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The home of chess in Galway
Galway Chess Club
Galway Chess club meets weekly on Thursday evenings in the Galway Bridge Centre, St Mary’s Road (scroll down for directions). Our programme for January to April is given below. These events are intended for club members, and you can pay your membership fee (€65, or €35 concessionary rate) for the season up to May at any of our events. However, if you have not been a member before, we are happy to allow you to attend one or two events, to find out whether Galway Chess Club is for you, before you decide whether to take the plunge and join.
This Thursday (24 April) is our AGM, and all members are encouraged to attend.
You can see a report on the recent Galway Chess Congress in the tab above.
If you have any questions about any of our events, please drop us an email at the address at the very bottom of this page.
Programme for 2025
Doors open at 7pm.
All events start at 7:30 in Galway Bridge Centre, unless otherwise specified
| 9 January | Reopening Blitz (5 minutes + 5 seconds) |
| 16 January | Galway Winter League [our Club Championship] Round 4 |
| 23 January | Beginners’ Night |
| 30 January | Spring Rapid (15 minutes + 10 seconds) Rounds 1-3 |
| 6 February | Winter League Round 5 |
| 13 February | Puzzle Night |
| 20 February | Blitz Tournament (5+5) |
| 27 February | Winter League Round 6 |
| 6 March | Spring Rapid Rounds 4-6 |
| 13 March | Blitz Tournament (5+5) |
| 20 March | Winter League Round 7 |
| 27 March | Spring Rapid Rounds 7-9 |
| 3 April | Club Closed (Congress Preparation) |
| 4-6 April | Galway Chess Congress (Loughrea Hotel and Spa) |
| 10 April | April Blitz |
| 17 April | Club Closed (Easter) |
| 24 April | Annual General Meeting |
| 1 May | Winter League Round 8 [Final Round] |
Further events will be announced in April. This schedule is subject to change should inclement weather prevent us from meeting on any Thursday.
- Venue: Galway Bridge Centre, St. Mary’s Road, Galway H91 C2C3. Our room is at the top of the main flight of stairs.
- Time: 7pm-10:30pm. Events start at 7:30pm sharp.
- Season: September to May.
FAQ
My child loves chess – can they come to the club?
Yes, absolutely. Though any children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by their parent/guardian at all times.
For younger children who wish to play with children their own age and/or get lessons, we advise that you contact Brendan Buckley (brendan[at]chessossity[dot]com), who runs Galway Junior Chess.
I am a beginner – would the club be suitable for me?
Yes, of course! Every evening usually has a particular theme or event going on. There are some evenings where the theme is simply casual play, or solving puzzles together. This would be a perfect night for a beginner to come along. Other nights we may be holding a casual tournament which may be daunting for a first time player. But we still encourage people to come on these nights as there will be someone there who will be happy to take you aside and show you the basics. You are always welcome to come along and simply have a cup of tea and chat with people as well even if you don’t want to actually take part in the tournament.
Where can I park when visiting the club?
There is a limited number of places in Galway Bridge Centre, but you have to get there early. Alternatively, the Bridge Centre has informed us that they have an agreement with St Mary’s School that allows us to park in the School car park, which is directly opposite on the other side of St Mary’s Road, and has ample spaces. (You can see the car park on the google maps link, if you zoom in and choose satellite view.)
Do you need to be a member to attend?
No – you are very welcome to drop down and attend an evening or two to see if you like it before we ask you to commit to anything.
I wish to join. How can I do so?
Simply follow this link and choose which one of the options is most appropriate for you. If you would rather pay by cash or card, then the best things to do is to talk to one of the committee members on the regular Thursday nights and they will let you know who to talk to
I wish to be added to your weekly mailing list – how can we make this happen?
Email galwaychess[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know.
