Program Type: Community Event

Join us for an evening of gaming and crafts inspired by our Spring exhibitions. Discover how modern day chess pieces evolved with The Staunton Standard: The Evolution of the Modern Chess Set, play on an artist-designed chess set from Painted Pieces: Art Chess from Purling London, and gather images and ideas from The Sinquefield Effect: The Resurgence of American Chess. Then, transport yourself to places like the Pantheon or Gomorrah and play an immersive game of chess—in a fully-rendered virtual reality environment. Finally, reflect on your experience while creating your own 3-D chess piece using natural air-dry clay, images, and a variety of fun embellishments.

$10 admission, $5 for WCHOF members, seniors, and military. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments are provided.

For more information or to reserve a spot please email: [email protected].

SOLD OUT

Wednesday, May 9 – 6:30 pm

Please RSVP by October 2, 2017. Register at the bottom of this page.

The World Chess Hall of Fame invites you to the Opening Reception for Victor Vasarely: Calculated Compositions & PINNED! A Designer Chess Challenge.

Victor Vasarely: Calculated Compositions

Victor Vasarely, widely recognized for his compelling illusions of spatial depth, was greatly inspired by patterns, including that of a chessboard. He is considered the father of the global op art movement and believed that art was intended to be enjoyed by the masses, rather than an elite few. This exhibition features works on loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece supplemented by selections from the permanent collections of the World Chess Hall of Fame and Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield.

PINNED! A Designer Chess Challenge

PINNED! is a first-of-its-kind designer challenge, developed in partnership with the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, to celebrate the intersection of chess and fashion. Paired with a consulting Grandmaster, each of the six designers in the Saint Louis Fashion Incubator’s inaugural class—Agnes Hamerlik, Emily Brady Koplar, Allison Mitchell, Audra Noyes, Charles Smith II, and Reuben Reuel—designed a chess ensemble for today’s chess player. A new exhibit, Pinned! A Designer Chess Challenge will chronicle the process and outcome of this unique challenge.

The World Chess Hall of Fame invites you to the opening reception of Global Moves: Americans in Chess Olympiads, an exhibition highlighting nearly 90 years of the American team at Chess Olympiads. In 2016, for the first time in 40 years, the American national team edged out 180 countries from around the world to win gold at the Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, solidifying America’s status as a powerhouse in the chess world. This multimedia exhibit features never before exhibited artifacts and honors the rich legacy—and bright future—of the American Chess Olympiad team.

Members of the 2016 gold-medal-winning American Olympiad team will be in attendance—including Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamura, Ray Robson, and Sam Shankland, along with Team Captain International Master John Donaldson.

Friday, Nov 10 – 6:00 pm

Attend the free opening reception of two all-new exhibits—Michael Drummond: Being Played and A Beautiful Game—showcasing the unique connections among chess, fashion, and beauty on Thursday, October 10, 2019.

Michael Drummond: Being Played weaves a narrative about the effects of the fast fashion industry on climate change through the lens of chess-inspired creations by Saint Louis-based garment designer Michael Drummond. The exhibit showcases new designs using a variety of naturally-occurring and man-made materials, including laser-cut synthetics, clothing spun from steel, handcrafted shoes and digitally-printed accessories.

A Beautiful Game both showcases artifacts from the World Chess Hall of Fame collection—chess-inspired beauty products, photographs, posters, and advertisements—and illustrates how the sophistication and brilliance of the game have been celebrated and revered in chess and popular culture. The exhibition also highlights new, interactive artwork by chess champion and author Jennifer Shahade as well as Pinned! fashion designer Audra Noyes.

Free admission. Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Complimentary valet available.

RSVP’s recommended.

Michael Drummond: Being Played is generously supported the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

A Beautiful Game is also supported by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Thursday, Oct 10 – 5:30 pm

This reception is SOLD OUT. Due to overwhelming demand, a second, duplicate reception will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2020. Register here.

Join us for the in-person opening reception of our newest exhibition, Keith Haring: Radiant Gambit, on Thursday, November 19, 2020, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Radiant Gambit features artwork by Haring, a world-renowned pop artist known for his art that proliferated in the New York subway system during the 1980s. The exhibition includes a never-before-seen private collection of Haring’s works and photographs of the artist, bespoke street art chess sets from Purling London and newly-commissioned pieces by Saint Louis artists, all paying homage to the late pop culture icon.

In compliance with our safety guidelines, guests will be required to wear masks and sign up for a timed, 30-minute tour of all three floors, including a viewing of our current exhibition, Power in Check: Chess and the American Presidency, led by our curators.

The reception is free and open to the public with complimentary valet and cocktails on our heated outdoor chess patio. Please register for your timed tour here.

A virtual tour of the exhibitions will also be viewable on our website, YouTube and Facebook channels.

This event is SOLD OUT.

This reception is SOLD OUT. 

Due to overwhelming demand, a second, duplicate reception for Keith Haring: Radiant Gambit, has been added on Thursday, December 3, 2020, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Radiant Gambit features artwork by Haring, a world-renowned pop artist known for his art that proliferated in the New York subway system during the 1980s. The exhibition includes a never-before-seen private collection of Haring’s works and photographs of the artist, bespoke street art chess sets from Purling London and newly-commissioned pieces by Saint Louis artists, all paying homage to the late pop culture icon.

In compliance with our safety guidelines, guests will be required to wear masks and sign up for a timed, 30-minute tour of all three floors, including a viewing of our current exhibition, Power in Check: Chess and the American Presidency, led by our curators.

The reception is free and open to the public with complimentary valet and cocktails on our heated outdoor chess patio. Please register for your timed tour here.

A virtual tour of the exhibitions will also be viewable on our website, YouTube and Facebook channels.

This event is SOLD OUT.

Join us for the in-person opening reception of our newest exhibition, Masterminds: Chess Prodigies on Thursday, February 11, 2021, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Masterminds is an exhibition that tells the stories of notable chess prodigies including Bobby Fischer, World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and the Polgar sisters. Through photographs, videos and mementos of important chess matches and tournaments from the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, visitors will learn more about these talented young players as well as their later accomplishments. The exhibition will also highlight the achievements of players who took up the game later in life and still made a mark on the world of chess.

In compliance with our safety guidelines, guests will be required to wear masks and sign up for a timed, 30-minute tour of all three floors, including a viewing of our popular exhibition, Keith Haring: Radiant Gambit, led by our curators.

The reception is free and open to the public with complimentary valet available. Please register for your timed tour here.

A virtual tour of the exhibitions will also be viewable on our YouTube and Facebook channels.

Thursday, Feb 11 – 5:00 pm

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of American Bobby Fischer’s victory over the Russian Boris Spassky during the legendary 1972 World Chess Championship with a special event at the World’s Fair Pavillion in Forest Park. The celebration is being held in conjunction with the opening reception of the 2022 Sinquefield Cup and includes a cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a 50-board chess simul featuring 10 of the best players from around the world, and a one-of-a-kind musical performance curated by World Chess Hall of Fame’s Music Director Brian Owens.

Learn more about the “Match of the Century” at the World Chess Hall of Fame’s exhibit, 1972 Fischer/Spassky: The Match, Its Origin, and Influence, on view through April 30, 2023.

Tickets are $25 per person. Complimentary valet.

Purchase tickets HERE>

Thursday, Sep 1 – 5:30 pm

1972 Fischer/Spassky: The Match, its Origin, and Influence celebrates the 50th anniversary of the American Robert “Bobby” Fischer’s historic win over the Russian Boris Spassky’s legendary gameplay in the 1972 World Chess Championship, ending 24 years of Soviet dominance in the sport. The show features more than 500 artifacts, including chess pieces used in pivotal game three of the “Match of the Century,” a replica of the tournament table created by the makers of the original and never-before-exhibited books from the personal library of Bobby Fischer. The exhibition also highlights pieces from the World Chess Hall of Fame collection, loans from the Fischer Library of U.S. Chess Hall of Fame Inductees Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield & Rex Sinquefield, and from photojournalist and Fischer confidant Harry Benson CBE and recently-donated artwork by the LeRoy Neiman & Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. 

Join us for the opening reception of this unprecedented exhibition at the World Chess Hall of Fame. We will have complimentary cocktails, valet, music from 1972, and remarks from our curators!

Thursday, August 18th, 2022

5:00-8:00 PM C.T.

Free Admission. Complimentary cocktails and valet.

RSVPs suggested. RSVP HERE>

The exhibition is on view from August 18, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

Thursday, Aug 18 – 5:00 pm

Spring has sprung at Q Boutique! Shop 25% off select merchandise both in-store and online, plus mocktails by neighborhood-favorite Brennan’s and complimentary chess cupcakes provided by The Cup. Shop online at qboutiquestl.com.

Valid only on 4.6.24 from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm CDT. Offer cannot be combined with other sales and discounts.

Saturday, Apr 6 – 12:00 am