Carrickfergus Community Chess Club

Carrickfergus Community Chess Club ♟️ Keeping chess social, simple, and local.
☕ We focus on the game & the company.
📍 Open Door Centre, Carrick | Tuesdays 6.30pm.
👋 A welcoming space for all.

12/06/2026

With the help of CHILL and Aldermen Billy Ashe, we're pleased to tell you about the newly installed community defibrillator now located outside the Spar in Sunnylands ❤️💛

Essentially needed and already called upon within days of installation, the community defibrillator can be accessed via the emergency services in times of need.

Our thanks to the David Richmond Foundation for their donation of a locked box, Mid & East Antrim Council for their support and the Spar for accessibility.

The community defibrillator belongs to everyone ❤️💛

Spar Sunnylands
CHILL - Carrickfergus Hub Improving Lives Locally
TheChippy Sunnylands
Bridewells HouseofBeauty
Mcdowells Butchers
Jordan James Male Grooming
Andrea Darrah Hair Design
Sunnylands Primary School, Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus Community Church
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
The David James Richmond Foundation

Important Notice: Carrickfergus Community Chess Club Cancelled TonightIn light of the critical incident in North Belfast...
09/06/2026

Important Notice: Carrickfergus Community Chess Club Cancelled Tonight

In light of the critical incident in North Belfast last night and a widely circulating digital flyer calling for mass protests at 7:00 PM tonight across 26 locations—explicitly including Carrickfergus—the executive decision has been taken to cancel tonight's chess club session.

With large local businesses, shops, and other community clubs in the area choosing to close early tonight, this precautionary closure has been made to ensure the safety of all our members and to avoid any localised travel disruption.

Thank you for your understanding. We will provide updates ahead of next week's regular session. Stay safe everyone.

It is a mark of a truly great community when things keep moving beautifully, even when you have to step away for a momen...
02/06/2026

It is a mark of a truly great community when things keep moving beautifully, even when you have to step away for a moment.

After missing the last two weeks—first for a work conference, and then unfortunately bringing a conference-related bug home with me—I wanted to extend a massive thank you to Holly, Jon, and Peter. They stepped right up without missing a beat, kept the doors open, and ensured the club ran smoothly.

Looking through the photos, it’s fantastic to see all the usual faces in attendance, keeping the games going and the solidarity alive. And a special shout-out to Peter—those red chess pieces are absolutely gorgeous!

True strength lies in self-organisation, mutual support, and looking out for one another. It’s brilliant to see that spirit thriving every single week on the boards.

See you all next Tuesday! ♟️🌹

William

02/06/2026

We have a great team of volunteers who make the Open Door Centre a place of warmth and life.

Thanks to everyone who gives their time and care to make the centre more than a building ❤️

♟️ Carrickfergus Community Chess Club is ON Tomorrow Night! ♟️We have some fantastic news for everyone! Despite a note i...
25/05/2026

♟️ Carrickfergus Community Chess Club is ON Tomorrow Night! ♟️

We have some fantastic news for everyone! Despite a note in April's newsletter suggesting we would be closed this week due to work conference commitments, tomorrow night's club night is officially GO!

Thanks to the incredible dedication and self-organisation of our brilliant volunteers, the doors will be open as usual to ensure our community space keeps running without a hitch.

Here are the details for tomorrow evening:
📍 Where: The Open Door Centre
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM onwards
🤝 Who: Everyone is welcome! Whether you are a seasoned player or looking to learn the very basics, come along for a night of respect, integrity, and fair play.

A massive thank you to our volunteers for stepping up and keeping the club active. It’s a testament to the community spirit and solidarity that makes this club what it is.

See you all over the boards tomorrow night!

24/05/2026

Fantastic evening last night at Carrickfergus Community Chess Club with GM Keith Arkell.

22 players turned up to give it their best shot and the results prove just that with wins secured by Mandar and Eddie along with two draws by Gerard and Amol. Still an impressive win overall by Keith of course with a final score of 19/22.

Huge thanks to Mark & Eddie and the Carrickfergus club for the help with set up.

Keith was very impressed with the level, even saying it was probably his toughest simul yet and he's open to a future invitation 🎉

What a historic and incredible night for Carrickfergus! ♟️✨We were absolutely privileged to host the Ulster Chess Union’...
24/05/2026

What a historic and incredible night for Carrickfergus! ♟️✨

We were absolutely privileged to host the Ulster Chess Union’s annual Grandmaster Simul right here at the Open Door Centre, welcoming the legendary English GM Keith Arkell alongside some of Ulster’s very best talent.

We want to extend a massive thank you to the Ulster Chess Union (UCU) and a special shout-out to Karina from the UCU for giving our club the opportunity to host this fantastic event. We are incredibly grateful for your trust and support in bringing this to our local community! 🙌

Watching Keith take on 22 players simultaneously was a masterclass to spectate. The talent on display from our local players was outstanding, pushing the Grandmaster to the absolute limit:

22 Games Played
18 Wins for GM Arkell
2 Stalemates 🤝
2 Wins for the Challengers! 🏆

A massive congratulations to every single player who stepped up to the board. We want to give a special mention to our own club members, Aaron and Liam, who stepped up to rep our club on the night. Both of you played excellently and did the whole club proud—a truly valiant effort, gents! 👏🛡️

Huge thank you to Keith for his generosity, time, and brilliant display of the beautiful game.

Events like this show the incredible strength, spirit, and potential of our local community when we come together. Whether you came to play, support, or just watch the magic happen, thank you for making it a night to remember!

Address

Open Door Centre, 32 Bridewell Drive
Carrickfergus
BT388JW

Website

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