Coffeehouse Chess

Coffeehouse Chess is back at the Jubilee Garden Coffee House on Tuesday 20 October, starting at 10:00. It's a casual chess session run by GO: Heart Of England, and it's open to players of all standards, so you don't need to be a club player to get involved. If you've never played in a public setting before, this is a good place to start.

Games are played with a clock, which keeps things moving and gives the session a bit more structure than just a casual game over a coffee. If you've got your own set and prefer to use it, you're more than welcome to bring it along. The organisers say they're easy to spot on arrival thanks to the chessboards, so you won't be wandering around wondering who's who.

One thing to keep in mind: they do ask for an RSVP. It's not about tickets or bookings in the usual sense; they just need to know how many people are turning up so they can work out how many sets they'll need to have ready on the day. If you're planning to come, letting them know beforehand helps them make sure there's a board for everyone.

It's a morning session, which is a bit of a change from the evening club scene, so it works well if you're free during the day. The Jubilee Garden Coffee House is in Sutton Coldfield, B72 1QG, and the session kicks off at 10:00 on Tuesday 20 October.