MK Chess
Meet New People
Meet friendly people nearby
Have Fun
Play your way
Relax, Unwind
Connect with people in a safe space
Inclusive
All levels and ages welcome
Chess Club in Milton Keynes & Buckingham.
Monthly MK Sessions:
Monthly Buckingham Sessions:
"Pretty much everything is online these days. People are becoming more and more disconnected. We're here to change that."
- Galen Butler, Co-Founder
interested in joining?
Attend your first session for free, then become a Member
the story
the start
Chess Society started at the University of Buckingham in 2024. By students Galen Butler and Hassen Ouazir.
Hosted first session in February, 2025.
Approx ~100 games of chess surpassed by March, 2025.
other chess clubs
(our opinion)
Chess is typically seen as 'boring' and 'nerdy'. Antisocial.Too serious. Not friendly to beginners.We aim to change that. We want to make people & fun our focus.
(Other chess clubs are boring)
what makes us different
why us?
Our aim is to bring people together with chess. In a fun way.
Friday 25th July, 2025
Milton Keynes
Learn the basics of chess
For beginners who have played up to 20 games, or who have a Chess.com rating of up to 800.
If you’re just starting to play chess, this session is for you.
Chess Training & Learning
Improve your game - session for Beginners.
Learn while playing
Intro to Board & Pieces
How each move
Value of each
Piece Development
Centre control
Castling
En Passant
Blunders
How to gain advantage
Practice & Reasoning
Improving at chess
How to practice effectively
interested in joining?
This session is for Members only. To confirm your place, please email Galen at [email protected]
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: Community Hall, Unity Place
Address:
Unity Place, 200 Grafton Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1UP
Unity Place is a 2 minute drive from the centre of Milton Keynes.
Parking: Unity Place has some free parking, and there is free parking nearby. Parking info
Milton Keynes Central is 0.1 miles away
What 3 Words location: ///sonic.unloads.solo
This session is open to all ages. Including children.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Session Leaders
Our session leaders are DBS checked.
Galen Butler
Hassen Ouazir
Upcoming Training Sessions
Training Sessions are every last Friday of each month @ Unity Place, 6:00 - 7:30pm.
Each covers something new, for different abilities.
faq's
Do I need to bring anything? any chess sets etc?
No. We provide everything
Is this a group session or 1:1?
This is a small group session
Who is this session for?
Beginners (Up to 800 Chess.com rating, or up to 20 games played)
interested in joining?
This session is for Members only. To confirm your place, please email Galen at [email protected]
Wednesday 1st October, 2025
Milton Keynes
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: South Central Institute of Technology
Address:
South Central Institute of Technology, Selwyn Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6DR
It's a 1 minute walk from Bletchley train station, close to Bletchley Park.
Parking: Some free parking for our attendees
What 3 Words location: ///give.shot.mouse
This session is open to all ages. Including children.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Casual chess gameplay
Play and meet new people
Session Leaders
Our session leaders are DBS checked.
Galen Butler
Hassen Ouazir
faq's
Do I need to bring anything? any chess sets etc?
No. We provide everything
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Bring anyone interested in chess!
do i need to sign up for my first session?
No, you can just show up
how can i see more?
Via our Newsletter & Social Media
First time?
Come to your first session for free, just show up!
Looking for membership?
Membership Benefits
Access all sessions
Monthly chess coaching
Priority matchmaking
Friday 26th September, 2025
Milton Keynes
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: Community Hall, Unity Place
Address:
Unity Place, 200 Grafton Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1UP
It's a 2 minute drive from the centre of Milton Keynes.
Parking: Unity Place has some free parking, and there is free parking nearby. Parking info
Milton Keynes Central is 0.1 miles away
What 3 Words location: ///sonic.unloads.solo
This session is open to all ages. Including children.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Chess Coaching Session
Improve your game
faq's
Do I need to bring anything? any chess sets etc?
No. We provide everything
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Bring anyone interested in chess!
do i need to sign up for my first session?
No, you can just show up
where in unity place?
Unity Place staff can give directions
what ability is this session for?
All abilities
who is leading the session?
Chess Fidemaster Gary Kenworthy or Dominic Bartram
This Session Is For Members Only
Membership Benefits
Access all sessions
Monthly chess coaching
Priority matchmaking
Thursday 9th October, 2025
Milton Keynes
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: Upstairs - Courtside Lounge
Address:
National Badminton Centre,
Bradwell Rd,
Loughton Lodge,
Great Holm,
Milton Keynes
MK8 9LA
The National Badminton Centre is a 3minute drive from the centre of Milton Keynes.
Parking: The National Badminton Centre has free parking.
This session is open to all ages. Including children.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Casual chess gameplay
Play and meet new people
Session Leaders
Our session leaders are DBS checked.
Galen Butler
Hassen Ouazir
faq's
Do I need to bring anything? any chess sets etc?
No. We provide everything
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Bring anyone interested in chess!
do i need to sign up for my first session?
No, you can just show up
how can i see more?
Via our Newsletter & Social Media
first time?
Come to your first session for free, just show up!
looking to join?
Become a Member here
Tuesday 30th September, 2025
Buckingham
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: Upstairs Enterprise Hub
Address:
Vinson Centre,
21 Hunter Street,
Buckingham,
Buckinghamshire,
MK18 1EG
This is a 3minute drive from the centre of Buckingham.
Parking: There is various free parking nearby.
This session is open to all ages. Including children.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Casual chess gameplay
Play and meet new people
Session Leaders
Our session leaders are DBS checked.
Galen Butler
Hassen Ouazir
faq's
Do I need to bring anything? any chess sets etc?
No. We provide everything
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Bring anyone interested in chess!
do i need to sign up for my first session?
No, you can just show up
how can i see more?
Via our Newsletter & Social Media
first time?
Come to your first session for free, just show up!
looking to join?
Become a Member here
Friday 23rd May, 2025
Buckingham
When: 3:30 - 4:15PM
Where: Upstairs Enterprise Hub - upstairs from the Buckingham Bookshop
Address:
Buckingham Enterprise Hub
The University of Buckingham
Hunter Street
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 1EG
This is a 3minute drive from the centre of Buckingham.
Parking: There is various free parking nearby.
Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
This session is open to the public.
Friday 30th May, 2025
Buckingham
When: 3:30 - 5:00PM
Where: Upstairs Enterprise Hub - upstairs from the Buckingham Bookshop
Address:
Buckingham Enterprise Hub
The University of Buckingham
Hunter Street
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 1EG
This is a 3minute drive from the centre of Buckingham.
Parking: There is various free parking nearby.
Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
This session is open to the public.
Thursday 12th June, 2025
Milton Keynes
When: 6:00 - 7:30PM
Where: Upstairs - Courtside Lounge
Address:
National Badminton Centre,
Bradwell Rd,
Loughton Lodge,
Great Holm,
Milton Keynes
MK8 9LA
The National Badinton Centre is a 3minute drive from the centre of Milton Keynes.
Parking: The National Badminton Centre has free parking.
This session is open to all ages.
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
interested in joining?
Come to your first session for free, then join below
MK Chess Membership
Membership grants you access to all our sessions.Currently we run a monthly Casual Gameplay session on the 2nd Thursday of every Month, and a Training session on the last Friday of each month.And all sessions we run, regardless of location
[email protected]
How to sign up
Passionate about chess?
Want to make a real difference?
Or looking to build your skills?
Consider volunteering with us to help bring people closer through chess in Milton Keynes!
Activities:
Help host chess session
Help promote chess sessions
Build the future of chess in Milton Keynes
We're looking for passionate people to help make MK Chess something special.If you're interested, contact Galen Butler at
[email protected]
Role: Session Leader
Passionate about chess?
Want to make a real difference?
Or looking to build your skills?
Help us bring people closer through chess in Milton Keynes!
Responsibilities:
Host chess sessions
Safeguarding of attendees
Set up & pack up equipment
Greeting all attendees
Taking photography
Ideal candidate is:
DBS-checked or willing to be DBS-checked at own cost
Sociable, extroverted, approachable, friendly
Passionate about chess
Compensation:
Pay £12.50/hour
Fuel reimbursement
Role type: Self-Employed
Our values
Extreme Ownership
High Standards
Integrity
Growth Mindset
Proactiveness
Build the future of chess in Milton Keynes
Join us
We're looking for passionate volunteers to help make MK Chess something special.If you're interested, contact Galen Butler at
[email protected]
Passionate about chess?
Want to make a real difference?
Or looking to build your skills?
Consider volunteering with us to help bring people closer through chess in Milton Keynes!
Activities:
Help host chess session
Help promote chess sessions
faq's
We have answered below the most common questions
I'm a beginner. Can I come?
Do I need to bring anything? = No
Do I just show up? Yes to your first session then sign up
Can I bring my young children? = yes