Welcome!

As reigning BUCA champions, we're the best chess university in the UK! But whether you're a beginner, a tournament player, or just looking for a casual game, everyone is welcome at Imperial Chess Society. Improve your game, play some blitz, solve puzzles, or try one of our many chess variants.

Club runs every Monday at 18:30 in Sir Alexander Fleming (SAF) Foyer.

Competitive Chess

For those looking to represent Imperial, we compete throughout the year in a range of university and London competitions:

• Central London Chess Congress (CLCC) – FIDE-rated tournaments hosted by Imperial once a year, usually in November, with around 100 participants and discounted entry for Chess Soc members.

• British Universities’ Chess Association (BUCA) Championship – Compete against universities from across the UK as we defend our crown in one of the biggest events on the university chess calendar.

• London Chess League (LCL) – ECF-rated matches against teams from across London, including our Division 2 team — the highest division reached by a university team. 

• Eastman Cup – University team competition featuring some of the strongest student chess teams (yes, there's GM opposition!).

• Valentine’s Cup – A fun competitive event to hand Oxford their annual thrashing

Social & Casual Chess

There’s much more to Chess Soc than competitive games. Throughout the year, we also run:

• Optiver Freshers’ Tournament – Kick off the year with a blitz tournament with an amazing prize pool!

• Termly Blitz Tournaments – Fast-paced club tournaments with snacks, prizes and plenty of friendly rivalry.

• Pub Chess – Chess, drinks and good company outside the usual club room.

• Puzzle Solving – Test your tactical and strategic skills with chess puzzles.

• Simuls with Grandmaster Mestel – Take on Imperial Professor and Grandmaster Mestel in a simultaneous exhibition.

• Students vs Alumni – Put your skills to the test against former Imperial students.

• London Chess Classic Trip – Attend one of the world's premier chess events in partnership with ChessBase India.

Whether you're here to climb the ratings, learn something new, or simply play some chess with friends, come along and get involved!

Follow us on Instagram for the latest news and events: @chess_icl