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

UK chess statisticsSussex

Chess in Sussex

874 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Sussex club in August 2026 — the 11th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

874

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+24%

Constant definition

Before the boom

695

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

29

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Sussex clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Sussex clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.05001,0001,50019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge874
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994402
July 1995389
July 1996450
July 1997409
July 1998402
July 1999408
July 2000364
July 2001378
July 2002354
July 2003408
July 2004394
July 2005385
July 2006351
July 2007339
July 2008336
July 2009358
July 2010391
July 2011423
January 2012454
July 2012434
January 2013466
July 2013447
January 2014460
July 2014447
January 2015540
July 2015533
January 2016549
July 2016528
January 2017571
July 2017548
January 2018572
July 2018568
January 2019580
July 2019695
January 2020686
July 20201,104
August 20201,105
September 20201,105
October 20201,105
November 20201,105
December 20201,105
January 20211,105
February 20211,105
March 20211,105
April 20211,105
May 20211,106
June 20211,106
July 20211,107
August 20211,112
September 20211,130
October 20211,152
November 20211,152
December 20211,177
January 20221,189
February 20221,203
March 20221,229
April 20221,234
May 20221,243
June 2022704
July 2022687
August 2022664
September 2022662
October 2022681
November 2022689
December 2022691
January 2023681
February 2023683
March 2023655
April 2023610
May 2023613
June 2023660
July 2023667
August 2023675
September 2023676
October 2023690
November 2023708
December 2023750
January 2024759
February 2024780
March 2024801
April 2024810
May 2024817
June 2024837
July 2024842
August 2024840
September 2024841
October 2024855
November 2024880
December 2024891
January 2025895
February 2025898
March 2025897
April 2025889
May 2025885
June 2025897
July 2025894
August 2025887
September 2025886
October 2025892
November 2025905
December 2025919
January 2026915
February 2026904
March 2026897
April 2026894
May 2026891
June 2026889
July 2026881
August 2026874

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.

Sussex clubs fielding rated players
Sussex clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0102030401998200420102016202229
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199432
July 199531
July 199631
July 199729
July 199830
July 199927
July 200028
July 200126
July 200226
July 200324
July 200426
July 200525
July 200623
July 200722
July 200821
July 200921
July 201023
July 201123
January 201223
July 201222
January 201324
July 201323
January 201422
July 201421
January 201523
July 201521
January 201621
July 201621
January 201720
July 201720
January 201821
July 201822
January 201922
July 201922
January 202021
July 202024
August 202024
September 202024
October 202024
November 202024
December 202024
January 202124
February 202124
March 202124
April 202124
May 202124
June 202124
July 202124
August 202124
September 202124
October 202124
November 202124
December 202125
January 202225
February 202225
March 202225
April 202225
May 202225
June 202224
July 202224
August 202224
September 202224
October 202224
November 202224
December 202226
January 202326
February 202326
March 202327
April 202327
May 202327
June 202328
July 202328
August 202328
September 202328
October 202328
November 202328
December 202328
January 202428
February 202429
March 202429
April 202429
May 202429
June 202429
July 202429
August 202429
September 202429
October 202429
November 202429
December 202429
January 202529
February 202529
March 202529
April 202529
May 202529
June 202530
July 202530
August 202530
September 202530
October 202530
November 202531
December 202529
January 202629
February 202629
March 202629
April 202629
May 202629
June 202629
July 202629
August 202629

Sussex, club by club

Every Sussex 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
Sussex Juniors323243267
Crowborough344967
Horsham365362
Hastings & St Leonards485660
Brighton & Hove394056
Chichester223246
Eastbourne252846
Worthing353445
Bexhill102138
Haywards Heath131827
Lewes282526
Bognor & Arun182825
East Grinstead121515
East Grinstead Bookshop1414
Uckfield161513
Beacon School——12
Brighton University Chess Society——12
Sussex University657
Collyers VI FC2117
Shoreham136
Crawley Axon Junior——4
Woodpushers (Sussex)1184
Windlesham House School——4
Chessington (Sussex)123
Brighton College753
Crawley122
Argumentatives321
Bexhill College111
Bexhill Academy——1

← All counties and the national picture