ChessKid Returns to London's ChessFest
On Sunday, July 13, ChessKid joined thousands of chess fans in London for the UK’s biggest chess festival, ChessFest 2025. Organized by Chess In Schools and Communities, the event saw more than 20,000 kids, parents, and chess enthusiasts descend on Trafalgar Square for live performances, booths and chess-related activities! You can relive the day of fun with photos and stories below.The life-sized chess match, brought to life by real actors as the pieces, turned the event into a memorable, family friendly celebration of chess and fun.
We met with so many parents and kids who were excited about the fun and educational value that ChessKid provides to our millions of users globally. Visitors even got a chance to win some amazing swag, play against our ChessKid team members, and take a tour on our platform.
ChessKid President Kulsum Qasim is ready to meet ChessKids at the booth!
The ChessKid booth was buzzing with so many of you excited to meet FunMasterMike and play the puzzles challenge!
FunMasterMike greets his fans!
FunMasterMike starts off the puzzle festivities
We hosted a simultaneous exhibition headed by the one and only Bodhana Sivanandan to play against fellow ChessKids all at once, and teach us a thing or two in the process!
It's hard to choose just one highlight from the day, but we were all excited about the ChessKid Transatlantic Match which had two English kids and two North American kids face off. WFM Ashley Qian (Canada) played WFM Bodhana (England) while FM Linxi Zhu (USA) played FM Supratit Banerjee (England). The match was broadcast live from ChessFest with the English players competing from ChessFest and their opponents from home. In the end, the hot London summer didn't affect the local players as England won!
FunMasterMike even had the opportunity to meet Tunde Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums, at the Chess & Bridge store before the main event! Tunde is one of ChessKid's longtime friends and is an inspiration, using use chess as a tool to keep children off the streets, away from violence, and as a means to keep them in school.
It was great seeing you at ChessFest! If you captured any memories, we'd love to see them. Don't forget to tag us at @chesskidofficial on Instagram!