22 May 2022

CFR Chess Museum Takes Part in "Night at the Museum" Action

Excursions and simuls were held.


The CFR Chess Museum took part in a traditional action "Night at the Museum" held on the night of May 21st to 22nd. The Chess Museum's director Tatyana Kolesnikovich and the Museum's curator, candidate of historical sciences Dmitry Oleinikov gave five excursions non-stop: more than 100 people joined the tours around the Museum, while more than 250 visitors came to see the unique exhibition by themselves. The mansion on Gogolevsky boulevard has never witnessed so many guests during previous actions! 

On the first floor, grandmaster Mikhail Kobalia and his student, international master Volodar Murzin held a simultaneous exhibition (the simul-givers made moves one by one). The event brought together 81 players. Mikhail Vasiliev managed to win a game. All the participants were presented with books from the CFR Library and memorable albums. 

The Chess Museum was founded in 2014. In 1980-2009, the exhibition area was located in the Central Chess Club small room of 30 square meters. Since autumn 2014, the Chess Museum exhibition has been moved to a new area of 180 square meters, and now it occupies three halls of the mansion.

Rare chess sets (from Japan to Ireland) are represented in the Museum's halls, as well as the world-class works. Refined masterpieces made of porcelain, ivory, and ebony neighbour cardboard chess sets of the besieged Leningrad and the "space" chess. The most ancient exhibit, the Ethiopian chess set, is 400 years old. There are royal children's chess sets and gifts to the Soviet leaders. 

A rich collection of posters starting from 1937 is impressive (the Museum's collection includes more than 700 original posters). There are many prizes from the top-level chess events, e.g., the Soviet teams brought home the ancient Greek-style cups from the World Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki. 

Paintings and rare books (including the handwritten ones) are exhibited in the halls. There are the first Russian chess manual of 1821, the first chess magazine Palamede, and the first tournament book in the world among them. The collection includes the personal belongings of the great chess players: Mikhail Chigorin, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Tigran Petrosian. 

The legendary table from the 1984 Karpov vs Kasparov, which always attracts visitors' attention, as well as Boris Dolmatovsky's photos from this historic event, enjoy pride of place in the Museum.

Website of the Central Chess Club

Photos by Vladimir Barsky and Ekaterina Vasilchenko