Fern Street Chess Park

Open Sunrise to Sunset

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