Special Events at the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries showcase extraordinary occasions that highlight the intersection of chess with culture, art, and innovation. These unique celebrations—including exhibition openings, anniversary commemorations, guest appearances by chess luminaries, and seasonal gatherings—offer memorable experiences that extend beyond our regular programming and provide distinctive opportunities to engage with the world of chess.
A real-life “Queen’s Gambit,” this captivating memoir tells the story of one of the most renowned women in chess history. Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar would become the highest-rated female chess player on the planet and the first woman to earn the men’s Grandmaster title — chess’ highest designation.
Doors at 6:00 p.m.
Event at 7:00 p.m.
Join us for the opening reception of Paws and Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets, on Thursday, January 30, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with complimentary admission, valet, and refreshments.
Paws and Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets displays a menagerie of animal-themed chess sets from around the world, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the animal kingdom to chess artists. Many of these are from the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, while others are on loan from artists, members of Chess Collectors International, and local collectors.
Artists have taken inspiration from the natural world to reinterpret familiar chess pieces for centuries. Some draw on an animal’s reputation to reimagine it as a chess piece—regal lions and powerful Tyrannosaurus rexes, known as the kings of the jungle and dinosaurs respectively, appear as rulers in some sets. In other cases, artists subvert expectations, elevating meek or delicate creatures like mice or frogs to powerful players when they step—or hop—onto the chess board. Though the animal kingdom is known for conflict between predator and prey, many of the sets feature humorous perspectives, showcasing pieces inspired by beloved pets or cartoon-like versions of beasts of the wild. Other sets serve as splendid reminders of the spectacular diversity of wildlife in a specific location like the ocean or a jungle.
RSVPs are recommended. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Thursday, January 30- 5:00
Celebrate the accomplishments of the 2024 World Chess Hall of Fame Inductees at a special ceremony featuring appearances by Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Nana Alexandria and WGM Irina Levitina. International Master Georgi Orlov and Nick Orlov will honor inductee WGM Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya.
In addition to Alexandria, Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya, and Levitina, we are honoring:
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. Members of the World Chess Hall of Fame are chosen for their total contribution to the sport. Players and others who have made an impact as authors, journalists, organizers, and in other ways are eligible for induction.
Event Details:
RSVP deadline extended!
Please RSVP by emailing us at [email protected]. Tuesday, Oct 29 – 5:00 pm
*ADDITIONAL SEATS ADDED! This event has been relocated to Kingside Diner, across the street at 4651 Maryland Avenue.
Join us for a deep dive into the mathematical influences in the works on view in M. C. Escher: Infinite Variations. Meet the authors of Math and the Art of M.C. Escher and learn about three kinds of geometries and how they appear in Escher’s work. Hands-on activities will explore Euclidean and non-Euclidean tessellations (please bring your iPhone or iPad), platonic solids, and hyperbolic spaces.
Bryan Clair, Ph.D.; Anneke Bart, Ph.D.; and Kim Druschel, Ph.D. are Associate Professors of Mathematics at Saint Louis University. Dr. Clair and Dr. Bart developed the course Math & the Art of M. C. Escher in 2000 and have also written the textbook of the same title, which explores topics in geometry using Escher’s artwork as an introduction to mathematical theory.
Reservations recommended.
$5 Admission for WCHOF Members. $10 General Admission. Free admission available for educators.
Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments provided. Metered on-street parking is available, as well as paid lots adjacent to Kingside Diner and at the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library.
Wednesday, Sep 4 – 6:30 pm
Meet and mingle with Grandmasters Levon Aronian and Leinier Domínguez before they battle it out with Chemical Warfare, an artistic chess set featured in our exhibition Painted Pieces: Art Chess from Purling London. The enclosed, illuminated chess set by artist Tony Raymonzrek requires players to wear gas masks and gloves while making moves, plus the added option of pressing a button to instantly eliminate your opponent by filling the chamber with smoke. Raymonzrek uses this unique installation to raise awareness of the competition for scarce resources and the potential to engage in extreme tactics.
Levon Grigori Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. On the March 2014 FIDE rating list, he was ranked number two in the world and had an Elo rating of 2830, making him the fourth highest rated player in history.
Leinier Domínguez Pérez is a Cuban chess Grandmaster. He competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2002 and 2004, and the FIDE World Cup in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Domínguez Pérez was world champion in blitz chess in 2008.
Free Admission. Reservations recommended. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments provided.
For more information or to reserve a spot please email: [email protected]. Metered on-street parking is available, as well as paid lots adjacent to Kingside Diner and at the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library.
Thursday, Sep 13 – 6:30 pm
On August 1, join us for the opening ceremony of the 2017 Sinquefield Cup and unveiling of the winning design from Pinned! A Designer Chess Challenge.
An unforgettable night of fashion, chess, and music, featuring national DJ and fashion designer Timo Weiland.
When: Tuesday, August 1
6 PM Cocktail Hour
7 PM Evening Program
After Party to Follow
Where: Windows on Washington
1601 Washington Ave., Saint Louis, MO
Tickets: $75
SOLD OUT!
Tuesday, Aug 1 – 6:00 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.
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
Join us for the opening reception of Donna Dodson: Match of the Matriarchs and Other Amazonomachies, on Thursday, February 15, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with complimentary admission, valet, and refreshments.
Donna Dodson: Match of the Matriarchs and other Amazonomachies is the first solo exhibition by a female artist hosted by the World Chess Hall of Fame. The show, which centers on women’s stories, women’s lives, and their place in the history of chess, includes Dodson’s monumental, life-sized chess set Match of the Matriarchs, which contains 32-large scale wooden sculptures representing all-female representations of cephalopods battling cetaceans.
RSVPs are recommended. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Thursday, Feb 15 – 5:00 pm
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