ChessFest returns to Liverpool ONE for a day of chess fun

ChessFest is back a third time after the roaring successes of 2021 and 2022.

ChessFest is part of a national programme of events which aims to bring chess to a wider audience and showcase its inclusivity and educational benefits, and it is coming back to Liverpool ONE after proving to be a huge success over the past few years.

There will be free activities for all the family at Chavasse Park including: chess lessons from professional teachers, blindfold chess, speed chess, giant chess, simultaneous displays by a grandmaster, and a match against the ChessFest crowd in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The activities are free and open to all.

Members of the public will be able to challenge grandmaster Stephen Gordon, the highest rated player in the North West. There will also be free tuition from professional chess teachers, with separate teaching zones for adults and children.

A giant screen will broadcast live chess matches played online between children from London and Liverpool, as well as a ‘Battle of the Prodigies’ between the USA and England.

ChessFest is being staged in association with Liverpool Chess Club, established in 1837, it is one of the oldest active clubs in the UK, and was one of the main centres of world chess in the 19^th century.

ChessFest aims to build on the surge in popularity of chess after the success of Netflix show ‘Queen’s Gambit’ and showcase its universal appeal as we approach International Chess Day on 20 July.

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 ChessFes, 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.”