All Welcome!
Thursday afternoons at the BMI
All Welcome!
Thursday afternoons at the BMI
Ballarat Junior Chess Club Holiday Activities 3rd November 2026
Looking for something different to do this Melbourne Cup Day? Join us for a fun day of chess, teamwork and friendly competition at our Melbourne Cup Day Transfer Chess Tournament!
Transfer Chess is a lively team format where two players work together, making it a great opportunity to team up with a friend, family member or fellow club member. Whether you're an experienced tournament player or a junior looking for a new challenge, everyone is welcome.
You may register as a team of two or enter individually. Solo entrants can find a teammate on the day, or we can assist with pairing.
Teams stay together for the entire tournament, so choose your partner wisely.
TryBooking link:
https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1662474
Trophies, medals and book vouchers will be awarded across a range of categories, including leading teams and other achievements. Final prize details will be announced closer to the event.
Bookings are available through TryBooking:
https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1662474
You can also scan the QR code on the attached flyer to go directly to the registration page. We encourage members of both clubs to get involved and help make this a great day for our local chess community. Gather a teammate, come along and enjoy a different kind of chess competition this Melbourne Cup Day.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Kind regards,
Scott Stewart,
Ballarat Chess Club,
Ballarat Junior Chess Club
Celebrating the achievements of our junior players, the dedication of our coaches and another fantastic year of chess in Ballarat. The 2025–2026 season has been busy and rewarding, with enrolments between 45 and 55 students and a Thursday evening program at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute that supports beginners through to advanced juniors, helping all players develop skills, confidence and sportsmanship.
Our coaching program is organised into seven skill levels, allowing students to progress through structured lessons and worksheets based on demonstrated knowledge. This gives players clear goals, helps coaches tailor support and ensures consistent instruction in a positive learning environment.
Term 3 featured advanced coaching from FIDE Master Simon Rutherford, who worked with our strongest juniors on high‑level concepts and game analysis. We also welcomed Candidate Master Declan Smith and coach Alberto, while acknowledging Justin Goodison’s contribution. Our coaches and volunteers remain central to the club’s success.
Junior participation in local and regional tournaments has grown significantly. Around 30 of 67 players in the Ballarat Chess Club Championship were juniors; Terrance Wang won the Fischer B tournament; Methuja Dissanayake placed second in the Fischer C; four juniors tied for first in the Spielvogel Reserves; and 11 juniors competed in the Begonia Open, where Ricky Wang earned $500 with a strong 4½/7 result.
Our junior competitions help students practise tournament routines, manage clocks, record games and learn from wins and losses. The Ballarat Junior Chess League provides a pathway for applying skills in real competition, while emphasising resilience, respect and learning from mistakes.
The September holidays offered further chess immersion. The Winter Cup drew 28 students for a seven‑round Swiss, and our three‑day holiday program—led by Scott Stewart and FM Simon Rutherford—attracted 15, 13 and 14 students, giving participants extended time for learning, practice and analysis.
We strengthened expectations around behaviour and respect through a clearer Code of Conduct and disciplinary process. Chess requires concentration and cooperation, and clear standards help ensure a learning environment where students listen, respect others and allow coaches to teach effectively.
We remain committed to making chess accessible and welcoming for all young people. Increasing participation by girls is a priority, and we continue exploring ways to support and retain female players, recognising that a diverse junior community strengthens the club.
The coming year will bring opportunities to refine coaching, support progression through the seven levels, encourage tournament participation and improve member experience. We recognise that students progress in different ways—some pursue competitive goals, while others value friendships, challenge and enjoyment. We thank our coaches, volunteers, parents and families, and congratulate all juniors for their enthusiasm and achievements.
The Ballarat Junior Chess Club welcomes players at all stages of their chess journey. Keep an eye on club announcements for upcoming terms, tournaments and holiday programs.
To all Ballarat Junior Chess Club members, parents, and chess players:
We are very pleased to announce that Chess coaching and games sessions for Term 4 of 2026 are back and present the information and registration details below.
We will be continuing using our improved format adopted last Term. There will be 2 new coaches joining our panel for Term 4, as Justin is leaving to concentrate on his studies. We are happy to see Declan Smith and Alberto Biju joining the panel of coaches. Declan is a FIDE Candidate Master and has been club champion for the past 2 years. Alberto is a rapidly improving player in the senior chess club and is actively involved in reporting club events for our website. He will be involved in a supporting role for the other coaches.
Simon will continue to take the 8 most advanced students whilst others will continue to use workbook folders enabling coaches to monitor their development. Scott has reviewed progress made by students in Term 3 and he will prepare more advanced worksheets for students who have progressed. Scott will decide if a student has progressed sufficiently to join the advanced group if places are available.
We request all students arrive and compete the sign in sheet by 5.20pm. At 5.30pm sharp there will be an interactive lecture style activity by Scott using a large demonstration board in the Humffray Room. This session will continue until 5.45pm when the students will break out into their respective coaching groups to start on their worksheets monitored and assisted by their coach. The coaching groups continue until 6.15pm when the League games session will begin. Awards will be made annually in Term 4 for League performances and encouragement awards for students who stand out at their respective levels.
As usual juniors not involved in the coaching session will be able to join the League games session for free.
Start Date: Thursday, 8 October
End Date: Thursday, 3 December
Time: 5.30 pm – 6.45/7.00 pm
Location: Humffray Room, Level 4, Ballarat Mechanics Institute,
117 Sturt Street, Ballarat.
Registration and Fees
Students from Term 2 of 2026 can now register and pay for Term 3 via this TryBooking link Register via TryBooking – https://www.trybooking.com/DQJFU
Students returning after a break should contact Kevin to confirm that a place is available. New students should complete the attached 2026 application form unless one has been provided recently. They should then contact Kevin to confirm that a place is available. Once confirmation is received, they can then register and pay at TryBooking.
If your child is not continuing in Term 4 of 2026, please let us know via email or text so we can allocate their place to someone on the waiting list.
5.20 pm: Arrival and register on sign-in sheet.
5.30 – 5.45 pm: Joint Lecture style activity for all students, except for more advanced students whose groups will start immediately.
5.45 – 6.15 pm: Formal sessions in allocated coaching groups.
6.15 – 7.00 pm: League games for all players, including those not in the formal coaching sessions (free to attend).
Students participating in the paid coaching program and their families will become members of the Ballarat Chess Club, allowing them to join senior club events (Thursdays from 7.00 pm) at no additional cost. Playing in the longer time control limit events at the senior club is the best way for a junior player to get both an Australian and an International chess rating.
As noted previously children will not be able to access their mobile phones during coaching and games sessions. Mobile phones should be turned off and either left with their parent/carer, put in their bags or placed in a box which will be provided. We have found that students accessing mobile phones become preoccupied and disengaged in the coaching and games sessions. They can also be distracting to other students and the coaches. If a student needs to contact their parent, then they should ask their coach or the co-ordinator for assistance.
Parents are responsible for their child’s conduct during sessions. Juniors staying for senior events must behave appropriately. For further details see the attached flyer.
Additional information, including the club’s Child Safe Policy, is available on the Child Safe page.
These guidelines aim to ensure the safety of all participants, respect for the venue, and a positive experience for everyone involved.
The Ballarat Mechanics Institute is a heritage‑listed building shared with other groups, including elderly patrons. It is essential that all juniors demonstrate respect for the venue and its users by following the rules outlined below.
Contacts:
Please fill in your details on the
enrolment page and follow the prompts to make payment.
For enquiries about the course or payment, contact BCC Treasurer
Kevin Perrin (0418 533 517).
Dear Ballarat Chess Club and Ballarat Junior Chess Club families,
What a fantastic day of chess we had at our Winter Cup on Tuesday!
We had junior players of different ages and playing levels competing across eight rounds, with plenty of hard‑fought games, new challenges and, most importantly, lots of chess being played.
🏆 Winter Cup Results
1st – Terrance Wang
2nd – Anirudh Weerakkody
3rd – Johan Stanley
Congratulations to all three!
Terrance takes home the Winter Cup 1st Place trophy and a chess clock, while 2nd and 3rd place received chess sets and medals.
We also awarded a Best Girl prize, with congratulations to Minsadi Wansapura, who received a chess clock.
Intermediate Group
1st – Jamie Galante
2nd – Aaron Du
3rd – Luca Golante
The Intermediate players were competing for chess clocks and chess boards as prizes, giving everyone another goal to work towards throughout the tournament.
A big congratulations to all of our prize winners — and to everyone who took part. An eight‑round tournament is a big day of chess, and it was great to see the players challenging themselves, learning from their games and enjoying the day together.
New to Chess?
A great site for learning the basics from a fun video, improving with puzzles, and playing against QWERTY the chess computer. Visit ChessKid.com.
Want to learn how to write down your games? Chess notation made easy .
