Did You Know Missouri Is Home To The World’s Largest Chess Piece?
By Beth Price-Williams|Published April 19, 2024
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
We all have those things that we automatically think of when we hear Missouri. Gooey butter cake. Caves. The Arch. But what about some of the World’s Largest things – fork? Toilet paper roll? Goose? Did you know that Missouri is also home to the World’s Largest Chess Piece? Grab your camera, and head on over to check out this unique landmark in St. Louis.
The World Chess Hall of Fame is pretty easy to find; just look for the massive chess piece and chess board that sit right in front of this popular St. Louis attraction.
You'll find the massive chess piece in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis; the St. Louis Chess Club is right across the road from it.
You won't have any trouble spotting this massive landmark, even from a distance. After all, it stands 20 feet tall and boasts a diameter of nine feet, two inches.
If you think it looks big, consider just how much it weighs - 10,860 pounds. It's so big that the chess piece was certified as the World's Largest by The Guinness Book of World Records on April 6, 2018.
Made of African sapele mahogany, the chess piece was modeled after a much smaller - around 53 times smaller - piece. The House of Staunton designed the model chess piece, known as the Championship Staunton, in 2013.
If you're in St. Louis, stop by to snap photos of the huge chess piece, which sits next to a a massive chess board. It's one of those landmarks you really have to see in person to appreciate.
Did you know the World’s Largest Chess piece is right here in Missouri? Have you seen it in person? What did you think? Share your experience in the comments! Missouri is home to quite a few of the World’s Largest things. Did you also know, for example, that Maxie, the World’s Largest Goose, is in Sumner?
Traveling through Missouri to see all of these one-of-a-kind attractions means countless photo opportunities. Don’t forget to take your camera.