In the near future, Rishi Sunak will announce £500,000 funding for chess. The money will provide substantial support for England’s men and women international chess teams and will also boost the teaching of the game in state schools. Additionally, there is a plan to install 100 chess tables in public parks.
Rishi Sunak will unveil his new move on chess at a ceremony held at 10 Downing Street, featuring a giant set and board on the lawn. For English Chess Federation officials, this marks the successful end to an initiative that was first launched in the 1990s, with the then sports minister, Tony Banks, being enthusiastic about it. However, Sport England did not and does not consider chess as a sport, which sets it apart from the majority of European countries, such as France, Spain, and the Netherlands. These countries recognize chess as a sport and use funds to support rising talents and potential grandmasters.
The ECF has hailed Sunak’s move as “potentially transformational.”A portion of the funding will be allocated to setting up training camps for the national team and talented children. These camps will involve top grandmaster coaches and advanced computer technology, similar to what world-leading players like Magnus Carlsen use.
“No. 2 position”
The ambition is to restore England to its former No. 2 position in the chess world, a rank it held behind the former USSR for a decade in the 1980s. While that might be a challenging target given the current strength of the US and India, England’s performance in recent years has been very respectable in international events.
The new breakthrough comes after a vigorous and imaginative campaign by Malcolm Pein, the ECF international director and head of the charity Chess in Schools and Communities. The campaign included various events and matches, including the traditional Lords v Commons match and an England v Ukraine series hosted by the Speaker. The personal contacts of ECF president Dominic Lawson, whose father Nigel was a political hero of Sunak’s, also played a significant role in the success of the campaign.
Overall, chess enthusiasts expect the new funding for chess in England to positively impact the development of the sport, the national teams, and the growth of chess education in schools and public spaces. It could also lead to increased competition for places in the national team, encouraging further growth and progress in the sport at all levels.