History

The World Chess Hall of Fame was created in 1986 by the United States Chess Federation. Originally known as the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, the small museum opened in 1988 in the basement of the Federation’s then-headquarters in New Windsor, New York, and contained a modest collection, which included a book of chess openings signed by Bobby Fischer, the Paul Morphy silver set, and cardboard plaques honoring past grandmasters.

In 1992, the U.S. Chess Trust purchased the museum and moved its contents to Washington, D.C. From 1992 to 2001, the collection grew to include the World Team Chess Championship trophy won by the U.S. team in 1993, numerous chess sets and boards, and the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductee plaques.

In 2001, the institution moved into a new, multi-million dollar facility at the Excalibur Electronics headquarters in Miami, Florida, and was renamed the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum. The Museum continued collecting chess sets, books, memorabilia, advertisements, photographs, furniture, medals, trophies, and journals until it closed in 2009.

Due to the vibrancy of Saint Louis and the success and growing international reputation of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, it was then proposed that the contents of the Miami institution be moved to Saint Louis. Realizing the potential to provide area youth with a vital educational resource, Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield provided seed funding to relocate the institution to Saint Louis.

The World Chess Hall of Fame opened September 9, 2011, in Saint Louis’ bustling Central West End neighborhood, directly across the street from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The World Chess Hall of Fame is housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and cultural impact of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national, and international audiences.

The World Chess Hall of Fame celebrates the generous donors to the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum at its previous location in Miami, FL.

Grandmaster Sponsors

The Samole Family
Floyd & Bernice Sarishon
Dato Tan
U.S. Chess Trust
World Chess Federation
 

Friends

GM Lev Alburt
Rodrigo Allhambra
Atlas Packaging Incorporated
In memory of Sidney-Saby Behar
Phyllis Benjamin in Memory of Alan Benjamin
Richard Benjamin
Cyane Berning
Ralph A. Bowsher
Steven Brooke
James Brotsos
Daniel Cohen
Gary Colvin
David Cook
Edward Covello
John A. Curdo
Jim Danbury
Mike Donnelly
James Donovan
Bobby G. Dudley
Anthony D. Eaker
Janet & Perry Esksel
Randi Gertier
Paul Goldstein
Daniel Gordon
Roger W. Gotschall
Eugene L. Grumer
F. Woodrow Harris
Frank Harvey & Joyce Harvey
John Henn
Randall Hough
Neil Houston
Roger Inglis
James A. Kappus
The Karabell Family
To honor Sid-Sy Keith
William Kelleher
Frank A. Kempe III
Marty Krist
Charles & Esther Krupin
Michael Kusen
John L.J. A.K.A. Doctor Chess
George Laven
Al Lawrence
Michael M. Leal
David Levine
Vernon Lewallen
Lieberman Family
William E. Lombard III
Michael Carter Mason
James Matthews
Bruce Matzner
Bruce Miller
Lt. Robert Mitchell
Martin Morrison
Kent Nelson
Richard Neopolitan
New Jersey State Chess Federation
Luke Neyndorff
Frank Niro
Alan Pawlow
Steven Pawlow
Marta Perez
Pine Crest Chess Club
Alan R. Plutzik & Family
Jon Quinn, M.D.
Joseph Regabulto Family
Tim Redman
Roderick J. Rowland
Roger G. Ruckert
Kogan & Salomon
Dave Schloss
Stephen D. Shut
Marilyn and Mordy Siegel
Ira Silver & Family
Kenneth Robert Sloan
A.J. Steigman
Robert & Elizabeth Tanner
Nathan A. Tarler
Jacob Taylor
Jane Taylor
Benjamin Tessier
Rodney Thomas
Frankie Torregrosa
Robert H. Trone
Virginia Chess Federation
Margaret Walker
W.E. Webbert
Thomas E. White Family
J. Lawton Wiggins, Jr.
Harold Winston
 

Founders

John Douglass Boyle, Palo Alto, California
Kenneth Carr
Daxon Orion Chapman
Colonial Bank
Bill Cornwall
Johnathan B. Crumiller
Dennis M. Doren
Familia Escotet
Lynne Foster-Chapman
Paul Glass, Washington D.C.
Steven & Nancy Goins
K. Michael Goodall
Robert J. Kolvick
Benjamin Levene
R.F. Montague
Bernice Newmark
Jon Nicodemus
Lawrence G. Percival
Robert Potter & Family
Ari Samole
Nobert I. Soltysiak
A.J. Steigman
Frank Tortorice, M.D.
R.W. Twomby-Ttee
 

Display Sponsors

Khalifa M. Al Hitmi
American Chess Equipment Dwain Barber
Asfil Corporation
Dewain Barber
Fred C. Bristol
Frank Camaratta and the House of Staunton
Chess Collectors International
Arnold Denker
E. Steven Doyle
Jim Eade
John McCrary
Robert McCrary
Stanley & Bernice Mestel
John Mingos
La Familia Nunez
R. Palacios & Company
Ari Samole
Shane Samole
Stan Samole
Floyd & Bernice Sarisohn
Robin Steigman
L. Totaro
Bill & Lois Wall
Jim & Helen Warre, APCT

The World Chess Hall of Fame acknowledges the generous support of the commemorative brick donors at the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum in Miami, FL.

Alan, Steven, Adriana, and Bradley
GM Lev Alburt
Rod Alhambra
American Chess Equipment
Atlas Packaging Incorporated
George Edward Bailey
Richard Benjamin
Ralph Gloria Bowsher
Fred Bristol
James A. Brotsos
Dr. and Mrs. Robert G. Buckert
Frank Camaratta
Kenneth Carr
Daxon Orion Chapman
Avram Lazar Cherkasky
Daniel I.A. Cohen
Colonial Bank
Gary Colvin, Kent Nelson, Al Lawrence
Bill Cornwall
Ed H. Covello and E. Covello, Jr.
J. Crumiller
Cyclone
Jim Danbury
Arnold Denker
Mike Donnelly
James M. Donovan
E. Steven Doyle
Doyle Family - Steve, Bernadette, Matt, and Mark
Bobby Dudley
Jim Eade
Ad Eaker
Perry and Janet Ecksel
Escotet Family
Friends of Syosset, Chess Mates
Paul Goldstein
Daniel M. Gordon
Woodrow and Carla Harris
Frank Harvey and Joyce Harvey
John Henn
Len, Ginny, Jacob, and Laura Karabell
Frank Arthur Kempe, III
Johnathan Sterling Kogan
Robert J. Kolvick
Marty Krist
Charles Krupin
Laven
Daphne and Al Lawrence
Billy and Hope Levene
Vernon Lewallen
Myron and Rachel Lieberman
John L. J.
Michael Carter Mason
James, Ramona, Marissa, and Maura Matthews
Matthew Mestel, Beloved Son
Bruce Miller
John, Kay, Mary, Diana McCrary
Bob Montague
Martin Morrison
Richard C. Neopolitan
New Jersey State Chess Federation
Bernice Newmark
Jon Nicodemus
Frank Niro
NMPD Chess Club Lt. Mitchell
On Behalf of Waco Chess
Ramiro Ortiz
The Pawlow Family - Martin and Anita
Lawrence G. Percival
Marta Perez
Pine Crest Chess Club, Fort Lauderdale
Alan Plutzik, In Memory of Marvin Cooper
Jon Edward Quinn, M.D.
Tim Redman
Joseph Regalbuto Family
Rod Rowland
Roger Ruckert
Ari Samole
Stan Samole
Dave Schloss
Stephen D. Shutt
Sid, Nephew and Pal, Marilyn – Mordy Siegel
Ira, Ana, Stephen Silver
Kenneth Robert Sloan
Norbert Soltysiak, USCF
A. J. Steigman
Nathan A. Tarler
L. Totaro, In Memory of Norm Harvey
Jacob Taylor
Benjamin Tessler
Rodney Thomas
Frankie Torregrosa
Frank Tortorice, M.D.
Robert Trone
R.W. Twombly
U.S. Chess Federation
Richard Verber
Bill and Lois Wall
Jim Warren and Helen Warren
WM E. Webbert
Tom White
The Winston-Weinberg Family
World Chess Federation (FIDE)
For Bernard, My Teacher - Love David
In Memory of Alan Benjamin
In Memory of Charlie Drafts
In Memory of My Father, Jr. Capablanca
In Memory of Ken and Rachel Goodall
In Memory of Don M. Goins
In Loving Memory of Neil Houston
In Memory of My Guiding Light, My Dad
In Memory of Tim Pellant
May the Forks Be With You
To My Beloved, With Love, Dennis Doren
To Remember Sid Sy Keith
To Sarah K. With Love, Allen K.
To Sidney from Friend Asfil Corp.