Welcome to 3Cs Chess Club ...
Founded 1978
As seen on BBC1's "The One Show"
Website sponsored by ...
Miners Arts and Music Community Centre, Moston, Manchester.
Details via "Sponsors" section of drop-down box on "Welcome" page
Click these links for contact details ....
The next 3Cs club night is this Thursday, 16 January 2025 (7pm)
3Cs Chess Club
St.Edward's RC Parish Hall
Spring Lane
Lees,
Oldham, OL4 5AJ
Thursdays 7pm - 9pm
2024 ended in record-breaking fashion for 3Cs ... December 31 saw 153 hits on its website - the most ever in one day
3Cs - 2024 English Chess Federation "Club of the Year"
The award comes at the end of 12 months during which the club highlighted chess to a national audience by its appearance on BBC 1's "The One Show"; became National Club Champions; won the National Educational Trust award for promoting and educating youngsters in chess; had its young players winning a British Championship and representing England as well as another player gaining the title of Candidate Master and the club's founder Steve Rigby presented with a National award personally selected by the Prime Minister for his voluntary work on behalf of chess for over 45 years - the first time the honour had been granted for services to chess.
3Cs have now won the "ECF Club of the Year" award on three occasions (also in 2006 and 2014) while no other club throughout the country has been honoured with the title more than once since it was first awarded in 1984.
Further details of all the 3Cs "Club of the Year" awards are via this link ...
Alex Longson (right), the ECF's Director of Finance and himself a product of the 3Cs' junior coaching system, attended one of 3Cs weekly club nights to officially present the 2024 Club of the Year award to Steve Rigby who founded 3Cs in 1978.
GLYN TOWSE R I P
It is with deep sadness that 3Cs announce the passing of Glyn Towse, aged 68, who for many years, along with his wife Lorraine, provided much hard work behind-the-scenes at the club.
As with many others, Lorraine and Glyn originally became involved with 3Cs when their children, first of all Sam and later Lucy, started playing chess, which then led to both parents helping in various ways and with Glyn also passing the initial examination to become a qualified arbiter.
The photo shows Glyn (left) and Lorraine in 2010 receiving an award for all their work at 3Cs from CJ de Mooi, who was then President of the English Chess Federation.
Glyn's funeral will be on Friday 17 January (3pm) at Oldham crematorium
Our condolences also go to the family and friends of long-time Stockport player Peter Taylor who died on New Year's Eve
Last update 4.50pm Tue 14 Jan 2025
Thank you all for your support of the club.
Recent updates:
Steve Rigby BEM (Main Page)
Who We Are (ECF Memberships)
Who We Are (David Monaghan Trophy)
News (3Cs On Tour)
News (Junior Events)
News (World Championship)
Fixtures (Main page)
Future Events (Main page)
Club Honours (ECF Awards)
Coaching (Main Page)
Coaching (Quotes 1)
Puzzle Board (Daily Puzzle 1-6)
Welcome to 3Cs' website
Click on the relevant heading at the top of this website to view the main page of your required section. Alternatively just place your cursor over the heading to reveal a drop-down box giving further options and then click on the one you want.
3Cs, or to use its official name "The Children's Chess Club of Oldham", is dedicated to providing the opportunity for local youngsters to learn and play the game of chess.
The club is recognised as one of the most successful production lines of young talent throughout the country, with both the club itself and many of its individual members having gained major honours at local, regional, national and international level.
3Cs' Forthcoming Matches
Manchester Chess Federation
Tomorrow
Wednesday 15 January 2025 (7.30pm)
B Division
Ashton 1 v 3Cs 2
Monday 20 January 2025 (7.30pm)
D Division
Northenden 1 v 3Cs 4
Photograph courtesy of Brendan O'Gorman
Click arrow to listen
BREAKING NEWS :
Claire Kerton and Mo Rohman played in the Minor section of the
Bradford congress - and were drawn against each other in round 1.
Mo won. The five-round event saw Mo finish on 3.5 and just half a
point behind the winner, while Claire (pictured in action) scored 2.
Please note that there is a £3 discount per person if 5 or more people
enter the Stockport Rapidplay (Sunday 26 January) from the same club.
Those entering may wish to contact each other regarding the matter.
Selected details from Phil Adams's latest 3Cs' Newsletter (7 January) can be seen on our main "Coaching" page. The full content of the fortnightly newsletter (available only to 3Cs' members) includes several tactic problems as well as up-to-date news of events both local and afar. If any current or former 3Cs' members do not receive the Newsletter but would wish to do so, please e-mail Phil at "phil1948a@hotmail.com"
3Cs lost their 100% record in C Division of the Manchester League by going down 3.5 - 2.5 away to Blue Club 2. James Marshall won his individual game for 3Cs while Andy Lewis, Karl Moorcroft and Mo Rohman drew.
3Cs Grandmaster Stephen Gordon recently competed in the Singapore International Open competition in which 285 players took part, over 40 of which had Grandmaster titles. Stephen finished equal 21st having scored 6/9 with 4 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss.
The junior Pennine Cup event will take place at Swinton on Sunday 23 February. Despite facing county-based opposition, Oldham will play as themselves and hope to field two teams for which players will shortly be asked regarding their availability.
Despite draws by Claire Kerton and Sean Hicks against much higher rated opponents, 3Cs 5 lost 5-1 at home Glossop in E Division of the Manchester League.
3Cs 1 went down 4-2 away to Swinton & Worsley 1 in the Manchester League's A Division. Tim Hilton won his game for 3Cs while Kyle Pelling and Hunain Malik drew.
ALANNAH ASHTON - WOMEN'S CANDIDATE MASTER
3Cs' Alannah Ashton scored 3.5 / 7 while playing for the "She Plays To Win Lionesses" team at the women's European Club Championships in Serbia and has therefore gained the title of Women's Candidate Master.
3Cs CHRISTMAS CHESS WORDSEARCH COMPETITION
Find the nine chess-related words in the box (vertically, horizontally or diagonally).
Included are the surnames of three former chess World Champions; three teams in the Manchester League and three moves possible during a game of chess.
While this is just for fun for any adults, youngsters can submit answers to the 3Cs shop on any club night up to and including Thursday 16 January, when a prize will be awarded to one of the correct entries.
NATIONAL AWARD FOR 3Cs' FOUNDER
3Cs' founder Steve Rigby has been personally honoured by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who recommended him to receive a "Points of Light" award which is a National Honour bestowed upon individual volunteers whose efforts have made a difference to their community.
The Prime Minister's personal award is in recognition of the 45 years Steve has spent encouraging youngsters to play chess since forming the 3Cs chess club in 1978 and with Steve becoming the first person to receive the award for services to chess.
For more information, click on this link ...
3Cs Chess Club featured on the BBC1 primetime television programme "The One Show" on Friday 13 October 2023.
Photographs of the BBC filming at 3Cs HQ can be seen by clicking on this link ...
The BBC have kindly given permission for 3Cs to reproduce the broadcast on this website - the section involving 3Cs is therefore available for viewing by clicking the box below.
3Cs were very prominent in the December 2023 issue of the English Chess Federation's monthly newsletter "Chess Moves".
A five-page article (pages 39-43), including several photographs, tells the story of 3Cs' formation and history while also detailing how the club has maintained an ongoing conveyor belt of young talent for many years.
Pages 47-48 report on Steve Rigby's recent "Points of Light" National Honour while pages 4-5 feature the recent British Blitz Championship where 3Cs' International Master Andy Horton became the 2023 English Blitz Champion.
The December 2023 newsletter can be seen by clicking on the following link...
6 chess puzzles - updated every day - plus 3 "Play the Computer" options are available via the drop-down box of our main "Puzzles" page.
3Cs won the 2023 British Chess Educational Trust award for their outstanding achievement and encouragement of chess at junior level and is the most prestigious national honour specifically for the promotion of junior chess.
The club received an engraved chess board, boxed pieces and clock (shown below) while more details of the award can be seen by clicking this link ...
3Cs' founder Steve Rigby alongside one of the club's coaches, Crystal Ashton.
Although now living near the Welsh border, Steve regularly attends the club and is still actively involved in much of the behind the scenes organisation for 3Cs.
As well as her coaching duties, Crystal also organises the 3Cs' Junior 4NCL team and has also recently passed an arbiters' exam.
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A photograph of new World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju has now been added to those of his predecessors in the 3Cs' Match Room which also features all the women's World Champions.
Therefore, while youngsters at 3Cs are coached how to play chess, the photographs assist in also teaching them its history.
The room also houses the club library as well as a projection screen, trophy cabinet and the 3Cs' Honours Boards.
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3Cs' very own Grandmaster STEPHEN GORDON who joined the club while still at primary school and has since progressed to become one of the World's elite group of players.
The photographs above show Stephen in action (left) during the 2019 British Championships and also in conversation with Victor Korchnoi, one of the greatest players of all time.
Despite his talent often being sought by various teams both home and abroad, including regular appearances in the lucrative German national chess Bundersliga, Stephen continues to play for 3Cs.
He has twice won the English Championship, in 2007 and 2012, as well as the 2019 British Rapidplay title while in 2005 he triumphed over more than 1,500 other competitors to win the UK Chess Challenge title.
Away from the board Stephen has also excelled with his ability in promoting the game of chess and for several years hosted "The Full English Breakfast", a chess podcast often highlighting the lighter side of the game. He is also regularly in demand to provide expert analysis of games played at the very top level.
Much of the 3Cs' success for several years is due to many of its juniors continuing to play with the club in their later years ... with the photo (below) providing such examples.
From left to right, Dale James, Andy Lewis and Adam Ashton, all began playing chess for 3Cs while at junior school and are all still involved with the club.
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Images from 3Cs' club nights showing some of our junior members (above) and those with more experience (below).
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Just a typical night at a local chess club ???
However, the photograph (left) is from a 3Cs' weekly club night and the "typical kind of members" include Grandmaster Stephen Gordon (seated) as well as International Master Andy Horton (second left) and Women's International Master and six times French women's champion Sophie Milliet (third left).
Also in the picture are Helal Ahmed (extreme left); Michael Tebelev (third right) and head coach Phil Adams (extreme right).
Founded in 1978 to promote and develop chess in Oldham Primary Schools and the surrounding districts, 3Cs has grown since then into one of the largest and strongest junior chess club in the country. Any child is given a welcome, although most are recruited from the Oldham Primary Schools and join by invitation, while they are then encouraged to continue attending once they reach secondary-school age.
The club also has adult members of course who usually fall into one of three categories: ex-juniors who have since grown up; parents of juniors; player-coaches. However, any adults are also made welcome on condition that they actively support the aims and ethos of the club, whose main focus is the development and welfare of the children.
The overall achievements of the club have resulted in it receiving the English Chess Federation's "Club of the Year" award on three occasions - and being the only club throughout the country to gain the honour more than once - whilst in 2017 the club gained a place among the very best by qualifying to play in the European Club Cup, a feat they repeated twelve months later.
However, despite these successes locally, nationally and Internationally, both as a club and for many of its members individually, 3Cs' greatest satisfaction - and forever the main focus of the club - is still seeing local youngsters coming through the door on their weekly club nights (Thursdays 7pm - 9pm) to just enjoy learning and playing the game.