Program Type: Special Event

The Saint Louis Chess Club, US Chess Federation, and Kasparov Chess Foundation are pleased to present the second Saint Louis Chess Conference, October 22nd – 24th, 2026. Our first conference, in 2024, brought together over two-hundred-and-fifty educators, researchers, and enthusiasts in America’s chess capital. The 2026 conference will again feature three keynote speakers and new special events. Come learn from other educators and researchers, see the brand new Saint Louis Chess Club facilities, and make memories with other chess enthusiasts.

Merry Moves is the ultimate over-the-top, holiday-themed pop-up experience transforming the Saint Louis Chess Campus in the Central West End. This unique event adds a fun chess twist to your seasonal celebrations, making it a must-visit destination for Saint Louis holiday activities.

🗓️ Event Dates and Operating Schedule

Merry Moves runs from Friday, November 28, 2025, through Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

(Note: Merry Moves is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 & 25.)

Day	Merry Moves Operating Hours
Sunday	12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Monday	10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday	10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday	10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday	10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 “Nice Hours” for Families and Kids (WCHOF)

Daytime activities (generally 10 AM/12 PM to 5 PM) are hosted at the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries (WCHOF). Tickets for Nice Hours are $5 per person and are perfect for families and children. They include:

• Hot chocolate, cookies, and holiday treats.
• Hands-on activities and crafts.
• Guests can enjoy playing on chess sets available throughout the space.
• Viewing the WCHOF exhibitions (free regular business hours admission applies).

🍸 “Naughty Hours” for Adults (Kingside Diner)

Evening hours (generally 4 PM to 10 PM) convert to “Naughty hours” at Kingside Diner, featuring a festive cocktail lounge for adults.

• Tickets cost $15 per person and include one complimentary drink ticket (additional drinks available for purchase), soft drinks, and light appetizers.
• Kingside Diner

Planning a holiday party?Email [email protected] for more information on private event bookings!

📸 A Kitschy Winter Wonderland for Social Media

The Saint Louis Chess Campus is transformed into a kitschy winter wonderland, complete with floor-to-ceiling holiday decorations. It’s the ideal backdrop for taking and sharing selfies and season’s greetings, establishing it as one of the most Instagrammable holiday spots in Saint Louis!

International Chess Master, co-founder of Chess.com, and renowned chess advocate Daniel Rensch will be at Q Boutique, gift shop at the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries, signing copies of his highly anticipated memoir, Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life. Described as Educated meets The Queen’s Gambit, this powerful and deeply personal book dives into his upbringing in an abusive cult and how chess ended up saving his life. Copies of Dark Squares are available for purchase both in-store and online at qboutiquestl.com.

Danny Rensch is an International Master and Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com. After a successful scholastic chess career, Danny joined Chess.com as a co-founder in 2009. He directs the company’s content, media partnerships, and professional chess events. Danny is an accomplished commentator and broadcaster who used to establish Chess.com’s streaming and creator programs. He has channeled his lifelong passion for playing and teaching chess to advance Chess.com’s mission of growing the game and helping people enjoy their lives through chess. With over 200 million registered users, Chess.com is the leading platform for playing and learning chess.

Celebrate the accomplishments of the 2025 World Chess Hall of Fame inductees Grandmaster (GM) Pia Cramling, GM Vlastimil Hort, and GM Jan Timman, as well as the 2025 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductees GM Irina Krush and National Master Bruce Pandolfini.

Each year, candidates for induction to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame are nominated by the US Chess Recognitions Committee, which includes leading chess historians. The Committee’s selections are sent to the US Chess Executive Board for review, and the Board’s recommendations are then forwarded to the U.S. Chess Trust, whose Trustees have the official authority to determine inductees into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.

Representatives of the International Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs or FIDE) nominate and select new candidates for induction into the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Players and others who have made an impact as authors, journalists, organizers, and in other ways are eligible for induction.

This year’s inductions will be held in conjunction with the 2025 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships Opening Ceremony.

Date: Saturday, October 11th

Cocktails: 5:30 PM

Program: 6:30 PM

Ticket Price: $25 per person

Location: Budweiser 703 Club, 700 Clark Ave, St. Louis, MO 63102

Enjoy complimentary valet, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres.

Join us for the exhibition opening of Reading Between the Lines: Chess & Literature, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, 5-8 pm. Enjoy complimentary admission, valet, cocktails, and appetizers by Brennan’s.

Kings and pawns, struggles for power, and tales of adventure, friendship, and romance. For centuries, writers have used chess as a way to tell remarkably varied stories, from narratives of players aspiring to the top levels of the game to battles with life and death as the stakes. The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries’ newest exhibition, Reading Between the Lines: Chess and Literature, features rare books, artwork, and artifacts related to novels, poetry, authors, and poets spanning the eighteenth century to the present. Highlights include a chess table and other artifacts owned by The Queen’s Gambit author Walter Tevis, and J. Allen St. John’s paintings illustrating the adventure story The Chessmen of Mars. Other notable works include printmaker Barry Moser’s illustrations for Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, and German artist Elke Rehder’s woodcuts depicting scenes from Stefan Zweig’s book Schachnovelle, as well as chess-themed artwork depicting classic stories like George Orwell’s Animal Farm by Alessandro Gallo and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick by Jessica DeStefano and Richard Felix. Enjoy activities in our play and create space.

Free admission and complimentary cocktails and valet.

RSVPs required. Email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.

Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

You’re invited to the opening reception of Chess Variants: Transforming Tradition on August 7, 2025, from 5 to 8 p.m. Step into a vibrant gallery filled with rare chess sets, expert insights, and playable variants that challenge the traditional rules—from alternate starting positions to multi-player boards.

Chess Variants: Transforming Tradition is an exciting, interactive exhibition exploring the rich history of chess and the imaginative ways it has been reinvented around the world. Sit down, learn the moves, and play the games yourself in dynamic spaces designed for hands-on discovery and live programming with games created by chess legends such as World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and Klara and Laszló Polgar! Whether you’re a seasoned player or brand new to the board, this is your chance to experience chess like never before!

Free admission and complimentary cocktails and valet.

RSVPs required. Please email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.

Come ready to cuddle and help homeless animals with our friends at the Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis (CARE STL)! Meet volunteers from CARE STL to learn about fostering, adopting, and more. We encourage cash donations or donations of items from the shelter’s wishlist. While you are here, be sure to visit our complimentary exhibition, Paws & Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets.

CARE STL is a no-kill, open-admission shelter committed to saving and caring for the unwanted, abused, neglected, and homeless companion animals of the City of Saint Louis.

Strategy Across the Board is the Saint Louis Chess Club’s and World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries’ premier annual fundraising event, dedicated to expanding the impact of chess education and community outreach in the Saint Louis region, bringing together chess enthusiasts, community leaders, and supporters for an evening of strategy, inspiration, and giving back. 

This year’s theme is “Master of the Arts,” featuring Saint Louis-based Artists Stan Chisholm, Michael Drummond, Charlie Houska and Yuko Suga. Enjoy sublime music from Co-Emcees and World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries Music Directors Brian Owens and Brian Woods, mixing and mingling during cocktail hour, dinner, and a live auction. Black tie optional.

Proceeds directly fund the Club’s Scholastic Chess Programs, teaching critical thinking, problem-solving, and life skills to students of all ages, as well as the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries’ exhibitions, Music Series, and community programming. Join us and help make a lasting difference—one move at a time!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsors Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield & Rex Sinquefield and Edward Jones, Event Co-Chairs Eddie & Kathy Williams, and Auctioneer Fletcher Lane.