CSC at the Barnes Literature Festival

While the links between mathematics and chess are well-established, for many young players their love of the game leads to a lot of additional reading. Everyone has a favourite chess book, whether it’s Chess for Tigers, Chess for Zebras, both great for junior players, or classic texts such as Bobby Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games. We were therefore delighted to be invited to run some chess activites at the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, the largest annual event dedicated to children’s reading in the UK.

CSC set up a range of activities at the festival, from playing on a giant chess set, to coaching from one of our tutors, to casual games of chess. There was certainly no shortage of interest - the chess boards were full throughout and indeed, we bought in extra sets on the second day to cope with demand. As well as the chess, the children also enjoyed readings from some amazing authors, including Cressida Cowell and David Walliams. 

CSC’s Nevil Chan and George Horan were on-hand to help with the chess playing and to promote CSC’s Schools’ Programme to the visiting parents and teachers. We are keen to expand our activities in South West London. If you are a prospective tutor, we’d love to hear from you here, while if you would like to hear more about how CSC can support chess in your school, please contact us here.