It is a game of skill that requires strategy, patience and knowledge.
And this coming weekend, you could be a part of setting a Guinness World Record for taking part.
Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games globally and is played by two opponents on a checkered board with specially designed pieces of contrasting colours, commonly white and black. The objective of the game is to capture the opponent's king.
This coming Saturday, July 20 is International Chess Day and not, only that, but 2024 is the year the official group for the game, the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is celebrating its 100 year anniversary.
To celebrate, FIDE wants to set the world record for the most amount of chess games played on a single day spanning a 24-hour period.
It plans to record the number of games played with Guinness World Records, the global authority for record-breaking achievements, and wants everyone to take part.
To have your game recorded in the world record attempt, you must play another person on an online forum.
The time period for games to be played is between midnight on July 20 and midnight July 21, and games must be at least five minutes long with a minimum of 15 moves per player.
Online games can be played on a platform such as Chess.com that has registered with FIDE for this attempt as well as other platforms that are also participating, including Lichess, FIDE Online Arena, Simple Chess, and Chess Alliance.
But what if you want a game in real life? Here are some of London’s hottest spots to have an in-person game.
Chess Club, Mayfair
The Chess Club in Mayfair opened back in 2017.
You can call ahead to say you’re coming but, as long as you're dressed respectfully, no-one is turned away – like other gentleman’s clubs in Mayfair – and no membership is required to play.
St John’s Garden, Horseferry Road
This is a large open garden area with tall trees and a water feature. You can also play giant chess here and there are benches for spending a quiet afternoon in the fresh air playing with friends.
The Citadines Hotel, Holborn
The Citadines Hotel is the home of the historic London Chess League. Teams from around the capital meet in a conference room here on Wednesday nights to do battle.
The London Chess League is one of the oldest leagues in the world, dating back to 1886. It currently has about 30 clubs and around 1,000 players in total take part during the season.
The Chess and Bridge shop, Baker Street
This is a place for chess enthusiasts, but the odd game does go on here on their ‘blitz’ nights.
The shop has just about every bit of chess paraphernalia you could possibly want to buy and lots of boards for sale.
Casual Chess
This group was born as a central London drop-in, free-to-play chess café and they meet up most nights of the week – with different people every night. They often play outdoors.
For the most up-to-date news on where the group is meeting, visit their website here.
Battersea Chess Club
They call themselves London’s friendliest chess club and it opens every Tuesday from 7.30pm, including during the World Chess Championships.
They have a full range of members who play at different levels and have a membership scheme, but people are invited to go along and give it a try first to see how they feel.
For more on what they offer, visit their website here.
