Banbury residents of all ages come together to enjoy chess taster session

The open session in People’s Park was led by former county champion, author, and chess mastermind Carl Portman.

Many people bonded over the sport of chess, including several international guests from France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

As well as sharing his passion for chess, Carl was on hand to teach strategies, offer advice and play multiple games with people throughout the day.

He said: “It was great to see the people of Banbury and beyond coming together to play over the chessboard.

"Complete strangers soon made friends and enjoyed the royal game. They were players of all strengths, from beginner to much stronger, but everyone helped, played and had fun.”

The next chess event at People’s Park will be a women-only event on Saturday, August 10 that is targeted at getting more women involved in chess.

It has been designed for women of all ages to provide a place where they can learn the basics, practice, or compete with like-minded enthusiasts.

This event will run from 10am until 4pm at the park’s pavilion on the right-hand side of the Warwick Road entrance to People’s Park.

A spokesperson for Banbury Town Council, who alongside Carl, organised the two sessions said: “Banbury Town Council would once again like to thank Carl for his efforts and for what proved to be a fantastic opportunity for Banbury residents to get to grips with chess.

"The Council looks forward to working with Carl again in the future to bring more opportunities to Banbury residents and build on the day’s success.”