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Chess Art, Literature, and Just for Fun

Chess is more than a game. In many ways the 64 squares mirror the world around them. Artists will show you how and writers will tell you why. Then there's chess just for fun! For many players part of the fun is collecting anything and everything related to chess.
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Chess Through the Artist's Eye
The 'art of chess' can mean many things. Here it means chess seen by an artist as a subject in a painting, a drawing, or an illustration. Sometimes the chess board is central, but more often it is part of a bigger, visual story.
Chess Tactics Illustrated
A series of 12 charming French postcards from the early 1900s illustrate basic tactical themes in chess. Follow the 'Suggested Reading' links below each image to find out more about the theme illustrated on the card.
Chess in the Movies
Chess serves the same symbolic purpose on film as in life -- intellectual activity, competition, gamesmanship -- plus a quick nod to art and science. Here are movie scenes showing chess and people playing chess.
Romance in Chess
'What could possibly be less romantic than chess?' you might be asking. Chess once served a social function of allowing young men and women to meet over the board. The scientific view of chess took hold only at the end of the 19th-century.
Vincenzio the Venetian
'You ask me, madam, to tell you a story about Chess; I know one which nobody else knows. A true tale, but very shocking.' [From Chess & Chess-Players : Consisting of Original Stories and Sketches by George Walker, 1850.]
The Midnight Challenge, or 'Christmas in Russia'
'My maternal grandfather was a passionate admirer of the game of chess, and so superior a player that at one time he was regarded as the strongest in St. Petersburg...' [From The Book of Chess by H.R.Agnel (New York, 1882).]
Movie Review : Game Over - Kasparov and the Machine
Movie review of 'Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine' directed by Vikram Jayanti. Documentary about the 1997 man - machine chess match between World Champion Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue. Did IBM cheat Kasparov?
CheckMating - April 2004
'A woman tests her dates over games of chess, with each contest taking on the mood of the relationship. She's in full control, knowing exactly what she wants in a man -- until she finds it.'
Advertising with a Chess Theme
Small collection of chess themes used in advertising. Navigate to the home page for other examples of chess in art.
Alphonso X Book of Games
'Libro de los Juegos', commissioned in the 13th century by Alphonso X. One of the first masterpieces of European literature written in a colloquial language.
BrainyQuote.com
Chess quotes like Woody Allen's 'I failed to make the chess team because of my height'. Use the search box to find more.
Chess Artworks by Keith Halonen
Full color works by an artist who has illustrated for Chess Life.
Chess Composition Books by Anders Thulin
Chess problems. Electronic editions (PDF files) of public domain works.
Chess Graphics by Alan Cowderoy
The best collection of chess related images on the Internet.
Chess Graphics by Eric Bentzen
Images, diagrams, fonts, and icons.
Chess in the Cinema
Chess in the movies and on TV. Famous chess playing politicians and celebrities.
Chess On Stamps by Colin Rose
Chess philately organized by country.
Chess Quips from Anecdotage.com
Who said, 'I'd rather have a pawn than a finger'? Who replied, 'It all depends: which pawn and which finger?'
Chess Trivia
A collection of chess stories and trivia from the Edinburgh University Chess Club.
Chess Trivia by FunTrivia.com
Trivia quizzes posted by visitors. Submit a quiz yourself!
ChessArtist.com by Peter J Aravena Sloan
Chess art and annotated games by a trained artist and master level player.
Fiction Literature and Chess by Bill Wall
The Internet's best known chess historian lists over 100 works of chess fiction.
FusionAnomaly.net
Musings and images about chess.
Gert Jan's Kijk by Gert Jan Slotboom
Chess sets, chess drawings, and chess players. Click on the images to navigate or follow the links on the English language page.
Goddesschess by Jan Newton
'Chess: The Game of the Goddess. Conceived as an alternative to traditional views on the history of chess and related board games, we act as both a portal for discussion and an archive of research materials.'
Google Image Search
Keyword 'chess'. Use it like any search engine.
Internet Movie Database
IMDb name and title search on 'chess'.
Jim Todd's Home Page
Artist who has been featured on the cover of Chess Life.
Jon's Antique Chess Sets
Collector's site with photos of chess sets from different periods and in various styles.
Maelzel's Chess-Player
Full text of short work on the chess automaton by Edgar Allan Poe, Southern Literary Journal, April 1836.
Morals of Chess
Text of a famous essay by Benjamin Franklin. 'The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement.'
Mr. T vs. Deep Blue by Scott Watkins
Can Mr. T succeed where Kasparov failed? The future of humanity depends on it! 'Outta my way, ducks!'
Music and Chess by John Greschak
Long list of musical compositions related to chess.
My Obsession with Chess by Scott McCloud
An online comic book 'about 16 feet long'.
Philatelic Site of Riccardo Andreis
Chess and Philately - Stamps, phone cards, postcards, old prints, magazines.
Reality Inspector by John Caris
An online thriller. 'A world championship chess match is the backdrop for this intriguing detective story.'
Schach in der Kunst
Chess art from the Schachverein Görlitz 1990. German language, so use a translation service if your German is rusty. The artists' names are self-explanatory!
Sir Tim Rice
'Chess' the musical; lyrics by Tim Rice; music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Production History; Synopsis; Song List; Articles & Reviews.
Tableaux ayant pour sujet les échecs
Paintings with chess as a subject. Many of the descriptions are in French, but you can appreciate the art without them.
Topical Chess Postcards
'This website should give a possibility for all collectors of vintage chess postcards to show their treasures to others. The aim is to finally have a catalogue with all known postcards with chess motifs.'
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