Opening 10th March 2018 of the chess court (3 public chess tables) in Máximapark, Utrecht. On the right, at the chess table, Alderman Kees Geldof. This
was the first chess court in a Dutch city park!
Urban Chess
I am delighted to inform that Jorden van Foreest, Dutch Champion 2016 and Winner of Tata Steel Chess 2021, has become an Ambassador of Urban Chess. Here is the link to Jorden's website: https://jorden.vanforeest.com/
Since I started my initiative (end 2017), these 70 Dutch municipalities have placed
public chess tables in the open space (see list below).
- Utrecht
- Beijum (municipality of Groningen)
- Groningen-city
- Amersfoort
- Apeldoorn
- Gorcum
- Doetinchem
- Schiermonnikoog (Isle of Chess!)
- Tilburg
- Alkmaar
- Den Helder
- Middenmeer (NH)
- Naaldwijk (Municipality of Westland)
- Wateringen (Municipality of Westland)
- Ruurlo (Municipality of Berkelland)
- Heemstede
- IJsselstein
- Barneveld
- Eindhoven (at Johan Cruyff court in Woensel-west)
- Dordrecht
- Stichtse Vecht (Loenen)
- Stichtse Vecht (Breukelen)
- Amsterdam
- Den Haag
- Diemen
- Capelle aan den IJssel
- Alphen aan de Rijn
- Leiden
- Oosterhout and Dorst (both municipality of Oosterhout)
- Teylingen (Park Rusthoff in Sassenheim, and Park Molentocht in Voorhout)
- Nijmegen
- Assen
- Almelo
- Texel
- Schiedam
- Vlaardingen
- Baarn
- Spijkenisse (municipality of Nissewaard)
- Meerkerk (municipality of Vijfheerenlanden)
- Zevenhuizen (municipality of Zuidplas)
- Steenwijk (municipality of Steenwijkerland)
- Heiloo
- Amstelveen
- Veenendaal
- Wassenaar
- Soest
- Helmond
- Oegstgeest
- Rotterdam
- Oisterwijk
- Krimpen Aan den IJssel
- Voorburg
- Heerlen
- Woerden
- Schoonhoven (municipality of Krimpenerwaard)
- Krommenie (municipality of Zaanstad)
- Gouda
- Arnhem
- Cuijk (municipality of Land van Cuijk)
- Delfzijl
- Breda
- Bilthoven (municipality of De Bilt)
- Maastricht
- Egmond aan den Hoef (municipality of Bergen)
- Zwolle
- Geldermalsen (municipality of West Betuwe)
- Haarlem
- Waalwijk
- Oss
- Made (municipality of Drimmelen)
- Bunschoten
- Enschede
In February 2018 primary school Pantarijn in De Meern (Utrecht) placed a chess table at their school yard. During the opening alderman Paulus Jansen (on the right), responsible for Sports at the city of Utrecht, and myself played the first game of chess. Click here to see the video.
Susan Polgar: "Here is a picture of me with the engineers during the process of installing chess tables in a university park".
