Saint Louis Chess Club to re-open facility in the fall

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The Saint Louis Chess Club is planning to re-open its newly expanded facility this fall.

The 30,0000-square-foot facility at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Maryland Avenue is more than four times the size of the original space for the club. The club will feature a chess-inspired restaurant, expanded classrooms, a world-class tournament hall, and cutting-edge technology.

“It’ll be the largest club in the world and we’re very proud to say the best in the world,” Four-time U.S Chess Champion and spokesperson for the chess club, Yasser Seirawan, said.

There isn’t a date yet for the opening of the restaurant but the high profile chess tournaments will start in the renovated space in October.

Those tournaments will bring players from across the world into the Central West End.

“We are thinking long term. We want to be a constant in all of the things that happen in the community,” Seirawan said.

About eight months ago, Bo Hammer moved onto Maryland Avenue in the Central West End from Chicago.

“We’ve been concerned about the space being vacant but we’re really excited the chess club is expanding. I love their outdoor seating with the chess tables. It brings families around to sit and play chess,” Hammer said.

Hammer said the Central West End was the perfect neighborhood for him to live in with history, walkability, and charm.

“We’re super excited about it,” Hammer said.

Alderman Michael Browning said bringing people in from across the world will highlight to even more people what the neighborhood has to offer.

“This is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in St. Louis because you can just go up and down, visit the number of shops and restaurants here. There is something for everyone here,” Alderman Browning said.

A social media post has been circulating, which Alderman Browning said paints a false narrative of the Central West End. Alderman Browning said the post referred the neighborhood as being dead.

Instead, the alderman said the Central West End is growing in population and number of businesses and crime is going down.

“Just because a couple businesses have been empty in the last couple of years doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty of other business,” Alderman Browning said.

Hundreds of apartments are being added at the corner of Lindell Boulevard and Kingshighway, with construction already underway.

Hammer said the Central West End is full of life.

“There’s never parking. If it was dead where are all these people going when they park their cars. Neighbors have parking in the alleys so I think the parking is people coming here to take advantage of what the Central West End has to offer,” Hammer said.

There are vacancies in the Central West End where El Burro Loco and Blue Mercury used to be. Alderman Browning said it’s not about what business replace those, but instead having a diversity of businesses in the neighborhood.