Chess Club In Manchester.

Chess turns out to be a very good excuse. You sit across from someone for an hour, there are long gaps where neither of you is doing much, and somewhere in those gaps people talk. It takes the pressure off in a way that sitting in a circle does not, and for a lot of men that is the difference between coming and not coming.

You do not need to be good. Genuinely. Most people who come have not played since school, and the ones who are good would rather teach you than beat you for the fourth time.

What to expect

Boards and pieces are provided, so bring nothing. There is no clock unless you want one, no ratings, no ladder and no league table. If you would rather watch for the first half hour, watch.

It is warm, it is indoors, and there is always a drink going. In a Manchester winter that is not nothing.

Learning from scratch

If you have never played, say so when you arrive and someone will teach you. Learning the moves takes about ten minutes. Getting any good takes years, which is rather the point, because it means there is a reason to come back next week.