New Club nights

Current Alert Level: Roadmap out of lockdown is at Step 4, from 19 July

Update 19 July HM Government’s roadmap out of lockdown has moved to Step 4 from 19 July. While most of the legal restrictions have been lifted, the precautions previously in place for Club visits will remain for the foreseeable future – see the NEW documents highlighted below. Read more: Link to HMG Guidance

From Step 4, most of the previous legal requirements are lifted, but Covid is still with us. The Government’s guidance is linked above and our Covid Committee has decided that the Club will continue with its proven successful four-pronged safety and comfort strategy of:

  • Ventilation – all our playing rooms have a through flow, which is excellent in the summer
  • Face coverings – a barrier to limit the distance your viral load travels
  • Social Distancing – respecting the space of others, keeping 1m apart
  • Sanitisation – on entry/exit and as-and-when and a must before and after facial contact.

All designed to give as many of our members and potential new members the reassurance and confidence to return to conventional over-the-board chess in the knowledge of comfortable uncrowded playing conditions. The continued wearing of a face covering is a minor inconvenience for the individual set against the greater peace of mind and safety benefits for everyone. It is very much in keeping with the new government guidance, which no responsible organisation should ignore. We have found that an organised competitive event is the best way to ensure social distancing within Wanstead House’s “covid secure” environment.

Those proposing to attend our socially-distanced Club nights need to prepare and understand the requirements. We have put in place a number of precautions to make your visit as safe as we can, but be aware that there are no guarantees; if you decide to visit, you do so at your own risk.

There are four documents you need to be familiar with:

  1. Privacy Notice which has been updated to include Track & Trace, online activity and the change from grading to rating following the introduction of 4 digit ratings;
  2. Keeping Wanstead House safe
  3. Covid Precautions at WWCC
  4. WHCA Autum Guidance 2021 – **NEW 10 Sep 2021**

You can read via the link below our guide to members of what Step 4 entails for the playing of chess at Wanstead House

Until further notice, we are limited to an attendance of 18 in our Club Room. In the event of sufficient greater demand on any particular Tuesday to cover the increased cost, we currently have the option of hiring an additional room to meet such demand.


Attendance Form

When Club meetings are possible, to ensure that the attendance limit is not breached and to help the Club’s “Covid-19” sub-committee manage demand each week you must register in advance should you wish to attend the next session. Generally, this will be on a first come, first served basis, though if any one session is oversubscribed you will be able to indicate your next desired attendance so that we can cater for as many members as possible. We will continue to welcome new members. Parents will need to register on behalf of their child(ren) as safeguarding considerations and management have changed.

Registration is an online process, accessible from the button below:

Attendance Form

You will need to complete this registration form for each week you wish to attend. The exception to this rule will be when the activity any week is controlled in any other way; on those occasions, there will be no form to complete.

Attendance data will be processed in accordance with the revised Privacy Notice and kept until 21 days after the end of the financial year or the completion of the independent examination of the accounts, whichever is the later.

Please endeavour to pay board fees by bank transfer (as well as your club subscription) so that cash handling is kept to an absolute minimum. The Treasurer will be able to reconcile advanced payments with the registration forms.

On completion of the online form you will receive a green notification on screen message so that you know that it has been received. You will be notified by a separate communication as to whether your application has been successful.

Your co-operation with the Covid club arrangements is appreciated.