Let the adventure begin
Ferndown Junior Chess Club returns on Saturday 5 September. The library doors open and the boards awaken. Pawns march, knights leap, and juniors gather for another season of adventure…
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Ferndown · Dorset · Saturdays
Where young players learn to love chess.
A free Saturday-morning club for 6–16 year-olds at Ferndown Library — from a child’s very first move to strong club-level play. Come and pull up a board.
Free to attend
Ages 6–16
Sat 10–12
All abilities
Every game starts the same way — what you do next is up to you
Completely free
No fees, ever
Every Saturday
10am–12 noon
Ferndown Library
Dedicated upstairs room
DBS certified
Safe, experienced coaching
How a morning works
A Saturday morning at the club
Two one-hour sessions, each a balance of learning and playing. An hour per child works best — that’s when concentration is at its sharpest — so you can drop in for the session that suits.
10:00 – 11:00
Session one
~25–30 min learn~30 min play
11:00 – 12:00
Session two
~25–30 min learn~30 min play
A short lesson, then a game against someone of a similar standard — so what’s just been taught gets put straight into practice.
Chess clocks and notation are encouraged, with time controls to suit each player’s level.
Stronger players often get one-to-one coaching tailored to what they’re working on.
Who it’s for
Every young player is welcome
Run by Graham Morris and Jon Catchpole, the club is a friendly, inclusive place for children to grow their game at their own pace.
Complete beginners
Never played before? Perfect. We’ll teach the moves from scratch, with no pressure and plenty of encouragement.
Improvers & club players
Medium to strong players are stretched with tactics, tournaments and coaching pitched at the right level.
Safe & DBS certified
Over eight years teaching juniors across Ferndown, Bournemouth and Poole clubs, with a current DBS certificate.
A proper home
A dedicated upstairs room at Ferndown Library, kindly provided by Dorset Council, all year round.
What we play
More than just games
Just playing without learning gets repetitive — so we mix teaching, practice and friendly competition in equal measure. Internal tournaments are always a favourite.
Ladder
Climb the rankings by challenging the players just above you.
Knockout
Win your game to advance through the rounds to the final.
Hand & Brain
Play in pairs — one names the piece, the other chooses the move.
Chess960
The back rank is shuffled: pure imagination, no memorised openings.
Puzzles
Spot the tactic and find the one winning move on the board.
Round Robin
Everyone plays everyone — the fairest test of all.
From the club
All news
Latest news
Lend a hand
Could you help us coach?
The club grows every week, and we’d love more help at the board. If you can spare a Saturday morning to coach on a regular basis, we’d be glad to hear from you — all experience levels considered.
24
Juniors at our best week
8+
Years teaching juniors
Find us & get in touch
Come and say hello
No need to book — just turn up on a Saturday morning. If you’d like a chat first, Graham is always happy to hear from you.
Ferndown Library
Upstairs room · Saturdays, 10am–12 noon
Ferndown, Dorset
ClubGraham Morris
Phone07913 988386
Library01202 874542