Fern Street Chess Park

Open Sunrise to Sunset

402 S. Dixie Highway

The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority invites you to play chess at the Fern Street Chess Park! Engage with other like-minded individuals looking for a mental challenge and community connection.  

FREE to play.  ALL ages and levels are welcome.  

Are you a beginner? Learn from others and play our provided available game sets.  

Want to learn ahead of a game? Here are some basic tips: Click Here

 Chess Facts 

• It’s a mental game. However, the game can end as quickly as two moves. 
• The longest possible chess game in terms of the number of moves is 5,949. 
• Checkmate derives from the Persian phrase Shah Mat. The phrase means “the King is dead.” 
• In 1989, a chess match between Ivan Nikolic and Goran Arsovic in Belgrade ended in a draw. It was recorded as the longest official check game and lasted 269 moves. 
• The playing board used today with the alternating light and dark squares first appeared in Europe in 1090.

Want To Learn More

Local Organizations

• West Palm Street Chess – Facebook Group  
• Palm Beach Chess – palmbeachchess.com  
• Boca Raton Chess Club – bocachess.com  
• Florida Chess Association – floridachess.org  

Online Games 

• Chess.com
• Lichess.org
• Chessgames.com
• Chess24.com

Chess Literature 

• “Master Jacobson,” short story by Tim Krabbé 
• “The Royal Game,” by Stefan Zweig 
• “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” by Fred Waitzkin

Nationally Recognized

The American Chess Magazine honors the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority with a Special Recognition Award.

For Creating and Supporting a Dedicated Public Park that Unites a Diverse Community Through the Game of Chess