Survey of Outdoor Chess Tables in Your city

[Fred Henderson]

In Toronto

six tables in the SE corner of Nathan Phillips S»quare
Two tables in a small parkette just off the NE corner of Nathan Phillips Square - Both have dark square in the right hand corner.
Four tables in the yard of Holy Name Catholic School, west side of Carlaw, just south of Danforth.
One table on the south side of College Street near Dufferin. Dark Square in right hand corner.
Two tables in a parekette behind a social housing project, SW Dundas and Greenwood. A very pleasant and quiet scene. There is a table with four seats, and a two seater in a beautiful setting under a large shade tree. The two seater has a dark square in the right hand corner.
Two tables in Matty Eckler Park accoss from Gerrard Square Mall, near GerrardéPape
Two tables in a parkette on the west side of Coxwell, north of Gerrard Street, but just south of the railroad bridge.

The above are all standard stone tables. There is also a beautiful stainless steel table in High Park, near the adventure playground which is near the High Park Boulevard entrance. It bears a very nice inscription from a family, in the memory of their son who loved to play chess in the park. It has been there for years. It has a dark square in the right hand corner.

If anyone knows of other other tables in Toronto, or any other city for that matter, you can add them here.

[Erik Malmsten]

I've mapped over 100 sites of Toronto Outdoor Chess Tables and I know of a few more:.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3800.../search/?q=map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/vi...bW15MTZieXRlcw

must be a shorter name to find it? Doesn't come up in a Google map search.


Chess in the Park has recently played in High Park and Withrow Park, and this Saturday afternoon will play in Dovercourt Park.

[Fred Henderson]

Great Job Erik. I;ll check them out. I imagine most of them never get used

[Erik Malmsten]

Great Job Erik. I;ll check them out. I imagine most of them never get used

Yes, used more for eating and reading. City hall tables get used. The Matty ones were used daily for Chinese chess, with paper boards. Chess in the Park will use the Dovercourt ones, and sometimes others, but mainly place vinyl boards on tables.

[Frank Dixon]

In Kingston, there are two chess tables just behind City Hall, downtown.

Kingston used to have several more chess tables along King St. West, just south of Queen's University's main campus. These were removed in the renovation of Breakwater Park several years ago.

[Olga Mushtaler]

Chess in the Park speaking...Erik's map is fantastic, however, because there are just 2-3 tables in most of these spots, it's not enough for over 30 people, so we usually need parks with additional picnic tables to add on to chess tables.
My favourite chess tables in Toronto are in: 1. Dovercourt Park (new and clean, in the shade of trees, lots of dogs passing by, family park), 2. Manor Community Green (very clean, new) 3. Grace and College Parkette (pink granite chess tables, unfortunately homeless people burned a fire on one of them last year, was quite sad to see it ruined).

[Ken Craft]

Saint John. Two tables in Queen Square, I believe.

[Fred Henderson]

Yes, used more for eating and reading. City hall tables get used. The Matty ones were used daily for Chinese chess, with paper boards. Chess in the Park will use the Dovercourt ones, and sometimes others, but mainly place vinyl boards on tables.

I use the Matty Eckler tables regularly over the last few years. All it takes is for one person to set up, and sooner or later people will take notice.

[Fred Henderson]

Chess in the Park speaking...Erik's map is fantastic, however, because there are just 2-3 tables in most of these spots, it's not enough for over 30 people, so we usually need parks with additional picnic tables to add on to chess tables.
My favourite chess tables in Toronto are in: 1. Dovercourt Park (new and clean, in the shade of trees, lots of dogs passing by, family park), 2. Manor Community Green (very clean, new) 3. Grace and College Parkette (pink granite chess tables, unfortunately homeless people burned a fire on one of them last year, was quite sad to see it ruined).

What homeless got to do with it. More likely just high school kids committing acts of vandalism.

[Olga Mushtaler]

What are Matty Eckler tables???
Grace and College parkette has quite a few homeless people bumming around and sleeping on the marble benches there. I am 99% sure the fire was caused by homeless person trying to warm up on a colder eve. The kids are not interested in vandalism unless it involves Palestine Israeli conflict. We just played on picnic tables with painted Palestinian flag on top. Every single table in the Dovercourt Park was painted/vandalized.

[Hans Jung]

London, Ontario has several sets of outdoor chess tables. Two at forks of the Thames, two just outside the downtown library at Dundas and Wellington, two at Springbank Park and at least two at each of a dozen city parks. When I visited my parents I used to go to the park off Barker Street just north of Huron in northeast London but besides myself never saw any other chess players. Definitely a need for a chess facilitator, or another Olga, or at the very least a place where chess pieces can be borrowed.

[Hugh Brodie]

Montreal has numerous outdoor chess tables and giant chess sets. I have seen other locations with tables with chessboard markings on them - but never being used for chess.

1) Rachel & Berri. Four tables with either two or four chairs attached - securely bolted to the ground. There are also usually two (heavy, but moveable) picnic tables. Players often bring their own lights allowing play well into the night. Beer (available across the street) seems to be tolerated. Bring your board, set, and clock. Play usually begins around 7 pm (weather permitting).

2) Ste-Catherine & St-Urbain, or nearby Espace Tranquille - up to four giant chess sets.

3) Ste-Catherine & Berri - usually one giant set, and players often play with their own pieces nearby.

4) Lachine Canal between Atwater & Charlevoix - sheltered tables. It looks like the organization that used to monitor chess on weekends has folded.

5) Place Shamrock - near Jean-Talon market.

[Steffen Roller]

Openstreetmap is the ultimate atlas for the world these days. Chesstables are just one of thousands of geographical features mapped. Here you can find chesstables all over the world: https://priceless.zottelig.ch/de/?of...ySport%2Fchess

The general URL for OSM is https://openstreetmap.org. If there are chesstables missing in your neighbourhood please mark them so everybody can get to the information without needing a Facebook or a Google Account.

[Steffen Roller]

Toronto looks like this. Nathan Phillips Square tables are not mapped. https://priceless.zottelig.ch/de/?of...ySport%2Fchess, you might have to zoom in or out to see the details.

[Hans Jung]

Openstreetmap is the ultimate atlas for the world these days. Chesstables are just one of thousands of geographical features mapped. Here you can find chesstables all over the world: https://priceless.zottelig.ch/de/?of...ySport%2Fchess

The general URL for OSM is https://openstreetmap.org. If there are chesstables missing in your neighbourhood please mark them so everybody can get to the information without needing a Facebook or a Google Account.

It is getting much better but how easy is it to navigate? About ten years ago I wanted to map all the outdoor chess tables in North America for a presentation I was doing. I gave up in frustration as it was a daunting task.