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

UK chess statisticsStaffordshire

Chess in Staffordshire

656 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Staffordshire club in August 2026 — the 17th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

656

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+70%

Constant definition

Before the boom

309

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

30

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Staffordshire clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Staffordshire clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.020040060080019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge656
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994376
July 1995365
July 1996392
July 1997387
July 1998385
July 1999346
July 2000347
July 2001333
July 2002317
July 2003312
July 2004312
July 2005328
July 2006317
July 2007310
July 2008308
July 2009309
July 2010295
July 2011289
January 2012295
July 2012274
January 2013275
July 2013273
January 2014280
July 2014273
January 2015295
July 2015292
January 2016298
July 2016286
January 2017302
July 2017302
January 2018367
July 2018356
January 2019321
July 2019309
January 2020331
July 2020496
August 2020496
September 2020496
October 2020496
November 2020496
December 2020496
January 2021496
February 2021496
March 2021496
April 2021496
May 2021496
June 2021496
July 2021496
August 2021500
September 2021506
October 2021519
November 2021521
December 2021531
January 2022537
February 2022546
March 2022552
April 2022561
May 2022562
June 2022386
July 2022392
August 2022393
September 2022390
October 2022401
November 2022408
December 2022415
January 2023412
February 2023410
March 2023391
April 2023380
May 2023393
June 2023409
July 2023420
August 2023430
September 2023440
October 2023476
November 2023489
December 2023514
January 2024519
February 2024528
March 2024530
April 2024536
May 2024547
June 2024558
July 2024562
August 2024567
September 2024573
October 2024590
November 2024591
December 2024611
January 2025617
February 2025624
March 2025625
April 2025630
May 2025636
June 2025637
July 2025643
August 2025643
September 2025644
October 2025654
November 2025665
December 2025668
January 2026662
February 2026666
March 2026673
April 2026663
May 2026652
June 2026657
July 2026657
August 2026656

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.

Staffordshire clubs fielding rated players
Staffordshire clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.01020301998200420102016202230
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199417
July 199517
July 199617
July 199717
July 199817
July 199918
July 200018
July 200118
July 200218
July 200317
July 200418
July 200517
July 200618
July 200720
July 200819
July 200918
July 201018
July 201118
January 201217
July 201217
January 201316
July 201317
January 201418
July 201419
January 201520
July 201520
January 201619
July 201620
January 201720
July 201719
January 201820
July 201820
January 201920
July 201921
January 202020
July 202021
August 202021
September 202021
October 202021
November 202021
December 202021
January 202121
February 202121
March 202121
April 202121
May 202121
June 202121
July 202121
August 202121
September 202121
October 202121
November 202121
December 202121
January 202222
February 202222
March 202222
April 202222
May 202222
June 202221
July 202222
August 202222
September 202222
October 202222
November 202223
December 202223
January 202323
February 202323
March 202323
April 202323
May 202323
June 202323
July 202323
August 202323
September 202323
October 202323
November 202323
December 202324
January 202424
February 202424
March 202424
April 202424
May 202424
June 202424
July 202424
August 202425
September 202426
October 202426
November 202426
December 202427
January 202527
February 202528
March 202528
April 202528
May 202528
June 202528
July 202528
August 202528
September 202528
October 202528
November 202529
December 202529
January 202629
February 202630
March 202630
April 202630
May 202630
June 202630
July 202630
August 202630

Staffordshire, club by club

Every Staffordshire 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
Lichfield395966
Queen Marys GS Walsall4155
Cheddleton & Leek383454
Rushall202644
Wolverhampton172441
Stafford131938
Newcastle-under-Lyme201933
Bloxwich Juniors7628
Fenton162227
Staffordshire Juniors264327
Mercia172125
Pepper Mill CC1224
Rugeley111824
Tamworth7923
Walsall Kipping212219
Kidsgrove7716
Bushbury131713
Potteries Juniors——12
St Matthias Wolverhampton——12
Brewood7911
Norton Canes1111
Meir141710
Painsley Catholic College——8
West Bromwich9108
King Edward VI High School——6
Stafford Library Juniors——6
Kinver——5
Newcastle-under-Lyme School254
Lido School of Chess——3
Tunstall & Burslem113

← All counties and the national picture