The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), the leading chess cultural center in the country, today announced: “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions,” an all-new exhibition opening on April 11, 2024, which is being held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary celebration of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
“Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions“ explores the histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of the WCHOF, FIDE and loans from world chess champions including World’s No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and private lenders.
“‘Clash for the Crown’ is a powerful exhibition set to thrill and delight chess enthusiasts as they experience a century of history-defining moments and milestones across the beloved sport of chess,” said Emily Allred, Curator of the WCHOF. “We are incredibly grateful to have such rich artifacts to include in this first-of-its-kind exhibition.”
The exhibition will begin with the 1886 World Chess Championship, held in New York City, Saint Louis, Mo. and New Orleans, La., and won by Grandmaster (GM) Wilhelm Steinitz and will continue to the present world chess champion, GM Ding Liren.
It will also track the history of the Women’s World Chess Championship from its first winner, the legendary Vera Menchik who was the first Women’s World Champion, to Ju Wenjun, the reigning women’s world chess champion. This exhibition is being held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the founding of FIDE.
Displays in the exhibition will include an area where visitors can view videos of many of the past world champions and women’s world champions and interactive stations where people can learn about past champions.
Programming will include lectures about the history of the World Chess Championship, collaborations with FIDE celebrating their golden anniversary and possible collaborations with current and past champions.
Other “Clash for the Crown” highlights will include:
- Replica of the 2023 World Chess Championship Trophy won by GM Ding Liren, lent by FIDE
- Amber chess set once owned by World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal and is now owned by World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
- Chess set used in game 3 of the 1972 World Chess Championship
- Women’s World Championship medal won by Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
- Women’s World Chess Championship trophy won by Women’s World Chess Champion Susan Polgar
- The medal won by Nona Gaprindashvili in the 1975 Women’s World Chess Championship
- A signed first-day cover from the 1984 Women’s World Chess Championship between Maia Chiburdanidze and Irina Levitina
- Photos by famed photojournalist Harry Benson CBE from the 2018 World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana and the 1972 World Chess Championship
- Prototype of the table used in the 1978 World Chess Championship created by Cesar Iligan
The exhibition will be on view April 11-January 12, 2025. For more information, please visit worldchesshof.org.
A special complimentary opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the World Chess Hall of Fame starting at 5 p.m.
