World Chess Hall of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame is a museum in St. Louis, Missouri, dedicated to honoring achievements in the game of chess. Founded in 1984, it is run by the United States Chess Trust, a charitable arm of the United States Chess Federation. Formerly located in New Windsor, New York; Washington D.C.; and Miami, Florida, it moved to St. Louis on September 9, 2011.[1]

Contents

History

The brainchild of Steven Doyle, USCF president from 1984 to 1987,[2] the World Chess Hall of Fame was created in 1986 as the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.

Opened in 1988 in the basement of the Federation’s then-headquarters in New Windsor, New York,[1] the small museum contained a modest collection, including a book of chess openings signed by Bobby Fischer;[3] a silver set awarded to Paul Morphy, American chess player and unofficial World Champion; and cardboard plaques honoring past grandmasters.

In 1992, the U.S. Chess Trust purchased the museum and moved its contents to Washington D.C. At its Washington D.C. location from 1992 to 2001, the hall featured America's "big four" chess players: Paul Morphy, Bobby Fischer, Frank Marshall, and Samuel Reshevsky.[4] It displayed the World Chess Championship trophy won by the United States team in 1993 as well as numerous chess boards and chess pieces. The museum gave visitors the opportunity to play against a chess computer. By 2001, the collection had grown to include numerous chess sets and boards and plaques commemorating inductees to the U.S. and World halls of fame.[4]

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 rook-shaped building constructed by Excalibur. Although Samole died in 2000, the U.S. Chess Trust accepted the proposal the following year.[1] Reopened in 2001, it was renamed the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum.[1][5] The museum continued collecting chess sets, books, tournament memorabilia, advertisements, photographs, furniture, medals, trophies, and journals until it closed in 2009. Rex Sinquefield soon afterward agreed to pay for moving the museum to the St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center and renovating its new building.[1]

The World Chess Hall of Fame is located across the street from the club in St. Louis’ vibrant Central West End neighborhood. It displays artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich cultural history of chess as well as the U.S. and World Chess Hall of Fame.

The 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. Its collection includes pieces such as a 500-year-old piece from an Egyptian game called senet, the earliest known board game; a custom-made set of chess furniture that belonged to Bobby Fischer, and the first commercial chess computer. Rotating exhibitions feature items from the permanent collection; the museum also mounts two temporary exhibitions per year. The Hall of Fame also commemorates the careers of its members.

The grand opening program for the St. Louis location featured Number Twelve: Chess Piano Concert in Three Movements, in which Dutch contemporary artist Guido van der Werve performed on a one-of-a-kind chess piano that he built. The piano sounded a note as each chess piece is played, while nine string musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony played van der Werve’s score.

Hall of Fame

There are 47 members in the U.S. Hall of Fame, including Bobby Fischer, Jack Collins, Larry Evans, Benjamin Franklin, Sammy Reshevsky, Paul Morphy, and Arnold Denker. Two more are being inducted into the 2011 class.

There are 15 members in the World Hall of Fame, including Jose Capablanca, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, and Boris Spassky. Winner of the first Women’s World Chess Championship Vera Menchik will be inducted into the 2011 class.

The 2011 inductions took place on September 8 as part of the World Chess Hall of Fame Grand Opening celebration.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Dondis, Harold; Patrick Wolff (14 June 2010). "The Chess Hall of Fame is saved". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/games/articles/2010/06/14/the_chess_hall_of_fame_is_saved/. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  2. ^ Harold Dondis, Harold; Patrick Wolff (17 September 2001). "Chess Notes". Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts): p. D6. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/80835337.html?dids=80835337:80835337&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+17%2C+2001&author=Harold+Dondis%2C+and+Patrick+Wolff%2C+Globe+Correspondents&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=CHESS+NOTES&pqatl=google. Retrieved 25 July 2010. 
  3. ^ Hill, Michael (9 April 1991). "Sparking Interest: Chess Hall of Fame celebrates game's longevity". The Item (New Windsor, New York): p. 6A. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=il4tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JNoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3921,1843743&dq=chess-hall-of-fame&hl=en. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  4. ^ a b Danilov, Victor J. (1997). Hall of Fame Museums: A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. p. 104. ISBN 0-313-30000-3. 
  5. ^ Kurzdorfer, Peter (2003). The Everything Chess Basics Book. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media. p. viii. ISBN 158062586. 

External links