photograph by samuel x. cicci
Annual members have unlimited access to boards and pieces year-round.
Editor’s Note: For our Top 10 New Restaurants list, published in full in the February 2022 issue, our editorial team selected (you guessed it) ten of the places we think represent the best of our city’s culinary future. We'll be spotlighting each of the restaurants online over the next several days. Please note that this is not a ranked list; we love what each of the ten featured restaurants bring to the table. Bon appétit!
Memphis Chess Club
photograph courtesy memphis chess club
The Polgár pizza is stacked with pesto, roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and carrots.
Before you get the check, you might have cause to say “checkmate” at the Memphis Chess Club. And even if you lose (or sit out the match), you can still leave caffeinated and well fed. At the club’s new Downtown digs, it’s chess paraphernalia all the way down: wooden chess sets, boards carved into every table, and shelves upon shelves of old strategy books and magazines chronicling the game’s history. Left Field Properties president and longtime club member Casey Hill knew the club needed a proper home, so he transformed the space at 195 Madison Ave. into a hub for chess lovers old and new.
“Coffee in the morning goes with chess, and so does pizza in the evening, believe it or not. If you grew up playing chess at all, or going to any tournaments, there was always pizza around. It’s kind of synonymous with the game.” — Casey Hill
“The sign says Memphis Chess Club, but we want this to be a place for everybody,” says Hill, “regardless of whether you’re a grandmaster, or you’ve never picked up a chess piece before in your life. And if chess isn’t your thing, we have really good coffee and an outstanding menu.”
photograph by samuel x. cicci
Chess sets are available to rent during the day for a small fee.
The coffee is indeed excellent, with the club sourcing their own beans from around the world and brewing their own blends. The food menu includes açai bowls or loaded croissants for breakfast and sandwiches and salads for lunch.
But the big draw? According to Hill, “Coffee in the morning goes with chess, and so does pizza in the evening, believe it or not. If you grew up playing chess at all, or going to any tournaments, there was always pizza around. It’s kind of synonymous with the game.”
Each freshly baked pizza is named after a chess professional. The Polgár loads up with pesto, roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and carrots, while the Fischer is stacked with pepperoni, bacon, and Italian sausage.
Downstairs, there's another giant room filled with chess tables. It plays host to both beginner and advanced tournaments for club members and first-timers. The club is welcoming to everybody, and there’s nowhere else like it in Memphis.
