Eccles Community Chess Club Credit: Barbara Farrar

A chess club in Eccles will have members flying over to France to participate in the French European Chess Tournament.

The tournament will take place in St Ouen, with the Eccles Community Chess Club sending over their very own players.

The club will be sending the internationally known chess master, Gediminas Sarakauskas and highly rated player Martin Mitchell who both play chess for Eccles in local league and competitive matches.

Martin Mitchell, has been playing since he was a child and will be participating in the tournament in France, as he said: “I used to play with my dad, he’d teach me how to play and I’d forget so then he’d teach me again and this went on for years.”

Martin and Gediminas have recently joined Eccles Community Chess club and are looking forward to representing Eccles in the tournament, Martin said: “If we win, that’s brilliant but if we don’t there’s still the cultural experience.

[Credit: Barbara Farrar]
“I hope to just fly the flag for the local area and I’m very proud to represent Salford.”

While the International Master, Gediminas Sarakauskas has been playing chess all his life and has taken part in many tournaments in France, he said: “This is a game of pure skills, the best test to your psychological resilience, knowledge, mastery everything you have learned.

“I enjoy playing because during the game I manage to forget everything in this world.”

The Eccles representatives are travelling to France on Friday 13 December to arrive in time for the tournament to start on Saturday 14 December 2024.

The tournament will take place in St Ouen and will consist of 25+5 RapidPlay games.

The team hope to bring home the trophy this year head of Eccles Community Chess, Barbara Farrar said: “With all the work and all the effort I’ve put in to making this chess community happen and if we come back from France after winning it – it’s going to put us on the map.”

And if you are wanting to join the club or find any additional information you can find more information here. 

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