ChessFest Returns to Trafalgar Square on July 12

ChessFest returns to Trafalgar Square on July 12. Organisers expect about 25,000 visitors at the free, unticketed event, which runs from 12pm to 7pm.

The festival is in its sixth year and is organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities. The programme offers public play and professional demonstrations for players from beginners to grandmasters.

A special feature is a re-enactment of the Immortal Game on a giant chessboard with live actors, marking the 175th anniversary of the 1851 encounter linked to Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. The original game was won by Adolf Anderssen after he sacrificed his queen and both rooks.

Competitive elements include simultaneous displays by Britain’s top grandmasters and speed-chess challenges that provide prizes for participants who score a result against masters. The programme includes free lessons, a blindfold exhibition match and ten giant chess sets placed around the square.

Two young players will take part in exhibitions and public activity: 11-year-old Woman International Master Bodhana Sivanandan from Harrow and 12-year-old FIDE Master Supratit Banerjee, one of the highest rated players born in 2014.

Satellite ChessFest events are scheduled across the country: Portishead, Somerset on July 11; Hull on July 12; Liverpool on July 19; Broadgate, Coventry on July 25; and Market Square, Lancaster on August 17. All events are free and unticketed.

The organising charity cites figures showing about nine million people in the UK play chess regularly online, compared with roughly 37 million who play video games. The Trafalgar Square programme is set up for walk-up visitors throughout the afternoon and early evening and includes activities for a range of ages and abilities.

The event has expanded since its first edition and combines educational outreach with public demonstrations.