PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: John Canoe.
TheReparationNation@gmail.com
Date: 6 April 2025
Public Games, Private Thoughts: Race Code Chess Brings
Debate, Strategy and Cultural Identity to the Streets of Enfield
A new grassroots movement is drawing attention in Enfield — not through
protests or performances, but through games of chess and draughts played in
public, with an unmistakable edge of debate and cultural reflection.
It’s called Race Code Chess, and it's unlike anything most people have seen
before.
From Speakers’ Corner to Enfield Town
Race Code Chess began at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park — the iconic London
space where, for over 150 years, people have gathered to speak freely on
politics, race, faith, and society. That’s where the first chessboards were set
up not just as games, but as platforms for expression.
Today, that tradition lives on in Enfield — particularly at the public benches
outside the Dugdale Arts Centre, a glass-fronted civic space currently facing
financial pressure and searching for new ways to engage the public.
More Than a Game
Race Code Chess isn't just about chess or draughts/checkers. It’s a platform
for identity, dialogue, and data.
Each player takes on a codified cultural profile — from “IC1 White British” to
“IC3 Black African” to “IC2 Albanian”, and fictional statuses for religion,
politics, and ancestry. All game results are logged alongside these profiles to
generate unique statistical portraits of global communities in a London
borough.
The gameplay is strategic. The environment is social. The debates? Unexpected.
What Are They Talking About?
A current hot topic is the dramatic decline of the White British population in
Enfield. Some say it reflects a decline in cultural strength or even “intelligence”.
Others disagree — pointing to global migration, housing dynamics, or the
evolution of how people identify.
Rather than argue online, Race Code Chess invites the community to “thrash it
out” — over a chessboard, with good humour, logic, and discipline. All in good
fun.
Backed by Data
A visual chart of Enfield’s ethnicity trends from 2001 to 2041 is displayed at
every event. According to projections, the White British share of the
population may fall below 20% within 15 years — while Black, Asian, and Mixed
populations grow.
Games are tracked alongside these figures — transforming identity into data,
and data into conversation.
Why the Dugdale?
The Dugdale Arts Centre has served as a home for theatre, exhibitions, and
civic connection in Enfield. But with recent news of potential restructuring
and cost-cutting, its future is uncertain.
Race Code Chess believes the Dugdale — and places like it — should be reclaimed
and revitalised not just through programming, but through public visibility and
radical relevance. That’s why all games are played right outside, on public
benches, under open skies. If it gets too cold and rainy we go inside, when the
Dugdale Arts Centre is still open.
Join the Conversation
Race Code Chess is free to play, open to watch, and takes place regularly at:
- Dugdale Arts Centre, 39 London Rd, Enfield EN2 6DS
- Broadgate, Liverpool Street, City of London
No beginners. No entry fee. Just serious fun, deep thinking, and the chance to
ask big questions — one move at a time.
For more information, interviews, photos or to join a session, contact:
Contact: John Canoe. TheReparationNation@gmail.com
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