Golders Green FIDE Rapid
A Monthly Chess Event in London for Kids and Adults
The Golders Green FIDE Rapid is one of the UK’s longest-running monthly chess tournaments, first established back in 1990. Held in London, it has become a regular and trusted event for players of all levels – from young beginners to seasoned adults.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for children to test their skills in a real tournament setting and even play alongside adult opponents in a supportive and well-run environment.
Organised by the experienced Adam Raoof, the tournament is well-known for running smoothly and staying on schedule, making the day easier and more predictable for all participants
🗓 2025 Tournament Dates
The tournament takes place once a month on Saturdays. Dates for 2025 include:
April 26 · May 10 · June 14 · July 5 · August 2 · September 13 · October 11 · November 8
📍 Location
St Luke’s Church, Kidderpore Avenue, London NW3 7SU
Need help finding it? Click here for directions
⏱ Tournament Format
- Time control: 20 minutes + 5 seconds per move (from move 1)
- Rounds: 6 games played throughout the day
- Start time: 11:00 AM | End time: around 5:00 PM
- Sections by rating:
- Open
- Under 1900
- Under 1600
- Under 1100
This makes it easier for all participants to be matched with players closer to their level.
👥 Who Can Join?
Anyone can take part – kids, teens, and adults. Many children play regularly here!
To participate, you’ll need to either:
- Be a Gold or Platinum member of the English Chess Federation (ECF), or
- Pay an additional £15.00 “pay to play” fee at registration.
The average rating of participants is around 1845, and while the average age is 38, many enthusiastic juniors also attend each month.
To learn more about ECF membership, including how to join, visit: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-membership-rates-and-joining-details/
🏆 Prizes
Each tournament ends with cash prizes for the winners in each section – a fun motivator and a great reward for a day of effort and concentration.
💬 Why It’s Great for Kids
- A friendly, professional environment to experience tournament chess
- A chance to challenge themselves by playing older or stronger opponents
- Opportunity to gain national and international chess ratings
- Perfect for young players ready to take their chess to the next level!
If your child enjoys chess and is ready to try tournament play, the Golders Green Rapidplay – with its proud history since 1990 – is a welcoming and exciting place to start.
Rate This Tournament
If your child has taken part in this event before, we’d love your feedback!
Leave a review and rate your experience below to help other parents learn more about this fantastic competition.
⚠️ Disclaimer
Tournament dates, fees, and formats are subject to change. Always check the organiser’s official website for the latest information.
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Good tournament in North London
A comfortable and well-organized tournament that gives beginner players the opportunity not only to demonstrate their skills, but also to get a FIDE rating and watch the games of stronger chess players. The venue is spacious and bright, conveniently located and includes a waiting room. The friendly atmosphere and excellent work of the organizers make it one of the most popular tournaments in North London.
Good chess tournament for players of all levels
A popular tournament in North London. Suitable for players of all levels, starting from beginners and finishing with very strong players like FMs or even IMs.
The playing area is quite huge (the last time I played in that tournament, there were a hundred players plus lots of family members and friends of the players, but still the area wasn’t too crowded). Despite the playing area being huge, there is not enough indoor space for non-players. There is a room near the playing area, but it is not big enough. Also, there is a small issue with the toilets, as there are only three of them for all the visitors, and queues happen quite often.
Although there are no problems with stuffy air as in many other chess tournaments, it might get quite cold, especially in winter, so you might want to take a hoodie during the cold weather.
I played in that tournament three times, and I enjoyed it. 🙂
A huge thank you for the organisers!
Great tournament in Golders Green
We’ve been to the Golders Green tournament a few times now. It’s a well-organised tournament where the rounds start on time, which is a big plus when you’re planning your day. It’s a great opportunity for young players to obtain a FIDE rating and generally raise their ECF rating since they tend to play with higher rating.
There’s a snack area inside but you probably need to bring some meal with you. The only issue is a queue to the bathroom (there are only 3 bathrooms for 100+ players).
Overall, we really enjoy this tournament. It runs smoothly, has a friendly atmosphere, and it’s one we’re always happy to return to.
Golders Green (played 4 times) in Under 1100 and 1600
Our son has played four times in this tournament. The big advantage of the tournament is the good number of players – big enough to get great experience (different openings, styles etc) but not too big to make it too crowded and disorganised. Players and organisers are very polite and helpful, making the whole atmosphere nice and friendly.
A big advantage for children is that they get to play both young and more mature opponents which is not possible in junior tournamements. I find that my son plays better in ‘mixed’ tournaments (taking more time to think, less rushing, more depth).
Parking is free on Saturdays when the tournament is held. You find a few spots on the same street or around the venue.
There is a small refreshments stall inside the venue with snacks, drinks and tea & coffee available, but not hot meals.
I would also highlight good communication (incl. the WhatsApp group if you wish to join), games held on time with instant results updates on the website, several arbiters always present and generally a very friendly environment.
Another advantage is that you know the days of future tournaments well advance for the whole year, so you can make your plans accordingly. I find it very helpful.
Many thanks to the organisers for running it so well.
