UK to stage inclusive ChessFest in London’s Trafalgar Square

Thousands expected to turn up to free event on 18 July where chess coaches will offer free lessons

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.