Opening Reception of Reading Between the Lines: Chess & Literature

Join us for the exhibition opening of Reading Between the Lines: Chess & Literature, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, 5-8 pm. Enjoy complimentary admission, valet, cocktails, and appetizers by Brennan's.

Kings and pawns, struggles for power, and tales of adventure, friendship, and romance. For centuries, writers have used chess as a way to tell remarkably varied stories, from narratives of players aspiring to the top levels of the game to battles with life and death as the stakes. The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries’ newest exhibition, Reading Between the Lines: Chess and Literature, features rare books, artwork, and artifacts related to novels, poetry, authors, and poets spanning the eighteenth century to the present. Highlights include a chess table and other artifacts owned by The Queen's Gambit author Walter Tevis, and J. Allen St. John's paintings illustrating the adventure story The Chessmen of Mars. Other notable works include printmaker Barry Moser's illustrations for Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, and German artist Elke Rehder's woodcuts depicting scenes from Stefan Zweig's book Schachnovelle, as well as chess-themed artwork depicting classic stories like George Orwell's Animal Farm by Alessandro Gallo and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick by Jessica DeStefano and Richard Felix. Enjoy activities in our play and create space.

Free admission and complimentary cocktails and valet.

RSVPs required. Visit worldchesshof.org or email events@worldchesshof.org for more information or to RSVP.

Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.