ONE of the oldest chess clubs in Cheshire is fighting for survival after its home was marked for closure.

The group was established in 1889 and meets every Thursday at the Penketh Tavern.

But the pub has now been ordered to close down on September 7 by Warrington Housing Group, which owns the site.

Club secretary Chris Haggett joined when he moved to Penketh in 1981 and said this could spell the end for chess players in the area.

He said: “We don’t know what we are going to do now. This could be the end of the club.

“I have played chess all my life and it’s a lovely hobby. We have one member in his 90s still playing at the club.

“They say it’s very good for your brain as you get older and I think it’s good for children’s brains too - it trains you to think logically.

“We have a couple of younger members too, aged 13 and 11, who are very promising young players.

“Like most clubs we have lost members over the years - it’s an ageing membership so we are down to half a dozen members now.

“People are playing chess on the internet rather than at chess clubs but it’s not the same, you miss the social side of it. You can see the fear in your opponent’s eyes but you can’t do that on the internet.”

A silver trophy donated by the organisation’s former president was given to Warrington Museum and members have hosted famous faces from the world of chess including David Bronstein and Nigel Short.

The club was based at the YMCA until 1975 until it moved to its current home, which was formerly the British Legion.

Former accountant Chris, 72, said he is worried about the group’s collection of more than 200 books and magazines and they are looking for a good home for the library.

He added: “They have been very, very good to us here for the past 42 years. We have facilities that no other chess club has.

“It’s a real worry for us that we have to be out by September 7.

“We have known for several years that it had been bought but we were sitting tight hoping for the best.

“We are giving up the history the club has built up. Most of the books are from former members and have nice inscriptions in them.

“There were seven chess clubs in the town but now there are only three left and only two if we close, it’s sad really. It’s a game you can play for your whole life.”

Read more: 'Gutted' residents fight to save Penketh Tavern