Program Type: Exhibition

Exhibit Overview

T. S. Eliot: A Game of Chess explores Eliot’s famous poem, The Waste Land, through the theme of chess. After World War I, the Spanish Flu, and his father’s death, Eliot wrote The Waste Land, a poem expressing grief and feelings of alienation in a rapidly modernizing society. Situated just steps from his parent’s home in Saint Louis’ Central West End, this exhibit features artifacts and multimedia displays relating to Eliot’s poem, his chess metaphors, and the many strands of his life that he wove into his writing.

Born in midtown Saint Louis in 1888, T. S. Eliot went on to become an internationally renowned poet, British citizen, and Nobel Prize winner. In 1922, he published what became his most famous poem, The Waste Land, including a section entitled “A Game of Chess.” This exhibit will center on Eliot’s use of chess in this poem and circle outward to ways in which The Waste Land reflects his Saint Louis childhood, his personal and familial relationships, the cultural wound of World War I, and the poet’s deep reading in literature and philosophy.

Chess was an important part of the poet’s life as a form of connection to his father, with whom he played transatlantic chess by letter before his death in 1919, and as a pastime with his wife when communication failed. Eliot worked chess into The Waste Land through the theme of royalty, specifically the Fisher King whose illness parallels the “wasting” of the land, echoed by references to other kings and queens from Shakespeare’s plays, and through chess as a metaphor for sexual intrigue, drawing on two Renaissance plays by Thomas Middleton, A Game at Chess and Women Beware Women.

In Eliot’s poem, an unhappy couple spars verbally, the wife represented as a queen on “a burnished throne.” They make conversational moves but do not connect with one another. Ultimately, the husband silently envisions the endgame of their day:

“And we shall play a game of chess,
Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.”

In a poem concerned with connection and disconnection (“I can connect/Nothing with nothing”), his chess imagery suggests people seeking union and understanding but instead betraying and disappointing one another. Woven into the theme of royalty are gestures of grief for the passing of his father, who was a kind of “king” in Saint Louis as the former President of the Hydraulic Press Brick Company.

Co-Curated by Bradley Bailey and Shannon Bailey

With extraordinarily rich histories in common, it is no wonder that there are innumerable points of intersection between the respective stories of chess and music. From master chess players who are deeply passionate about writing, playing, and experiencing music to world-renowned musicians with insatiable appetites for both the competitive and collaborative aspects of chess, the art of music and the sport of chess have enjoyed an enormously productive and mutually influential partnership over the centuries. But the players of chess and the performers and producers of music who share an interest in each other’s discipline are only one facet of the many dimensions that comprise the larger picture of the association between art and chess.

With compelling, eye-catching objects, a diverse sound palette, and videos that will entertain and inform, Sound Moves will appeal to chess enthusiasts of all levels, writers, performers, and lovers of diverse genres of music, and novices of both activities with an interest in popular culture and a desire to be exposed to a fascinating story featuring a thoughtful and dynamic presentation.

Through the Featured Chess Set project, the World Chess Hall of Fame showcases a variety of chess sets throughout the year. These include highlights from our own collection as well as chess sets owned by friends and chess lovers who have special stories to accompany their sets.

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 in the legendary 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.

Exhibit Overview

A chess prodigy, Fischer began playing the game of chess at the age of 6 and by the age of 16 was the youngest player ever to win a U.S. Junior Championship; win a U.S. Championship (record still stands today); become a grandmaster ever at the time; become an international player at that time, and qualify for the Candidates Tournament. In addition, he won the U.S. Open in 1958, was the first non-Sovet to win an Interzonal in 1962, and authored My 60 Memorable Games in 1969, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest pieces of chess literature. Fischer won all eight of the U.S. Chess Championships that he participated in and won all 11 games in the 1964 U.S. Championship—a record that still stands today. He appeared on the pages of LIFE Magazine and Sports Illustrated and on numerous television programs, bringing the game of chess to a wider audience in the United States. Prior to qualifying for the World Championship match, Fischer won 20 consecutive games in 1970-71 against the world’s top players.

The 1972 World Chess Championship, with Fischer facing off against Soviet world chess champion Boris Spassky, embodied the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. In addition, the tales of the World Chess Championship in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the summer of 1972 are numerous and fantastic. Fischer arrived late to the first game, forfeited game two, inspected television cameras and lights, insisting that they were making too much noise or contained devices that were intended to distract him, and had special chessboards created for the match. It was debated if this was “normal” Fischer conduct or if he was intentionally attempting to cause a psychological breakdown of his opponent.

The match was organized as the best of 24 games. Fischer won the match 12 ½-8 ½, becoming the 11th World Chess Champion and the first American-born player to do so—ending 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Chess Championship. Fischer was welcomed back home in New York City as an American hero. He would not go on to defend his title in 1975.

Though Fischer’s later years were marred by controversy and involved little chess play, his legacy on American chess is indelible. His thrilling rise to the top of the world of chess and his landmark victory in what became known as the “Match of the Century” greatly increased the popularity of chess in the United States. In 1972, the year that he clinched the world chess championship title, membership in US Chess was 30,844. In just one year, that total nearly doubled, rising to 59,250 members. Many of these new chess players would go on to become future U.S. Champions, authors, inductees into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, and major supporters of the game. Films such as Searching for Bobby Fischer, Bobby Fischer Against the World, Pawn Sacrifice, and the Broadway Play Chess the Musical would continue to bring Bobby and his accomplishments into the mainstream even past his death in 2008.

Fischer’s victory in the 1972 World Chess Championship inspired Saint Louis Chess Campus co-founder Rex Sinquefield’s love of chess. He and his wife Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield founded the Saint Louis Chess Club in 2008. Additionally, Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield launched the Scouts BSA chess merit badge in 2011, which has now been awarded to 250,000 Scouts. Their prestigious named international tournaments the Sinquefield Cup and the Cairns Cup have brought numerous top international players to the U.S. and their efforts have made the United States a global chess capital, attracting more grandmasters to the United States and encouraging many people to take up the game in what is now known as the “Sinquefield Effect.”

Highlights

A table and accessories designed by Icelandic furniture designer Gunnar Magnússon and produced by cabinetmaker Ragnar Haraldsson. In addition to making the actual table that Fischer and Spassky played the WCC Tournament on, two extra and identical tables were made after the famous chess match as gifts to Iceland. One of the replica tables will be exhibited. The original remains on permanent display in Iceland.

The show will also include materials once owned by Bobby Fischer, from his study materials for the 1971 Candidates Matches to the “red book” of games by Boris Spassky that was his constant companion as he prepared for the 1972 World Chess Championship, on loan from the Fischer Library of Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield and Rex Sinquefield.

1972 Fischer/Spassky will also include intimate photography by renowned photojournalist Harry Benson CBE, who became a close confidant of Fischer. These photos tell the intimate story of Fischer both as a chess player and as sympathetic person as they show him interacting with children and animals and enjoying time at a carnival. They also show him prepping for the game at Grossingers Resort in upstate New York both studying the games of Spassky but training athletically.

The exhibition will also include the actual chess pieces used in game three of the World Chess Championship, the first game in which Fischer defeated Spassky in his entire career.

Additionally, sketches of the 1972 World Chess Championship created by noted artist LeRoy Neiman donated by the LeRoy Neiman & Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation show the exciting events of the 1972 match from an artistic perspective.

Newly-donated materials from Irena Kavalek, wife of Grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek, and International Master and author John Donaldson offer insight into important events from Fischer’s life.

The show also includes artifacts related to Bobby Fischer’s early training and achievements, including the furniture from the Hawthorne Chess Club, where Fischer spent his formative years.

Programming

Programming for the Fischer exhibition includes historical talks about Fischer and his influence with the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductee Frank Brady, IM John Donaldson, and more; a commissioned musical performance by our music director, Brian Owens, film screenings of Searching for Bobby Fischer, Pawn Sacrifice, and additional Fischer video content in a fun mini-movie theater atmosphere; morning movement sessions on our patio to explore the mind and body connection, figure drawing classes inspired by works in the exhibit, cocktail hours celebrating the music and culture of 1972, lessons on Fischer Random by Grandmasters, and curator tours. We will also have a Bobby Fischer and 1972 inspired playlist to be used throughout the exhibition. For children and families we will provide a monthly scavenger hunt to be completed throughout the galleries, coloring sheets inspired by the exhibition, and a 1972 words search. We will periodically offer the attic space to families who wish to complete these activities in the museum.

1972 Fischer/Spassky: Exclusive Interview with Boris Spassky, Jr.

Watch this exclusive, first-time interview with Boris Spassky Jr., son of legendary World Chess Champion Boris Spassky. After touring “1972 Fischer/Spassky: The Match, its Origin, and Influence,” Spassky Jr. sat down with World Chess Hall of Fame’s Marketing Manager Brian Flowers to share his perspective on his father, his relationship with Bobby Fischer, what happened after the 1972 World Chess Championship, and explores some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the “Match of the Century” competitors.

Media Requests

For more information, to schedule an interview, or request a media kit, please click here.

Press

08/04/2022: World Chess Hall of Fame – “1972 Fischer/Spassky” Press Release

Exhibit Overview

1972 Fischer/Spassky: The Match, Its Origin, and Influence celebrates the 50th anniversary of Robert “Bobby” Fischer’s historical win over Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Chess Championship. Fischer’s thrilling rise to the top of the world of chess and his landmark victory in the “Match of the Century” greatly increased the popularity of chess in the United States. The first non-Soviet player to earn the title in 24 years, Fischer won the championship after 21 games at the age of 29. In 1972, the year that he clinched the world chess championship title, membership in US Chess was 30,844. In just one year, that total nearly doubled, rising to 59,250 members. Photography and images of artifacts related to Fischer’s accomplishments surround this hole. It features a position from Game 1 of the 1972 World Chess Championship where Spassky defeated Fischer. Fischer forfeited the following game by not appearing for it. Game 3 was the turning point of the match. Fischer defeated Spassky for the first time in both the match and his career, and he would go on to win the entire championship 12 1/2-8 ½ on September 1, 1972.

A full exhibition documenting the influence of Bobby Fischer will open at the World Chess Hall of Fame in the Central West End on August 18, 2022, and will feature highlights from the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame as well as the Fischer Library of Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield and Rex Sinquefield and loans from the Amon Carter Museum of Art among others. Visitors can follow Bobby Fischer on the road to the 1972 World Chess Championship, from the Candidates Matches to Fischer’s training for the championship at Grossinger’s Resort, the historic match, and the following explosion of popularity of chess in the United States, also known as the “Fischer Boom.” Though Fischer left a complex legacy, his performance in the 1972 World Chess Championship encouraged many players in the United States and around the world to play chess.

Through the Featured Chess Set project, the World Chess Hall of Fame showcases a variety of chess sets throughout the year. These include highlights from our own collection as well as chess sets owned by friends and chess lovers who have special stories to accompany their sets

December

December’s Featured Chess Set is part of the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF). Since its creation in 1986, the WCHOF has endeavored to highlight the history and cultural significance of the game of chess. The WCHOF’s collection is diverse and includes sets once owned by legendary players, mass-produced sets with lively pop culture themes, antique ivory sets, travel sets, as well as chess computers. Through these artifacts, the WCHOF illustrates how chess has evolved through its over 1500-year history. This set is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

December’s Christmas chess set was created by Turkish artist Engin Calisir. A chess player himself, Calisir wanted to create a set perfect for the holiday season. The board is decorated in classic holiday colors with the back square pieces slightly raised. Santa Claus is the king and the queen is not Mrs. Claus but rather the Snow Princess. The rook resembles Santa stuck in the chimney flue. The knight is a jolly snowman and the bishop a snow covered pine tree. Lastly, pawns are adorable reindeer, waiting for Santa.

November

November’s Featured Chess Set is part of the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF). Since its creation in 1986, the WCHOF has endeavored to highlight the history and cultural significance of the game of chess. The WCHOF’s collection is diverse and includes sets once owned by legendary players, mass-produced sets with lively pop culture themes, antique ivory sets, travel sets, as well as chess computers. Through these artifacts, the WCHOF illustrates how chess has evolved through its over 1500-year history. This set is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

This month’s chess set is a 3D printed alcohol bottle themed chess set. 3D printing allows makers to create sets with varied and imaginative themes, from characters from television and movies to festive holiday sets. Both sides of the chess set depict the pawns as beer cans, rooks as whisky, knights as brandy, bishops as vodka, the queen as champagne, and the king as the shape of a whiskey bottle. The face of each bottle has the inscription of the designated chess piece while the knight, bishop, and king states the type of alcohol. The printed bottles rest on coasters that are the same color as the chess piece.

KING: Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Whiskey

QUEEN: Moët & Chandon, Champagne

BISHOP: Gray Goose, Vodka

ROOK: Jack Daniel’s, Tennessee Whiskey

KNIGHT: Pinch, Scotch Whiskey

PAWN: Heineken, Beer

Exhibit Overview

Mind, Art, Experience: 10 Years of Chess & Culture in Saint Louis celebrates the best chess, art and culture from all 50 exhibitions held at the World Chess Hall of Fame since its 2011 relocation to Saint Louis, Missouri. The three-floor show features more than 120 artworks and artifacts, including pieces related to legendary World Champions Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Boris Spassky; works by renowned photojournalist Harry Benson CBE and internationally-acclaimed artists M.C. Escher, Tom Friedman, Barbara Kruger and Yoko Ono; chess-inspired pieces by Saint Louis-based creatives Michael Drummond, Peter Manion and Audra Danielle Noyes; and loans from notable collectors and institutions, including Jon Crumiller, Dr. George and Vivian Dean, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Luhring Augustine Gallery and David Zwirner Gallery.

The exhibition is on view from January 27, 2022, through July 17, 2022.

A reception celebrating the exhibition along with our 10-year anniversary in Saint Louis will be on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

Exhibit Overview

For its fourth collaboration with The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries’ Golf the Galleries, the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) presents Check, Please! an off-site experience of our current exhibition Check, Please! Chess Dining & Decor. Food, like the game of chess, brings people together. Check, Please! includes food and drink-themed chess sets and chess-inspired home decor from the collection of the WCHOF. With a mission to promote the cultural aspects of the game of chess, the WCHOF seeks to demonstrate that chess is everywhere! Though chess is often seen as a competitive sport and a game of war, there is also a very fun and whimsical side of the ancient game. Check, Please! is an immersive exhibition designed to invite visitors into fun, familiar environments decorated by food and drink-themed decor inspired by chess.

The WCHOF celebrates one of the world’s oldest and best-loved games through vibrant, engaging exhibitions and creative programming. A non-profit, collecting Institution, the WCHOF houses both the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, which honor the accomplishments of the game’s finest players. Our mission is to educate visitors, fans, players and scholars by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the game of chess and its continuing cultural and artistic significance. Unique shows and programs are designed to appeal to both the chess novice and expert, defying expectations and enhancing knowledge of the game. Along with those of its sister organization, the Saint Louis Chess Club, the WCHOF’s activities have distinguished Saint Louis as a national and international chess destination.

At this hole, play through the chess pieces that are lined up like candy canes! Then, to continue to enjoy chess and food and drink, scan the in-person QR code for a free coffee when you visit Kingside Diner on the Saint Louis Chess Campus!

Golf the Galleries is on view for a limited time, July 2 – September 6, 2021