The May trip to Dunkirk and Cappelle La Grande was a favourite fixture for many years until the COVID pandemic. In 2024 about 30 Kings Head players and friends travelled to Dunkirk and played a friendly blitz tournament in L'Estaminet Flamande near the Pole Marine shopping centre. It is likely that we shall do the same (probably for the last time) in 2025. Friends and family are welcome. Players from other clubs (or casual players) are also welcome to join us. email jon.selcox@ntlworld.com if you are interested. New members will receive an invitation to join the trip.
The Dunkirk tourism website contains lots of useful information for exploring Dunkirk. The beach is huge and beautiful with plenty of bars and restaurants, an art museum, a museum of the 1940 events on the beach and even a casino.
Since 2019 Dunkirk buses have been free of charge: see the Dunkirk buses website for details, maps etc. The exception is Route 20 which crosses the border to Adinkerke in Belgium: there is a small fare to pay on this route if you are crossing the border.
Each year (in February / March), the Cappelle la Grande Chess Club organises a 9-round Open International tournament in the Palais des Arts. See the FIDE calendar near the tournament date. English players, including some from the Kings Head Chess Club, regularly take part.
Up to 2016 this was one of the largest opens in the world, with up to 750 players. Here is a photo taken before round 1 of the 2016 Open.
Since 2017 the Cappelle Open has been on a smaller scale. The 2017 open had 220 players from 10 countries (see photo below). Since then the number of players has increased to about 350, including about 50 FMs, IMs and GMs.
