Join our competitive chess tournaments, available online and face-to-face. Use the link below to view schedules, register for an event, connect to your online tournament, or watch active games when we broadcast live.
Anacostia has a very special landmark called the “Big Chair”. Everyone in Anacostia knows that the Big Chair is located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and V Street, SE. Since the Chess House is close to the Big Chair landmark, we decided to name the club the “Big Chair Chess Club.”
The Big Chair was built by Basset Furniture Industries of Virginia for Curtis Brothers Furniture Company, which was established in 1926.
Based on a Duncan Fife design, this special chair was built form original plans by Leo A. Jiranek. At the time, it was said to be the largest chair in the world. The chair is made of African mahogany and weighs 4,600 pounds. It is 19 feet high and stands on a concrete, 4-foot-high pedestal and has a seat as large as two double-sized beds!
