Stepps Chess Club was formed in the summer of 2013 following a merger between Crowwood Chess Club and Shettleston Chess Club.
The Glasgow Herald chess column of November 10, 1944 reported on the formation of the Shettleston club '(Mr B. Nelson, 2 Strowan Street, E. 2) which,
with 34 members, meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the Miners' Welfare Rooms, Amulree Street.'
Bruce Nelson would later serve 17 years as Secretary of the Glasgow Chess League, retiring in 1968 at 83 years of age as he wanted more time for golf! (SCA Bulletin 25.)
Crowwood Chess Club was formed in October 1978 in the Crowwood House Hotel (now the Alba Restaurant). In their 35 year history they won 35 major honours;
3 Glasgow League Titles (1990, 1995, and 1996), 11 consecutive Dunbartonshire League titles (between 1993 and 2003), and 21 Lanarkshire League Titles including
an incredible 19 in a row between 1984 and 2002.
In the mid 1990's Crowwood were one of the most powerful chess clubs in Central Scotland, and possibly Scotland wide.
After the millenium however, a lot of the stronger players started drifting away which left the club being relegated and promoted between Divisions 1 and 2 of the Glasgow League.
There were a few victories in the Lanarkshire League in 2012-13 however, it is fair to say the club was now only a shadow of its former self.
In January 2009, Crowwood moved to our present venue at the Stepps Cultural Centre and Shettleston followed a year later. It was quickly evident that it was unviable
to have two chess clubs playing out of the same venue, not to mention the dwindling membership of both clubs, so the prospect of a merger was not only attractive,
but essential.
Between 2013 and March 2020 (when chess clubs were forced to close their doors as the country, and the world, went into lockdown due to Covid-19) Stepps had won 6 out of
the 7 Dunbartonshire League Titles, and 6 out of 7 Lanarkshire League Titles. Stepps has also been successful in the Glasgow League winning it three times in a row
between 2018 and 2020.