A chess board has been set up in Farnworth in hopes it will encourage young people to take up the game.

A table and two chairs with a chess board glued to the table has been installed at Farnworth Park.

Last year, it was announced the council had won a £5,000 grant for two chess boards and chairs in the borough, but chess pieces will not be provided under the funding scheme.

Now, one has been installed at Farnworth Park and another on Bradford Street in a playing field.

Labour ward Cllr for Farnworth North, Nadeem Ayub, said: “It’s actually a great addition to the park and the purpose is to increase participation among young people, and so it is in a public place so people can come in and play chess and create awareness of chess.

“It’s really good for young people.

“Chess is a worldwide game but is it not often played in the UK, so this creates awareness.

“It is a mind stimulated game it and it helps with wellbeing.”

The Bolton News: Chess board

Feedback to the chess table has seem some people in the Farnworth community feel excited at the prospect of having the chess table.

READ MORE: Government gives £5,000 for 2 Bolton chessboards

READ MORE: Bolton town centre lighting improvement plans explored

READ MORE: Lostock Primary School among top 200 schools in country

Cllr Ayub said: “I’ve had some positive feedback as it is a facility and people can come and play chess if they want to do that.

“We want to do a lot of things for younger people because they are our future, and we want to do much more in parks with young children to get them stimulated.

“My ward has the Rock Hall project coming along and will do activities there although it is quite a while for this project, but we already have things like archery classes taking place.”

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it hopes the scheme will help to increase participation in chess among primary school-age children, support elite-level competition, and increase the visibility and public presence of the game.