All posts by John Upham

John is an English Chess Federation accredited coach and has taught in schools and privately since 2009. John started chess relatively late(!) at the age of twelve following the huge interest in the Spassky-Fischer World Championship match in 1972. John Upham is the founder of British Chess News, staff photographer and the IT Manager. John performed similar roles for British Chess Magazine from 2011 until 2015. John is an English Chess Federation accredited coach and has taught in schools and privately since 2009. John started chess relatively late(!) at the age of twelve following the huge interest in the Spassky-Fischer World Championship match in 1972. John is Membership Secretary of Camberley Chess Club and an ordinary member of Crowthorne and Guildford Chess Clubs. John plays for Hampshire and for 4NCL Crowthorne. John is Secretary of the Hampshire Junior Chess Association and the Berkshire Chess Association and manages the Chess for Schools partnership. He has played in the British Championships and represented Yateley School, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Guildford Chess Club, CentYMCA, Crowthorne Chess Club and Camberley Chess Clubs. He is an active photographer for with his own gallery. John has both junior and adult learners as private students. John has recently re-launched the Hampshire Junior Chess Association. John has recently started playing for the Crowthorne team in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL).

Hampshire Delancey UKCC Megafinal

New Hall, Winchester College
New Hall, Winchester College

HJCA is delighted to confirm the date and venue for the Delancey UKCC Megafinal 2026 as

Sunday, June 21st, 2026 at New Hall, Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire.

Entries are on-line here or https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/product/2026-hampshire-megafinal/

You may see who has entered so far via here

Please put this date into your diary!

Hampshire Junior Open Congress 2026

We are delighted to announce our fifth tournament of 2026 on Sunday, November 15th at Badger Farm Community Centre in Winchester.

Full details can be found from this EventBrite entry form.

You may see who has entered via https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1406195.aspx?lan=1&SNode=S0

(Please note that no Badgers will be farmed or otherwise harmed during this event)

The 2025 event: https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1267816.aspx?lan=1

The 2024 event: https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr903897.aspx?lan=1&art=79&turdet=YES&SNode=S0

The 2023 event: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr844184.aspx?lan=1&art=79&turdet=YES&SNode=S0

the 2022 event: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr687690.aspx?lan=1&art=79&SNode=S0

Ted Mayne
Ted Mayne
Sophia Blin
Sophia Blin

Hampshire Open Junior FIDE Blitz 2026

The Hampshire Open Junior FIDE Blitz is for all players who are aged 18 or fewer years on August 31st 2026 regardless of location of residence and / or school and will take place on Sunday October 25th, 2026 at Badger Farm Community Centre, Winchester.

There will be 15 rounds by Swiss pairings, Blitz time control, a £215 prize fund.

At the moment the entry is limited to one hundred players so be sure to enter early to avoid disappointment!

See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hampshire-open-junior-fide-blitz-2026-tickets-1839231172949 for full details

See Swiss Manager / Chess Results

£215 prize fund.

Here are the results from the 2022 hugely successful event.

Here are the results from the 2023 hugely successful event.

Here are the results from the 2024 hugely successful event.

Here are the results from the 2025 hugely successful event.

(Please note that no Badgers will be farmed or otherwise harmed during this event)

Monthly Lichess Team Battle: May

Lichess.org
Lichess.org

The Monthly Team Battle on the Lichess Arena will take place on Monday, May 4th starting at 6pm.

Please register at https://lichess.org/tournament/1mGp87QO

Please register for this ASAP!

The match starts at 6pm monthly on a Monday night and completes by 7.30pm

Please register (for free) on lichess.org and then email me (John Upham) at john.upham@zen.co.uk and will get you into the team!

Hampshire EJCOA National Junior Championships Qualifier 2026

We invite all junior chess players who are under 20 years of age to compete in the Hampshire qualifier for the National Youth Championships organised by the English Junior Coaches and Organisers Association (EJCOA).

This will be on Sunday, March 22nd 2026 at the Badger Farm Community Centre, Winchester.

The cost of entry is £35 and the event has six rounds of rapidplay chess that are ECF rated.

The entry form is here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hampshire-ejcoa-national-junior-championships-zonal-2026-tickets-1820131254579

Please enter ASAP as places are limited!

Entries are here:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1275000.aspx?lan=1&art=79&turdet=YES&SNode=S0

(Please note that no Badgers will be farmed or otherwise harmed during this event)

Basingstoke Junior Rapidplay Congress

All Hampshire juniors are invited to enter the Basingstoke Rapidplay Congress on Saturday, April 25th at the splendid Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) in Worting Road, Basingstoke. This is the second rated rapidplay in Basingstoke following on from the successful 2025 event.

The are two sections for juniors:

1. An ECF rated Under-18 rapidplay of six rounds with a R20′ + 5″ time control. Entry fee is £30
2. An unrated Under-18 rapidplay of seven rounds with a R20′ + 0″ time control. Entry fee is £10

Entry is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/basingstoke-chess-congress-2026-tickets-1977668252982

2026 Entries may be seen at: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1364649.aspx?lan=1&art=79&turdet=YES&SNode=S0

2025 Entries may be seen at:

https://chess-results.com/tnr1136546.aspx?lan=1

Hampshire Junior Chess Association Wants You for U11 EPSCA team

Would your child like to represent their county (i.e. Hampshire) in March 2026?
We are recruiting U11 players for Hampshire teams playing in the  annual EPSCA teams competition on Saturday,  March 14th (U11)  playing at Bohunt School, Farnborough, Hampshire.
Your child should either attend school in Hampshire or reside in Hampshire  and be born on 1st September 2014 or earlier.
Please contact Maha Chandar at kidschess@hotmail.com who is managing the team.
John

Hampshire Junior Chess Association Wants You! (for EPSCA teams)

Would your child like to represent their county (i.e. Hampshire) in February 2026?
We are recruiting U9 players for Hampshire teams playing in the  annual EPSCA teams competition on Saturday, February 28th (U9)  playing at St. Swithun’s School, Winchester.
Your child should either attend school in Hampshire or reside in Hampshire  apart from  the age criteria based on their age as of August 31st 2025.
Please contact Maha Chandar at kidschess@hotmail.com who is managing both teams.
John