Paris chess shop

[Zeljko Kitich]

If you are ever stuck for a chess set in Paris go to the game store on Rue Saint-Andre des Arts. They have an impressive amount of chess books, supplies, magainzes and some excellent wood sets. That's in the Latin Quarter in the St Germaine Blvd area. Metro stops Odeon or Saint Michel

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Paris chess shop

When I was studying in Paris in 1968, there was a shop, Librairie D’Échecs J. Guisle at 13 rue St. Jacques. It was filled with chess books, of course. M. Guisle specialized in bound volumes of the magazine La Stratégie. He is known for selling the copies of Rinck’s 1414 Fins de Partie after the composer’s death.

http://www.gadycosteff.com/eg/eg102-2.pdf

Who knows what treasures are to be found in these shops?

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: Paris chess shop

When we were in Paris in 1999, there was a chess shop on a pedestrian street in the VIIe. At the time it was impressive to me, as it had chess databases.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Paris chess shop

"Le Damier de L'Opera" still seems to be going strong (7 rue Lafayette). Closed on Sundays.

Google Streetview image:
http://g.co/maps/u8yd7

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Paris chess shop

Thanks for all the info. Hugh, two chess shops? That's why I love Paris. :) Oh and most of France seems to be closed on Sundays, aside from the main tourist attractions.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Paris chess shop

The first Parisian bookstore in the thread is Variantes at 29, Rue St. André-des-Arts.

There is a photo on the ChessVibes site of the interior with the photos of Kasparov and Lasker looking down at the shop. I wonder what the books are in the back room?

As a bonus, elsewhere in the article, are photos of the Alekhine and Polugaevsky tombstones at Montparnasse Cemetery.

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/al...-win-for-anand

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Paris chess shop

The first Parisian bookstore in the thread is Variantes at 29, Rue St. André-des-Arts.

There is a photo on the ChessVibes site of the interior with the photos of Kasparov and Lasker looking down at the shop. I wonder what the books are in the back room?

As a bonus, elsewhere in the article, are photos of the Alekhine and Polugaevsky tombstones at Montparnasse Cemetery.

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/al...-win-for-anand

Oh yeah the second one mentioned on Rue de Lafayette was a bit small and limited selection. The fellow almost had a a bit of a fit because he did not have enough cash in the till to make me change, and I had almost the correct amount to pay with. So I bought a pack of batteries to help him out and I needed batteries anyway.

The backroom are all chess books. The books in the foreground are openings chess books plus books on GO, backgammon and the like. There is still likely a camel bone set in the glass case on the left in the background that I was debating buying. It was something like $400 to $450 Canadian. This store is just off St Michel and the famous fountain there, overlooking Notre Dame. There is the Great Canadian Pub around the corner and the famous English language bookstore Shakespeare's in the area. Mon Dieu, do I ever miss Paris!