Chess at Old Spitalfields Market

Thursday 24th April saw the start of a new community chess club organised by CSC at Old Spitalfields Market in east London. “Chess and Chill” is completely free and open to players of all standards. The opening night drew several keen players from our local schools, as well as many local residents. Our excellent tutor, Awate, was on hand to give out some coaching tips or a lesson for those who are new to the game. For those who wanted a bite to eat, there were plenty of tempting food stalls surrounding the chess tables.

Old Spitalfields Market is a busy thoroughfare, linking the City to popular nightspots such as Brick Lane. We were joined by many people who just happened to be passing through and fancied a game of chess, including several strong players and plenty who had caught the chess bug online during the Covid-19 pandemic and who had rarely played over-the-board. The BBC were also on hand, broadcasting a live interview with CSC CEO Malcolm Pein on the evening news.

The club is set to run every Thursday, 6pm-8pm, from April to September. We look forward to seeing many more people there!