Trafalgar Square, London, 12th July 2026

• Living chess performances

• Simultaneous displays against England internationals

• Free lessons from CSC tutors

• Challenger the Chess Master

• Giant Blitz Chess Championships

• Plus many more fun, free, family friendly chess activities

• No need to book - just turn up between 12pm and 7pm

ChessFest is a series of free chess events held across the country each July and August by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities. In 2026, ChessFest will take place at the following locations: Portishead, Somerset (11th July), Trafalgar Square, London (12th July), Chavasse Park, Liverpool (19th July), Hull (tbd), Lancaster (tbd), Coventry (tbd).

If you would like to volunteer at ChessFest, we’d love to hear from you here. We need people to help set up and breakdown the event, encourage members of the public to join the activities, provide information to visitors, assist in the running of the simultaneous displays, and much more! All volunteers receive a ChessFest t-shirt, refreshments throughout the day, and reasonable travel expenses.