I’ve never dedicated a post to a shop before but given my love for chess, it seems entirely fitting it would be a shop dedicated to lovers of chess.
I first visited this place in 2008, and bought a travel-sized chess set which has since travelled with me around the world. I have many chess sets but none of them hold the sentimental value of this one. Not only does it remind me of my first trip to the US with a beautiful friend I’d made at university, it also reminds me of all the games I’ve played with strangers in various countries. Often losing more than winning, but hey, who’s counting?
I’ve always said if my flat were burning and I could only save one possession, it would be this particular travel set. It’s funny to say I’d feel a sense of loss if suddenly I no longer had it.
Fast forward nearly ten years later, I found myself in New York visiting a friend who had relocated to the city from London, and I knew I had to visit the shop again.
My friend, Aryan, is also a big fan of chess so I didn’t feel too guilty dragging him here on a very cold winter’s evening before a late night visit to the Met.
As soon as I approached the shop and saw the word chess embossed above the windows, I was reminded by how lucky I felt in 2008 when I stumbled across it whilst shopping for cheap vintage dresses in Manhattan. I felt twenty again.
Stepping inside and seeing all the various collections of chess sets, books, photos and newspaper clippings of famous chess players made me completely forget about the bitterly cold weather outside.
The owner of the small shop, Imad Khachan, quickly came over to greet us with a big smile. I told him the story of visiting 10 years previously and how happy I was to be here again.
We spoke for some time about various chess-related topics including a great little black and white silent film called Chess Fever made in 1925. It’s only twenty minutes long so if you fancy watching it, I’ve uploaded it below:
Khachan also told us about some of the events held at the shop. A recent one included a talk about Duchamp who most people know as the artist who pioneered Dadaism, but know him less so as a chess player. He loved chess so much that he gave up a successful career in art to concentrate on a less-so lucrative career in chess.
Chess Forum opened in 1995 on a street that used to have a lot of chess shops, but now it’s the only one located in Greenwich Village after their last rival closed its doors in 2012.
I guess with shifting demographics, online sales, and rent hikes, niche shops like this are difficult to bank on nostalgia alone.
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Needless to say, myself and chess fans around the word are happy that we can still come here to share our passion for this beautiful game, as well as a place to do battle, discuss strategy, and talk about – as Mr Khachan would encourage – anything from art to politics to travel.
Where to find Chess Forum in New York
Address: 219 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
Website: www.chessforum.com
2 Responses
Imad is the man!
Haha he sure is!!