"My 6-year-old daughter thoroughly enjoyed the Friday chess sessions. She especially liked the teacher and the friendly team, who made the classes fun and welcoming.

She loved setting up the chess board herself and always looked forward to attending each week. One of her favourite memories was the final session when Ray Cannon visited and gave her his book, which she was very excited about.

Thank you for creating such a positive and encouraging environment where children can learn, build confidence and enjoy chess."

"We are very happy that our son Sujan has joined Aylesbury Community Chess Club. He attends the Friday sessions every week and is currently the youngest player at the club. He genuinely looks forward to Friday because he knows it is chess club day!

Sujan started playing chess when he was around 3 years old and began taking part in chess tournaments from the age of 4. He has mainly been a self-learner and also has online chess coaching sessions, which have helped him learn techniques, puzzles and different aspects of the game.

However, we have noticed that going to Aylesbury Community Chess Club gives him something completely different from online learning. Sitting across the board and playing face-to-face with real players of different ages and different playing styles is a very valuable experience for him. It teaches him how to think independently during a game, stay focused, manage the pressure of playing over the board and adapt to different opponents. As a young child, playing with older children and adults is also helping to build his confidence and maturity.

The combination of his online coaching and regular over-the-board games at the club is giving Sujan a much more complete chess-learning experience. The club is providing him with good direction and practical experience while continuing to grow his love for chess.

What makes this club particularly special is how welcoming and friendly the organisers and coaches are with children. They understand how to encourage younger players, keep them interested and guide them without putting unnecessary pressure on them.

One particularly special moment for Sujan was meeting Mr Ray Cannon and receiving a copy of his chess book from him. Sujan was extremely happy and proud. Since then, he has been working through the puzzles in the book almost every day.

It is wonderful to see a community chess club where a very young player can sit down, play and learn alongside people from different age groups and experience levels. Sujan feels comfortable, encouraged and excited to attend every week.

Thank you to everyone at Aylesbury Community Chess Club for giving him such a positive environment to learn, play and enjoy chess. ♟️"