Queens Park Chess Club

19/08/2026

🚨Update - Club Reopening 2026/2027🚨

Hey folks, our club will be officially reopening for the 26/27 season on Tuesday, September 8th from 6:30pm–9:30pm, upstairs at McNeill's bar (106 Torrisdale St, Glasgow G42). The first night back will be a casual night and all are welcome to come down and visit, regardless of skill-level. There will be two fresher nights (for free) planned at the start of September for those that are unsure about chess etiquette, rules and notation and want to learn more. The club will meet at the same time on every Tuesday, excluding the Christmas break. Visitors are always welcome for free (aged 18+). It's a great way to meet new people in a relaxed environment and have a drink!

The club is also now accepting new members for the 2026–2027 season for a standard fee of £50 (or £25 concession fee). Membership grants access to the following:

- Club Championship
- Seasonal blitz tournaments
- League Matches
- Simultaneous Exhibitions
- Lectures

If you're interested in joining then please contact the club directly by emailing us: mailto:[email protected]

You can find out more about how to join and what membership entails here: https://queensparkchessclub.com/join-us/

You can also learn more about the club and our community through the following links:

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queensparkchessclub/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queensparkchessclub/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/
- Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/club/queens-park-chess-club
- Lichess: https://lichess.org/team/queens-park-chess-club

Feel free to message us directly if you've got any questions :)

NOTE: The upstairs area is accessed via stairs and unfortunately is not wheelchair accessible. In addition, the original opening night was supposed to be on September 1st but this has now been moved to September 8th.

29/07/2026

The club received some very sad news last week: our dear member and friend Campbell Dougan passed away this month.

Campbell had an unrivalled passion for chess: he was much liked and admired by everyone at our club and at the Corona chess nights. He would always be at Queens Park Chess Club without fail every week, so it is hard to comprehend that we won't be seeing him again.

He was a strong player and a true gentleman, with an energy that belied his years: no-one in the club had as strong a handshake as Campbell's! Beneath his quiet nature lay a sharp wit and a keen love for chess that lasted for several decades: not only did he teach his daughters and grandchild how to play, he also named his beloved dog after Magnus Carlsen. The number of tributes the club has received is testament to Campbell's popularity: he will be missed greatly by all who knew him, including those at his former club Cathcart Chess Club.

Here are two videos of Campbell playing in last year's club Allegro event: his opponents in the clips happen to be the current joint club champions, which makes Campbell's victory in one of the games all the more impressive.

https://youtu.be/rhvJXXiYpYA?is=slHjVlm6ot1hEXss

https://youtu.be/0D0S5RBN83M?is=ZDc8Jl-6Jukc-wZL

Campbell's funeral will be a private occasion for family members only.

Anyone wishing to sign his card of condolence can do so at the Corona Bar this Sunday evening or at McNeills Bar (upstairs) next Tuesday. Alternatively, if you would like your words included in the card, please email them to:

[email protected]

Rest In Peace, Campbell.

Campbell Dougan (1944-2026)

22/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the chess stall at the Bungo in the Lanes event on Saturday. It was great to see so many of you! We also want to thank Craig Thompson for his help in organising the stall again this year.

It was a fantastic success - every single one of our boards was packed with players of all ages and skill levels. We also have to give a special shoutout to the giant chess set, which got a lot of love and brought some big smiles.

Following on from the strong showing at the event over the weekend, we are delighted to announce that we will be running casual chess nights on Tuesdays from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM throughout the summer, starting from tomorrow!

Whether you are a grandmaster or a complete beginner, everyone is welcome. Come down, grab a board, and enjoy a relaxed evening of chess.

See you there! 👑♟️

18/06/2026

♟️ Bungo in the Back Lanes – Saturday 20th June!

It’s that time of year again! The wonderful Bungo in the Back Lanes neighbourhood festival is back, and we’re absolutely delighted to be part of it once more.

This year’s event takes place this Saturday 20th June, from 1–5pm. It’s always one of the highlights of the Strathbungo calendar – a brilliant afternoon of community spirit, creativity, and fun in those unique cobbled back lanes.

As in previous years, Queens Park Chess Club will be helping Craig Thomson at his chess stall by providing chess sets. Feel free to come along, have a game, and enjoy the day. It’s a wonderful chance to meet fellow chess enthusiasts, make new friends, and introduce the game to anyone who’s curious. We may even have a giant chess set this time around! Keep your eyes peeled.

As always, everyone is welcome. Whether you live locally or are just passing through, come and find us, say hello, and have a game or two. We’d love to see you there.

For all the latest details about the festival, including the full lineup and what to expect, check out the official Bungo blog here:
👉 https://bungoblog.com/society-events/bungo-in-the-lanes/

If you have any questions about our involvement or the club in general, then feel free to contact us directly:
👉 https://queensparkchessclub.com/location-and-contact/

As the name implies, Bungo in the Back Lanes is a neighbourhood festival held in the back lanes, usually on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice. When announced, the date will be on the calendar of upcoming events and in the FAQ. 2026: Saturday 20th June, 1-5pm For more info The BitBL map is....

08/06/2026

Congratulations to Scott Kilgour & Jordan McNaught for winning our Queens Park Club Championship this season – each finishing with an outstanding score of 6/7 despite fierce competition. 🏆

This year, following our 2024/2025 AGM, we introduced several changes to the club championship:

1️⃣ No tie-break
2️⃣ Accelerated Swiss pairing
3️⃣ Players could request two half-point byes
4️⃣ Increased to 7 rounds

Given those changes, it's even more remarkable that we ended up with two winners – a first in our club's history!

A huge thank you to all 53 players who took part.
Full results 👉 https://www.chessscotland.com/grading/results/2026/23738/23749/grading-results

📅 What's next?

Our official 2025/2026 club season has now finished. We'll reopen in September – keep an eye out for membership calls a few weeks before.

In the meantime:

🎲 Casual play at McNeills venue through summer (more info soon)

🍻 Casual games at the Corona, Sundays from 6pm – queensparkchessclub.com

Feel free to message us with any questions!

Column Descriptions Sd: The starting seed of a player, based on their grade. Name: This column shows a player's name, title, and Pnum. Clb: The club or clubs the player belongs to. Sta: The status of the player. Grd: The player's tournament grade. Pts: The total points a player achieved (includes By...

07/06/2026

Thank you to everybody that participated in our Summer blitz event last Tuesday. This marks our first Summer blitz event in the clubs history - due to our tournaments having to be delayed slightly this season. We had a strong showing of 24 players. 💪

Congratulations to Bassey Godwin for winning his second blitz tournament of the season, following another intense tie-break against Ivan Roberts. Bassey and Ivan both finished on 6/7, with Bassey winning both of the following tie-break games. Well done to Eric McNeil as well for coming in third place and being the only player on 5/7! 🏆

If you're interested in potentially participating in our blitz tournaments next season then keep your eyes peeled for when we reopen for new memberships again in August/September! 👀

24/05/2026

Thank you to IM Andrew Greet for providing another simultaneous exhibition for us last Tuesday! This year we had 15 members take part with an overall score of 14-1. Congrats to Iain Shields] and [James Burns for managing to secure draws against IM Greet!

In the end, IM Greet selected 3 of our members to be awarded performances trophies. Well done to Iain Shields, James Burns and Malcolm Theodoreson for their impressive performances! 🏆

We'll hopefully get another chance to host another simultanoues exhibition with IM Greet again next year. Make sure to sign up as a member for next season if you're interested in participating! 👀

20/03/2026

Thank you to all 16 members who took part in our second seasonal blitz tournament of the season. The player pool was even more intense for this one, making for some close fights. Bassey Godwin struck gold by winning on a clean score of 7/7 and earning his first seasonal blitz trophy!

Final standings:
🥇 1st – Bassey Godwin (7/7)
🥈 2nd – Connor Thompson (5/7)
🥉 3rd – Alley McLellan / Scott Kilgour / Alistair Ahmed (4/7)

Well done to everybody that participated. We look forwarded to the final seasonal blitz tournament of the season in 2 months time!