Kings Place Chess Festival

Picture the scene: Kings Place in the grip of hundreds of silent stratagems, serious contenders and young hopefuls quietly slugging it out on black and white boards strewn across its foyers, halls and galleries.

Welcome then to the first ever Kings Place Chess Festival. 

Stephen Carpenter, CEO of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a keen chess player, dreamt up the idea with Peter Millican of Kings Place Music Foundation: "We realised we were both chess enthusiasts and decided to present a tournament which will be open to the public but should also attract some Grand Masters from the UK and abroad with the serious prize money."

Top prize in the Tournament is £1,000 in the Open with a second prize of £500 in the Open. Prizes in the other sections are £100 for 1st place and £50 for 2nd place.

The format will be a six-round, Rapidplay Swiss-style tournament, in which each player has 30 minutes to make all their moves. Top players already confirmed are Jonathan Hawkins and current British Champion Gawain Jones.

Spectators are welcome and a live relay will be broadcast of the top four boards to the Limehouse Room complete with expert commentary by GM Julian Hodgeson and IM Lawrence Trent.  

For any players not taking part in the Rapidplay tournament, there is the chance to have a tilt at a Grand Master as former British Champion, Julian Hodgson, takes on 30 players in a Simultaneous Display in the main foyer. 

Plus look out for plenty of other activities around the building too! 

Organised by Adam Raoof (FIDE Arbiter and International Organiser) on behalf of Kings Place.  If you have a question relating to the tournament please contact Adam at adamraoof@gmail.com.