Venue change - Kenilworth home matches

Published on: 16 -12-2025

From January 05, 2026, all Kenilworth home matches in the LDCL will be played at:-

Holiday Inn
212 Abbey End
Kenilworth
CV8 1ED
Tel: 01926 855957

Matches will normally be in the Jephson Room, which is immediately opposite the hotel's main reception desk.

Free car parking is available at the hotel, subject to registration of your vehicle at reception, but please be advised that this is rather limited and the car park is regularly full in the evenings.

Free on-street evening parking within a couple of minutes walk on Forrest Road, Abbey Hill, Southbank Road, Barrowfield Lane, Mercia Avenue and Greville Road. Otherwise, paid parking is available in the nearest town centre car parks, Abbey End or behind Kenilworth Library.

As with most LDCL club venues, home or away players cannot bring in drinks from outside/home for consumption at the Holiday Inn.

Trevor Holt

Published on: 15 -12-2025

Richard Reynolds writes:

Olton Chess club are sad to announce that Trevor Holt sadly passed away last Thursday, 27th November 2025. He was in his nineties and had until fairly recently been playing at a good standard in the League. He had been having treatment for 2 or 3 months and was playing friendlies at home with his brother Colin.

Trevor had been playing for Olton Chess club since the seventies. A decent level player himself, his main aim was to encourage his late son Phil to play and improve to a high level. He was entirely successful in that goal and Trevor continued to play in the top division for many years.

Many League players will have encountered Trevor's attacking style. Fast out of the blocks with an opening rooted in the 19th Century, trappy and often of doubtful soundness if analysed fully. But many a league player, thinking they were sharp players were met with an equally sharp response. The 'Wilkes-Barre' variation of the two Knights Defence was a permanent topic of study in the Holt household. Scotch gambit, Evans Gambit, French Winawer Variation, anything that gambitted a pawn for an attack on the f pawn.

Away from the board, Trevor was the examiner of the club accounts for many years and was happy to get players to matches. He was the main carer for his wife in later years and was devastated by the death of his son Phil. He was an independent accountant, but managed to keep up a high standard of chess, despite long hours.

Trevor's enthusiasm for the 'Grandstand Finish' often resulted in a loss instead of a slow grinding win. Draws were rare and only as the last resort. Many games were submitted to the club bulletin, including one from 2007 on the club website games page.

Trevor's funeral will take place on Monday 5th January 2026 at 11.30am  at:

Robin Hood Crematorium,
Streetsbrook Road, Shirley,
Solihull, B90 3NL

There will be a gathering afterwards at:

Hall Green Home Guard Club
21a Doveridge Road
Hall Green, B28 0LS

(32.524KB)

Colin Searle

Published on: 23 -11-2025

Richard McNally writes:

It was very sad news to learn this week of the death of Colin Searle.

Having lived a life of service to Stratford upon Avon Chess Club and Warwickshire County Chess.

Colin joined Stratford Chess Club in the late 1970s and was noted and feared for his aggressive tactically oriented style, being an exponent of such sharp openings such as the Latvian counter-gambit. However, he could also play a strategic game if necessary and regularly scored well with the London System.

Aside from winning the Leamington League Division One title on several occasions, he also played successful games for South Birmingham Chess Club in the Birmingham League.

In later years, Colin wrote a very memorable history of the Leamington League from its earliest days.

Kind and encouraging and with self-effacing humour, he also did a considerable amount of coaching and played regularly online, even into his later years, he still maintained solid strength.

Aside from chess, he was an avid stamp collector, building up a remarkable collection of the stamps of Gibraltar, charting the history of the colony from its earliest days.

He will be greatly missed by all. RIP Colin