Onjali Q Rauf visits the London Chess Classic

We welcomed a number of special guests to the 2025 XTX Markets London Chess Classic: Andy Murray, Borna Sosa, Ravshan Usmanov, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to the UK among them. None was better received than the author Onjali Q Rauf. Onjali’s books have made a huge impression on primary school children over the past few years. The Boy at the Back of the Class is a classic - enjoyed by pupils across the country. What’s more, her latest book, The Game I’ll Never Forget is not only about chess but also describes a visit to ChessFest, our annual celebration of the game in Trafalgar Square.

Onjali came to the Classic during one of our school events. She spoke to all the children about her own love for chess and her interest in the game. She signed a huge number of her books which we’d handed out as prizes, and some that the children happened to have in their school bags. In the afternoon, when our tournament began and we were faced with an off number of players, Onjali even joined in the competition so that a pupil wouldn’t have a bye.

We all thoroughly enjoyed Onjali’s visit and are looking forward to hearing about her visits to some of our schools in Tower Hamlets in January.