It has been one of the runaway success stories of the pandemic, fuelled by the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit and an explosion in online play. Now plans to stage Britain’s biggest ever chess festival in Trafalgar Square have been unveiled, with organisers hoping to showcase the game’s inclusivity, attract converts from the poorest parts of the UK, and possibly unearth a future champion.
Thousands of people are expected to turn up for ChessFest, a free event on 18 July in which more than 50 chess coaches will provide free lessons to children and adults, with top British grandmasters taking on all-comers in speed and blindfold chess, and a range of activities designed to show chess is for everyone.
The organisers, the UK charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC), also plan to bring the game to communities it would not usually reach – with 300 children from 30 inner-city schools being brought to London to enjoy a range of chess-related activities, including playing games and trying on 15th- and 16th-century armour from the Wallace Collection.
CSC’s chief executive,…
