Pub Chess: Getting Serious About Casual Chess

It’s a Monday night, but the bar I walked into in Washington, DC, was packed. The directions said to meet on the mezzanine, so I wandered to the back of the narrow room and climbed the stairs. Nametags and stickers were placed on the railing with a large Sharpie marker. I wrote my first name, added a green circle to let everyone know I didn’t know what I was doing, and walked into my first pub chess meetup.

Casual chess has exploded in popularity in recent years. People who learned chess online during the pandemic are venturing out with long-time fans to play in bars, coffee shops, and community spaces. Whether you’re a veteran of the board or a relative newcomer, casual chess has a lot to offer without asking for much of a commitment in return.

Traditions of Chess in Public Spaces

Up until the mid-1800s, chess was mostly a drawing room activity played by upper-class gentlemen. During the Romantic Era, however, there was a significant boom in chess. Two contributing factors were the popularity of coffeehouse chess and the proliferation of durable, affordable chess sets like the Staunton design manufactured by Jaques of London. Working-class families could afford the new chess sets, and men played a more spirited style of chess in coffee houses. Matches drew spectators who might wager on the outcome.

Another enduring tradition of public chess is chess in parks. As immigrants brought their chess sets to places like New York City, it became common to see open-air chess games. In the 1940s, NYC began installing permanent concrete tables in public spaces like Washington Square Park, the famous hustling grounds where luminaries like Bobby Fischer and Josh Waitzkin famously tried their luck. While being hustled out of a few dollars might not be relaxing, playing in the fresh air is good for you and an easy way to scare up an impromptu game.

Benefits of Playing Just to Play

If you’re serious about chess, you may wonder…is there any reason to play unrated chess games? YES! There are several compelling reasons to add casual chess to your schedule.

• Untimed games are better for learning. In timed chess, pressure to make moves can force blunders and suboptimal choices. The clock can even become a strategic tool when one player tries to force the other to run out of time. Untimed games reduce anxiety and allow for deeper analysis and strategic planning, resulting in higher quality chess.
• Casual chess is a social opportunity. People chat and make friends at the chess board. In a world where people are resorting to AI girlfriends to assuage their loneliness, a little human interaction is what we all need. Players can discuss potential moves if they like and learn together, or they can discuss flowers or theoretical mathematics. The topics are up to you.
• Slow chess can also help you avoid developing bad habits. The fast pace of blitz or rapid is exciting, but players can create bad habits that hurt their overall game. Fast time controls encourage split-second decisions, and players can fall into a trap of making the same disastrous decision repeatedly without time to think.

Something is Different Here

I asked one of the attendees at Chess on Tap, Matt (blue circle for higher rating), what attracted him to casual chess. Being a seasoned tournament player, he told me the opportunity to play relaxed games reminded him that chess is a game. It’s supposed to be fun, after all. Playing at a social chess meetup allows the chance to get to know other players in a friendly atmosphere without the stress of ratings pressure or tournament rules.

One major difference in recreational chess is the prevalence of house rules. While everyone should be following basic rules of piece movement and being a good sport, you can decide with your opponent what custom chess rules are acceptable. For example, you can allow takebacks for blunders. You can play with a clock if you like, or just not. My opponent and I agreed that you could touch every single one of your pieces without moving them if you needed to, but your move was done once you took your hand away. I noticed that other boards had a variety of rules and several time controls in use. It’s a great opportunity to try those fun chess variants. Some meetups may be more formal, but low-pressure chess should have flexibility that allows players to learn and enjoy the game.

Another big difference is that casual chess meetups are LOUD. Conversation is flowing, perhaps aided by the availability of drinks at the bar downstairs. If you want to make chess friends, casual is a great place to start. At the meetup I attended, people were friendly and eager to get to know everyone.

How to Get Started

Casual chess sounds great, right? Now you just need to find some. Here are the top places to find low-pressure chess.

The Big Three Casual Chess Spots

• Pub and Coffee House Meetups: Social chess meetups are booming. An easy way to find out what’s happening is Meetup.com, a social platform for organizing community events and gatherings. I searched in multiple urban areas and found quite a few chess listings. If you live in a smaller area, ask at your local coffee shops or pubs. If they don’t have a meetup already, you may inspire them to start one.
• Public Libraries and Community Centers: Libraries often have a chess club that meets regularly. Library chess clubs are usually open to everyone with a library card and may have separate hours for kids and adults. Library chess is usually focused on learning to play and having fun, plus you can pick up a book or two on your way out. Community and senior centers may have similar public chess meetings.
• Park Chess: Many local parks have permanent tables, even if they don’t have a cadre of hustlers. There are varying degrees of organization. Check your local park district calendar to see if there’s a scheduled chess time. If the tables are the extent of what’s offered, head down with a friend or take your set and see who sits down. Just know you may attract children—they have a natural affinity for games and endless curiosity.

Don’t Forget These Options

• Chess Clubs: Chess clubs aren’t all stuffy meetings and silent games, either. While the chatter may be quieter, most clubs have an open or casual night where players of all abilities are invited to drop in. They may be more formal about play, so it’s good to know how to play with a clock and use basic tournament rules. If it goes well, you might even want to join the club!
• Online Chess Apps: While the goal probably should be to play chess offline, it’s also possible to play casually online. To get the relaxed atmosphere of a low-pressure game, try the correspondence chess option that allows longer intervals between moves, or play against a chess bot with an easier mode.   

Head to the Pub

I played two games against Sean, an enthusiastic player with a green sticker like mine. I lost both, though I was threatening his back rank before blundering in the second game. It was his first time at pub chess as well, as we spent about an hour enjoying the experience. His reason for going? He told me he’d had a hard time finding people to play chess with. I think it’s safe to say that mission has been accomplished. If you’re in the mood to play over-the-board, a pub meetup is a fantastic opening move.

(Note: Thanks to Chess on Tap at The Board Room in Washington, DC, for hosting such a fun event. There were about two dozen players in attendance, and everyone seemed to have a great time. If you’re in the DC/NoVa area, look up Chess on Tap on Meetup.com.)