Gibraltar Junior International Chess Festival

Supporting Gibraltar’s world-class chess festival

The 1,500 year-old game has been credited with improving children’s concentration, problem-solving abilities and creative thinking. That’s why we supported the annual Gibraltar Junior Chess Festival. It allows local chess champions to go up against the best international competitors, and new players to take part in tutorials with some of the finest grandmasters.

With more than 10 countries taking part, the competition is also a fantastic way for young people to build cross-cultural friendships.

Our grant of £15,000 a year between 2011 and 2014 aimed to introduce more young people to chess and encourage them to take part in competitions. It funded the festival’s development, helping it gain international recognition, and meant local chess players could receive mentoring and coaching.

Gibraltar’s Junior International Chess Festival inspires local children to test their skills with opponents from abroad.
Between 2011 and 2015, the number of local players competing grew by 250%.
There was an 83% increase in the number of different countries involved in the tournament from 2011 to 2014.

“The Gibraltar Junior International Chess Festival offers young people the chance to play competitively, with a strong social and educational focus. It has gained international recognition and provided much needed support, encouragement and practical lessons to young chess players. We believe it’s an invaluable contribution to Gibraltar.”

Michelle Tosso, Country Manager, Kusuma Trust Gibraltar