14th CSC Team Tournament: Middlesbrough Section

Today brought the Middlesbrough section of our three annual CSC Teesside inter-school team tournaments, organised and delivered by Catherine Lloyd and myself.

Hosted by Park End Primary, four teams were in action, including the 2024 champions, Hemlington Hall.

It was a very good day, with all of the children fully entering into the spirit of the tournament. We mobilised two extra Park End teams to make up for two schools which were unable to send teams this time.

Hemlington Hall pushed hard to keep themselves in contention for another title, but ultimately they lost out to Park End Y5s.

Celebrating 10 consecutive years of chess curriculum sessions, Park End became champions for the first time and now proudly take their place on our famous roll of honour.

Final Scores

1st: Park End Y5s, 7/8

2nd: Hemlington Hall, 5/8

3rd: Park End Y4s, 3/8

4th Park End Girls, 1/8

Roll of Honour

2011: Ings Farm and Throston

2012: Ings Farm and Billingham South

2013: Throston

2014: Errington

2015: Throston

2016: Sacred Heart

2017: Westgarth

2018: Westgarth

2019: Westgarth and Billingham South

2022: Fairfield and Throston

2023: Fairfield

2024: Wheatlands, Hemlington Hall and Preston

2025: Wheatlands, St. Pius X, Billingham South and Throston

2026: Park End

The Stockton and Redcar and East Cleveland events will both be played tomorrow.

Here is a gallery from today's event.

2026 Online Easter Quiz

Thank you to everyone who supported this year's Online Easter Quiz.

Mike and Alice followed up their Online Christmas Quiz success with another victory tonight but the scores were very close all round.

The next such event will take place in December (strictly by invitation only).

Open Thoughts: Session Four

Today we enjoyed the fourth Open Thoughts session at Yarm's Costa Coffee.

I invited several new people for this session, including David Berry, who will soon be opening up Grind & Gambit, Teesside's first-ever chess cafe.

We had games of three-way chess, four-way chess, Maharajah chess, three-check chess and even some normal games of chess too.

The relaxed atmosphere promoted good fun and fine conversations. Chess should never be just about rating points and bragging rights!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the morning such a great success, including Costa's Jolita, shown (above) making the first move.

It was also the chess gathering with the finest selection of colours for both chess pieces and drinks ever seen in the history of chess itself.

Open Thoughts will return towards the end of Summer.

Grind & Gambit

Coming soon: A brand new chess cafe, in Seaton Carew!

Here is what to expect:

'Grind & Gambit was born from a simple idea: coffee should fuel both the daily grind and the game plan.

As a proudly independent coffee shop and board game café in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, we created a space where strategy meets speciality coffee.

Whether you're mapping out your next big move, attending our chess club in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, catching up with friends, or finding a quiet corner to recharge, we’ve created a safe space that blends warmth, creativity and playful strategy.'

Follow this link for further details, including forthcoming news on the launch date.

Open Thoughts: Session Three

We enjoyed a very good Open Thoughts session at Yarm's Costa this morning.

The snow and other matters unfortunately meant that some of the invited people could not make it, but everyone who was present still had a very good time playing a variety of chess variants, including intriguing battles with both the Three Way and Four Way chess sets.

The next session is this series of invitational events will probably take place some time near Easter.

Thank you to everyone who made the morning such a great success, including Costa's wonderful Jolita, who makes everything possible.

CSC Teesside Christmas Meal

Tonight brought the annual CSC Teesside Tutor Christmas meal, featuring an all-star full house.

This is easily the best tutor team to be found anywhere.

The evening also brought an unlikely - yet successful - debut for someone’s silver snakeskin boots.

Christmas Finale

A fitting finale to my school visits of 2025: Christmas Chess at Park End with Christmas music playing and a guest appearance by the one and only Catherine Lloyd, who called in after finishing her own school sessions for the day.

Happy times!