Mike Ellery

I had the good fortune to be taught to play chess in the mid-1960s by one David Boadella, the Head at Abbostbury Primary School.  He was a keen player himslef and taught a few of us when I was in my last 2 years at the school.  He was also good enough to take 2 or 3 of us each week into Weymouth to join Weymouth Junior chess Club (Yes there was a Junior club in those days!)  Firstly we met at Connaught House and later in Alma Road School.  It was there that I first met one Ronnie Burton and re-newed our chess association  almost 60 years later!  I represented the Junior Club on a few occasions, one memorable night I played Board 2 at a match at Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis and won!  I moved on to Weymouth Grammar School where I found the club a little unwelcoming and difficult to attend as it mostly met after school and I had no means to travel there.  

I then entered a period of around 57 years of only playing the very rare game against friends with no competitive games whatsoever.

I then got back inot chess in 2023 when I set up a club in The Old ship Inn in Upwey.  I had been playing Piet Backer there once a week and advertised for more players.  At its peak we had 20 members including Steve Blake from Weymouth Chess Club.  When The Old Ship club went into decline Steve Blake encouraged a few of us to join Weymouth chess Club, which I did along with Guy Prendergast, Dave Fairman and Kaifer Rait-McDonald and Ken Jackson (now sadly deceased). 

Since re-entering the chess arena I have struggled to achieve the results I did when I was 11 or 12 but have very much enjoyed re-joining the game.  I think I have truly re-intergrated into the chess world by playing my 4th Congress in October 2025 and competing in all the Weymouth Chess Club competitions since joining in 2023.

For the future I have small victories in my sights which include improving my grading of 1144, even if only by a little and more importantly to try and help and encourage the younger members of the club, to go on and achieve great things.  Believe it or not I feel great pleasure in seeing young people do well at all things and to be a part of that I believe is the way forward for us all.  They are the future of the club after all.