Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC), a charity that uses chess to improve children’s educational and social development, has announced the return of ChessFest, a one-day takeover of Chavasse Park at Liverpool ONE and Trafalgar Square on Sunday 16th July.
ChessFest is a day of chess fun designed to encourage kids and adults to get ‘on board’ with the world’s oldest game.
The events are free and open to the public. Grandmaster Stephen Gordon, the highest-rated player in the North West, will be available for public challenge. Professional chess teachers will also provide free instruction, with separate teaching zones for adults and children.
A massive screen will show live chess matches between children from London and Liverpool, as well as a ‘Battle of the Prodigies’ between the United States and England. ChessFest is being held in collaboration with the Liverpool Chess Club, which was founded in 1837. It is one of the oldest active clubs in the UK and was a major centre of world chess in the nineteenth century.
ChessFest aims to capitalise on the surge in popularity of chess following the success of the Netflix show ‘Queen’s Gambit,’ as we approach International Chess Day on July 20th.
Sunday’s Chavasse public event:
· Free chess lessons for children and adults from professional chess teachers and top UK players
· A giant chess set for people to play on
· Chess tables for children and chess fans to play each other
· Challenge a Grandmaster at speed chess
· Blindfold Chess exhibition
· Giant screens broadcasting online games between players in London, Liverpool, and New York
ChessFest hopes to leave a legacy for Liverpool as CSC will work with Liverpool City Council to encourage the installation of giant chess sets and concrete chess tables in more Liverpool parks to enable chess to be played all year round as in New York, Paris, Amsterdam, and other cities. The first chess tables in Liverpool were installed in Sefton Park earlier this month.
Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said:
“We’re really excited about the return of ChessFest to Liverpool ONE, following the tremendous success of the previous editions. This year’s event is one of our main highlights of the summer, with Chavasse Park and Liverpool ONE playing hosts to a series of family-friendly events throughout the school holidays and beyond.”
