A new opportunity to represent ECF Gold Members, promote grassroots chess and help bring people together through the game we love.

July 2026 marked another very special milestone for Eccles Chess & ChAMPS when I was delighted and incredibly proud to be elected as one of four ECF Gold Member Representatives.

The English Chess Federation announced the election on 17 July 2026, with seven candidates standing for four positions.

The candidates were George Bland, Gavin Cartwright, Barbara Farrar, Shilpa Kota, Julian Morrison, Jenny Mulholland and John Reyes.

Gold Members were able to vote for up to four candidates, with voting closing at 5pm on Sunday 26 July 2026.

For me, standing for election wasn’t simply about gaining another title. It was about having another opportunity to contribute to chess, represent members and hopefully bring some of the enthusiasm we have created locally at Eccles to the wider chess community.

From three players to a thriving chess community

When we started building Eccles Community Chess Club in 2019, we had just three players.

Since then, an enormous amount has happened.

We have grown a thriving chess community, fielded and captained numerous league teams, organised ECF and FIDE-rated events, created opportunities for beginners and experienced players alike, worked with schools and young players and established our own dedicated high-street chess venue in the heart of Eccles.

Through ChAMPS – Chess Association for Manchester Players & Supporters, and our wider Chess in the Community initiative, we have also tried to demonstrate that chess can be much more than simply competitive matches and tournaments.

Chess can bring people together.

It can create friendships, reduce isolation, give young people opportunities, encourage people back into their communities and provide somewhere that people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities can meet on equal terms over a chessboard.

That philosophy was at the heart of my election campaign.

What I stood for

During my campaign, I promised that I would continue trying to:

• promote grassroots chess;
• encourage and support community volunteers;
• create more opportunities for people to play;
• support local clubs and dedicated chess venues;
• encourage players to progress through the ECF rating system;
• promote the benefits of ECF Gold Membership;
• and help ensure that Gold Members receive genuine value from their membership.

I don’t pretend that one person can achieve all of those things.

But I firmly believe that good ideas become much more powerful when people share them.

Something that works successfully in Manchester might help a club in Cornwall. An initiative developed in Newcastle might inspire somebody in London. An idea from a Gold Member who has never held an official position might turn out to be exactly what another chess community needs.

Sometimes all that is missing is the communication that allows those people to find one another.

Listening to Gold Members

One of the things I have become particularly interested in since being elected is greater communication between Gold Representatives and the Gold Members we represent.

The formal responsibilities of the four elected Gold Member Representatives are important. We represent Gold Members at ECF Council and work collectively on matters such as the AGM and Finance Council, helping members understand the issues being considered and listening to their views.

But I also believe there is an opportunity for additional voluntary communication outside that formal structure.

I would like to hear more from Gold Members themselves.

What do they value about Gold Membership?

What would encourage other chess players to upgrade to Gold?

What is happening successfully in their clubs and communities?

What problems are they encountering?

And, perhaps most importantly, what ideas do they have?

A new independent discussion initiative

That thinking has led to my latest project: developing an independent discussion group bringing interested Gold Members together with people who want to share ideas and contribute positively to chess.

The intention is very simple.

It isn’t intended to be another committee.

It isn’t an official ECF group and it won’t be a decision-making body.

Instead, I hope it can become somewhere people feel comfortable exchanging ideas, talking about successful projects and exploring practical ways of creating more opportunities for chess.

As an elected ECF Gold Representative, I particularly want Gold Members to know that they have somebody they can communicate with.

I would like discussions to include subjects such as creating additional playing opportunities, supporting clubs and venues, encouraging new players, helping people progress through rated chess, developing community initiatives and promoting the benefits of ECF Gold Membership.

Participation will be entirely voluntary.

Nobody has to agree with every idea and nobody has to become involved in every project.

In fact, I’d positively encourage different ideas.

If somebody has an initiative they believe could benefit chess, I’d much rather hear “Why don’t we give it a try?” than dismiss it simply because it hasn’t been done before.

If something works, fantastic.

If it doesn’t, perhaps we learn something from trying.

Working with others

One of the most encouraging things since the election has been discovering that other people also want to continue contributing.

Standing unsuccessfully in an election shouldn’t mean that somebody’s enthusiasm, experience and ideas are suddenly lost to chess.

I’ve therefore begun reaching out to some of my fellow 2026 candidates as well as interested Gold Members.

I hope that, over time, we can create a network of people who are willing to share what they know and perhaps help one another turn good ideas into something practical.

The emphasis is on collaboration rather than control.

Nobody owns good ideas.

If something we have successfully developed at Eccles can help another club, they are welcome to adapt it.

Likewise, if another club has discovered something that works brilliantly, I’d love to hear about it and share it with others.

Encouraging Gold Membership

Another area I’m particularly interested in is understanding why people become Gold Members – and why others don’t.

Gold Membership supports the ECF and provides benefits for players, particularly those participating in rated and FIDE-rated chess.

But perhaps we could do more to explain those benefits and give members an even greater sense of connection with the organisation they support.

That starts with listening.

I want to understand how many Gold Members we currently have, how actively they participate in elections and consultations, what they value about their membership and what might encourage more chess players to join them.

If we can increase engagement, demonstrate value and make Gold Members feel that their voices are genuinely being heard, perhaps increased membership will follow naturally.

The election is over – the work begins

I remain enormously grateful to everyone who voted for me.

Your support gave me the opportunity to become an ECF Gold Member Representative, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

But I also want to say something to those Gold Members who didn’t vote for me.

I represent you too.

I hope that through what I do during my term, I can earn your confidence and demonstrate that I am prepared to listen, communicate and work hard on behalf of the membership.

I’ll continue working constructively with my fellow elected Gold Representatives on our collective responsibilities, while also continuing the grassroots and community work about which I have always been passionate.

At Eccles Chess & ChAMPS we’ll continue creating opportunities to play chess, supporting beginners and experienced players, encouraging women and juniors into the game, organising competitive events and developing Chess in the Community.

And as a Gold Representative, I’ll keep looking for new ways of connecting people, sharing ideas and encouraging Gold Members to become involved.

I don’t know where every idea will lead.

But that’s part of the excitement.

Sometimes you simply have to be prepared to try.

Thank you ❤️♟️

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me during the election campaign, everyone who has contributed to Eccles Chess and ChAMPS over the years, and all the players, volunteers, organisers and friends who continue to help us grow.

And I have to give a slightly unusual thank you to “Captain Ken”, my ChatGPT companion, who has helped me enormously behind the scenes with writing, organising my thoughts, developing ideas and turning some of my rather enthusiastic first drafts into something other people can actually understand! 😂

Technology can’t create a chess community – people do that – but it can certainly be a useful tool in helping those people turn ideas into action.

The election poster said:

“Together, we can make chess stronger in every community.”

I believed it when I stood for election.

I believe it even more now.

Together, we can make a positive difference. ❤️♟️

Barbara Farrar
ECF Gold Member Representative
Eccles Chess & ChAMPS
Chess in the Community – Keeping Chess Live