February 202430
March 202430
April 202430
May 202430
June 202430
July 202430
August 202430
September 202430
October 202430
November 202430
December 202430
January 202530
February 202530
March 202530
April 202530
May 202530
June 202530
July 202531
August 202531
September 202531
October 202531
November 202530
December 202531
January 202631
February 202631
March 202631
April 202631
May 202630
June 202630
July 202630
August 202630

Northumberland, club by club

Every Northumberland 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
Gosforth3060111
Forest Hall405290
Newcastle University31154
Newcastle7939
Morpeth202333
Ponteland High School—1231
Tynemouth263130
Northumberland Juniors20725
Alnwick91024
Jesmond Park Academy——24
Q Elizabeth HS Hexham1124
Bede Academy——19
RGS Newcastle6519
Ashington Academy——17
Jesmond121516
St Marys School Northumberland101415
Dame Allans School Newcastle2214
St Cuthberts Catholic High School——14
Tynedale121414
Cramlington1113
Longridge Towers School, Northumberland2513
Benfield School——12
Hexham Middle School——12
Delves116
Gateshead676
Cardinal Hume Catholic School——5
Central High School——3
Dyke House Sch——1
Ponteland221
Thorp Academy——1

← All counties and the national picture