Shrewsbury Chess Club has a new home – and members are gearing up for their first night at the venue on Friday.
Club officials have negotiated a deal to be based at the Nerdy Café in Mardol. The club will meet on the second and fourth Fridays of each month starting from January.
The club will hold its first club night at the venue this Friday, and secretary Mark Smith said it was hoped as many members as possible could attend.
The Nerdy Café is described as “Shrewsbury’s very own board game café” and has a library of hundreds of board games that enthusiasts can try – making it a very fitting venue for a chess club.
It also marks a return to the town centre for Shrewsbury, which for at least the past 20 years has ben based at the former Shelton Hospital and then the Redwoods Centre on the western edge of the town.
Finer details are still being ironed out over some aspects of the arrangement. It is likely that members will either have to pay a small fee each night to play, or buy a £10 season ticket at Nerdy for the calendar year.
The move will come too soon for the upcoming town derby in Shropshire Chess League division one against Telepost A. The match will be played at Telepost on December 13th with Shrewsbury still having black on the odd boards as the designated home team.
But Smith said it was hoped Shrewsbury will be able to host their first league match at Nerdy in the new year.
That could potentially be the match against reigning over-the-board champions Newport A, which is currently scheduled to take place on January 4.
Friday’s opening club night will start at 7.30pm, and all are welcome.