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| We are delighted to announce that ChessFest will be returning to Trafalgar Square onย Sunday 12th July 2026, 12pm-7pm.ย Once again, we’ll beย taking over the whole square for a day of free, family-friendly chess activities, including: – Free chess lessons from a CSC tutor – Simultaneous displays byย the top Grandmasters in the country – Giant chess sets – Speed chess galore in theย Challenge the Chess Master tent – Living chess with actors,ย replaying famous games of chess on our giant board – Puzzle-rush: pit your wits againstย fiendish chess puzzles on ChessKid.ย – Watch chess masters battle it out inย game of giant blitz, a test of skill and stamina.ย Now in its 6th year, ChessFest welcomes over 20,000 people of all ages, and is suitable for chess lovers of all standards, from beginners to experts. Please join us for the largest chess event in the country, a true chess extravaganza! Now it’s your move! We want more people than ever before to visit ChessFest in 2026.ย Please invite chess lovers everywhere to join us on Sunday 12th July: – schools – please include this flyer in your school newsletters – chess clubs – please circulate details of ChessFest to your club members – everyoneย – please forward this email to friends and family and spread the word on social media Never played chess before? Not a problem – CSC tutors will be running free classes throughout the day for complete beginners.  Something for Everyone Beginners – come and have a free individual or group chess lesson with one of our amazing CSC tutors. No prior knowledge of chess required. Experts – come and test your chess skills against some of England’s top international players in either a simultaneous game or over a blitz game in our Challenge the Chess Master tent.ย Everyone – enjoy the performances of our amazing troupe of actors on our living chess board and watch all the action broadcast on a giant screen at the foot of Nelson’s Column.ย For a flavour of what to expect, please see this video of our 2024 event.ย No need to book – just turn up on Sunday 12th July for a full day of chess fun! If you can’t make it to Trafalgar Square, there are other ChessFest events being held around the country. Already confirmed are Liverpool (19th July) and Portishead (11th July), but we expect more to be announced soon. Keep an eye on the ChessFest website for more details or follow us on social media for the latest news.ย |
Volunteer at ChessFest We are looking for volunteers to help us deliver ChessFest 2026ย in Trafalgar Square. Roles include: – encouraging members of the public to join in the activities – providing information to visitors on the programme of events – supervising the use of giant sets – helping set up and breakdown the event – assisting in the running of simultaneous displays All volunteers receive a ChessFest t-shirt, refreshments throughout the day, and reasonable travel expenses. Sign up via www.chess-fest.com. Trafalgar Square – How to get to ChessFest Public transport is your best bet. The closest Tube station is Charing Cross, which goes right to Trafalgar Square. Additional nearby stations include Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. If youโre traveling by mainline train, the Charing Cross station is a three-minute walk away. Many buses will take you there as well. Click here for a map. Chess in Schools and Communities |
