New - Casual Chess Nights

A New Chess Club for South Norfolk

Brecks & Valleys Chess Club started with a simple idea: build a modern, relaxed chess club — somewhere members enjoy being and are proud to be part of.Over the past few weeks, that idea has become a reality. We have a name and identity, a home at The Crown in Great Ellingham, a website at bvchess.com, and a date for our first chess night:

 Thursday 10 September 2026, from 7.00pm.

Now comes the important part — finding our members.

A regional club

Brecks & Valleys isn't built around a single town or village. We're bringing together chess players from across South Norfolk and Breckland — Attleborough, Wymondham, Dereham, Watton, Thetford, Swaffham, Diss and Mulbarton, and the villages and communities between them.

Much of the area we hope to reach lies within about a 30-minute drive of Great Ellingham, giving us the opportunity to draw players from across a surprisingly wide area.

That regional outlook is where our name comes from: the distinctive Brecks and the lowland river valleys that shape this part of Norfolk. Great Ellingham is our home, but we want our membership to reflect that reach.

Casual chess, first

At the heart of the club is regular, relaxed over-the-board chess on Thursday evenings.

We want to encourage a real mix of people to come along — those relatively new to the game, players who have mainly played online and want to try over-the-board chess, those returning after time away from the board, and seasoned players looking for more opportunities to play face-to-face.

Competitive chess can grow alongside that as the club develops, but a good Thursday evening comes first.

We've set the direction; the members who join us will shape the character of the club from here.

Join us from the start

Between now and September, we're looking for the people who want to be part of Brecks & Valleys from day one.

Have a look around bvchess.com, read our Q&A and get in touch to let us know you're interested. We'd love to hear from you before the boards come out on 10 September.

Play chess. Find your place. Raise your game.