Program Type: Exhibition

Attend the opening reception of M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations and explore the mind-bending, mathematical, and metamorphic works of world-famous graphic artist M.C. Escher. The exhibition features an extensive collection of drawings, mezzotints, lithographs, and woodcuts, which blend and blur constructs inspired by impossible worlds, the intricacies of nature, and the infinity of chess.

Reception: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Free admission. Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

For additional information, please email [email protected]

Join us for the opening reception of two brand-new exhibitions, Harry Benson: Kings & Queens and Universal Turf: Peter Manion. Enjoy complimentary cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and more. Free admission.

About the Exhibitions

Harry Benson: Kings & Queens is a photography exhibit spanning the 60+ year career of world-renowned photojournalist Harry Benson CBE. Images include chess players and cultural icons such as Robert “Bobby” Fischer, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, celebrities, American presidents, and British royalty, in addition to newly-commissioned photography from the 2018 Sinquefield Cup.

Universal Turf: Peter Manion is a mixed media installation of never-before-seen works by Saint Louis-based artist Peter Manion that explores social and interpersonal parallels between chess and humanity. Manion’s plaster-coated panels of dyed felt create an interactive environment in which visitors are encouraged to interact with parts of the installation.Friday, Oct 5 – 6:00 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

Exhibit Overview

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) opened its doors in Saint Louis, Missouri, in September 2011 and has welcomed over 200,000 visitors. With exhibitions that focus on the historical and cultural significance of the game, the WCHOF seeks to celebrate the wide range of the game, from the incredible players and contributors to the game, and note how chess is intertwined with art, music, design, and pop culture. The exhibitions and related programming are geared towards visitors interested in the game, from experts to those interested in beginning to learn, and most importantly, to children and families. This year, the WCHOF is taking one of their most family-friendly shows out to thousands of chess-playing students who attend US Chess National Scholastic Events.

The World Chess Hall of Fame is proud to announce its first major collaboration with US Chess taking place outside of Saint Louis. A selection of artifacts from the WCHOF’s 2017 exhibition POW! Capturing Superheroes, Chess & Comics including original comic books and superhero-related chess sets as well as an activity book will be available to all visitors and estimated 10,000 participants in the 2024 National K-12 Grade Championships in National Harbor, MD, from December 6 to 8, 2024, and the 2025 SuperNationals VIII from May 9 to 11, 2025, in Orlando, FL.

The Exhibition
From Archie Andrews to the Avengers, from the Mighty Thor to Mickey Mouse, it seems that nearly every character in comics has taken a turn on the chessboard. It might be because chess provides a potent metaphor for the struggle between good and evil—or perhaps it is because 64-square grids and tiny sculpted pieces are so much fun to draw. Whatever their reasons, cartoonists have been offering their own twists on chess ever since the dawn of cartooning.

The ancient game of chess was created in the 6th century and immediately, the pieces became a way to tell stories, especially about battles between good and evil. As the game moved through Asia and then to Europe, the pieces were transformed to reflect current political moods, historical heroes, as well as legendary figures. Similarly, the stories and characters in comics and then later comic books would do the same thing.

A game of war, battle, strategic thinking, and artistic moves, chess lent itself well to the nature of comics and their characters. From 1940 to the present day, chess has graced the cover or stories of comics including the superhero genres, as well as horror, crime, science fiction, teen, and even Walt Disney characters. With hundreds of chess-related comic book covers, stories, and original characters, Pow! Capturing Superheroes, Chess & Comics celebrates another remarkable intersection of chess, art, and popular culture.

Eight chess sets and boards and 12 comic books will be on display with over 100 scanned chess-related comic books digitally available.

Other WCHOF Presence
Q Boutique will take part as a vendor at the tournaments offering related Chess Campus merchandise, copies of all languages of Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield’s Read and Write Chess (as of August 2024 available in 15 languages), and an exclusive activity book created for this collaboration.

Q Boutique is thrilled to be representing the World Chess Hall of Fame for our inaugural event at the 2024 National K-12 Grade Championships! Get ready for an exciting array of exclusive merchandise, including stylish vinyl chess board sets complete with chic travel bags, along with vibrant pens, pencils, and essential chess notation notebooks. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or just starting your chess journey, we’ve got everything you need to make your experience unforgettable.

Curated by Nicole Tessmer

Crown Jewels: Donation Highlights showcases 75 stunning chess sets, artworks, memorabilia, and more, gifted from 50 donors to the World Chess Hall of Fame. Benefactors include Chess Collectors International Members Frank Camaratta, Jon Crumiller, Dr. George and Vivian Dean, and the late Bernice and Floyd Sarisohn. See the intricate metalwork on a Hungarian chess set, a bespoke chess set created for the Shah of Iran, and many never-before-exhibited artifacts.