4652 Maryland Avenue
Saint Louis, MO
314-367-9243
The World Chess Hall of Fame was the brainchild of Steven Doyle, United States Chess Federation president from 1984 to 1987. The institution was originally known as the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and opened in 1988 in the basement of the Federation’s then-headquarters in New Windsor, New York. The museum began with a small collection of chess memorabilia and cardboard plaques honoring past grandmasters. In 1992, the U.S. Chess Trust purchased the museum and moved it to Washington D.C. While the museum was in the nation’s capitol its the memorabilia collection grew along with the addition of numerous chess sets and boards and the Hall of Fame was expanded to included U.S. and World inductees.
In the late 1990s, Sidney Samole, former owner of Excalibur Electronics, proposed to move the hall of fame to Miami, where it would be located in a new, multi-million dollar facility rook-shaped building constructed by Excalibur. As General Manager of Fidelity Electronics, Samole conceived of the first chess computer, Chess Challenger 1, in 1977. Although Samole died in 2000, the U.S. Chess Trust accepted the proposal the following year. The institution reopened in 2001 as the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum. The museum continued collecting chess sets, books, tournament memorabilia, advertisements, photographs, furniture, medals, trophies, and journals until it closed in 2009.
Due to the vibrancy of Saint Louis and the growing international reputation of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, it was proposed that the contents of the Miami institution be moved to Saint Louis. Realizing the potential to provide area youth with a vital educational resource, Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield provided seed funding to relocate the institution and renovate its new building. The World Chess Hall of Fame opened in September of 2011 in Saint Louis’ Central West End, a bustling neighborhood located directly across the street from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The World Chess Hall of Fame is housed in a historic three story 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from its permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and a rich cultural history of chess.
The World Chess Hall of Fame collaborates with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center to provide programming, instruction, and outreach to an international audience of novices and experts alike. Rotating exhibitions feature items from the permanent collection and the museum also displays temporary exhibitions. The third floor is home to the plaques of the Hall of Fame members. As of May 2013, there are 19 members of the World Hall of Fame and 52 members of the U.S. Hall of Fame. The U.S. Hall of Fame includes Bobby Fischer, John W. Collins, Larry Evans, Benjamin Franklin, George Koltanowski, Sammy Reshevsky, Paul Morphy, and Arnold Denker. The 16 members in the World Hall of Fame include José Raúl Capablanca, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, and Boris Spassky. The site is also home to the Q Boutique - named Saint Louis’ Best Gift Shop 2012 by the Riverfront Times. This shop offers items that can enhance a room, refresh a wardrobe, or tickle the imagination.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
T. S. Eliot: A Game of Chess
Through March 24, 2024
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.
Free
Donna Dodson: Match of the Matriarchs and other Amazonomachies
Through September 15, 2024
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 (WCHOF). 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. The exhibition also showcases eight additional “amazon” sculptures depicting historical, literary, and mythological female heroes including figures from Mulan and Black Panther; a minotaur; Tomyris, a queen of Turkey; references to an aunt; Cybele; and Lakshmibai, a queen of India.
Free
Visiting the World Chess Hall of Fame
Visiting Hours
Monday & Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday - Friday: 10 am - 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm
Admission to the World Chess Hall of Fame is free. Donations are appreciated.
Use the official site of the World Chess Hall of Fame to find the answers to the questions about the World Chess Hall of Fame that you may have.
