by Assi Philosoph
You’d think chess is just played in chess clubs, right? In fact, you’d think that in Jerusalem, of all places, that would be the case: in such a historical, conservative city, you’d probably expect people to “play between the walls”. Well… You might be surprised – that’s definitely not the case nowadays!
There are two main hubs in the city that bring the game to the streets of the capital. The first is Jeruchess club, run by the chess enthusiast and international arbiter Alon Cohen. He founded the club in 2006, and, over the years, it has grown into much more than a place to play tournaments. Today, it is a permanent home for chess in the city, open six days a week and bringing together children, families, competitive players, instructors, arbiters and chess aficionados from all across Jerusalem.
Gelfand’s graffiti outside the club, and the real version playing cheek to cheek with Sutovsky inside the club Photos: Alon Cohen and Mark Livshitz
The club is located at 5 Yochanan Ben Zakai Street, and hosts a wide variety of activities throughout the year. But, beyond these events, Jeruchess is also known for taking chess outside the traditional club setting. In recent years, it has created and hosted Chess & Beer evenings, family championships, and café tournaments, as well as public chess events in pedestrianised streets, markets, museums, and other cultural spaces around Jerusalem.
This reflects a simple idea that has become part of the city’s (and indeed the country’s) identity: chess should not only live within the confines of a chess club. It can be a part of city life, played on both on the streets and in exotic places. One example of this is the simultaneous game played by the GM Nitzan Steinberg in Zedekiah's Cave, located beneath the northern Old City wall, between Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate. Check out the video here.
Another outdoor format is the “Shach Bira”, a traditional tournament played in pubs, where, before each round, players must finish a beer, with their clocks continuing to run until they have downed their drink. And, let me note something here: it’s a blitz game! So, you can imagine how many pieces the players start to see on the board after, 3, 4, or 5 rounds…
But don’t worry, there are also “lighter” versions available, like the tournament for families played in the Caffe Sifthach, where family members try to accumulate as many points as possible in order to win the tournament. The recent edition was played in July, and it was a very respectable memorial for Oded Shavit z’l.
Family tournament in Caffe Sifthach, Photos: Meir Elipur, Alon Cohen
And, on a final note, I have to mention that Cohen is a big devotee of Fischer Random Chess, with Jeruchess hosting the first Israeli Championship in May this year. Hopefully it will become a tradition! Check out the final report of the tournament here.
The club’s permanent home also contains an extensive chess library, believed to be the largest chess library in Israel, with a large collection of books and study materials available to players and visitors in more than 10 different languages.
*Contact & Join Jeruchess*
Address: 5 Yochanan Ben Zakai Street, Jerusalem
Phone: +972 52 268 8666
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeruchess.chess
WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IN842DC6aZ35Bv6NeRRGZl
Our second star of David’s city is the Rubinstein Chess Club, created by Dr.Daniel Moskovich and run nowadays by Avishy Katz. When you come to Jerusalem, you cannot miss a visit to Power Coffeeworks at 105 Jaffa Street. You’ll find that the boards are usually already out, and there will always be a partner ready to play.
Rubinstein club started with people playing in the streets around Mahane Yehuda Market, before finding a more permanent base at Coffeeworks. They’ve since expanded their activity to include hundreds of locals who come every single day to play. What’s fascinating about Rubinstein chess club is how organically it has evolved: what started as street chess naturally became a chess club, now with its official address at (you guessed it!) the cafe itself.
Streets of Jerusalem are filled with black and white. Photos: Courtesy of Dr. Daniel Moskovitz
In fact, the club was such a raging success that they received a six figure budget to organise a tournament in May this year, with three-hundred-players attending, including some of the best players in the country. Check out the article here.
Top Israeli grandmasters in the rapid open hosted by Rubinstein Chess Club Photo: Dr. Mark Livshitz
So, if you’re here in November, drop in for some great coffee and a few blitzes at 105 Jaffa St, Jerusalem. It’s an opportunity to experience the energy of the city, together with chess and drinks. We hope this positive atmosphere continues for years to come and are sure King David would be proud of his descendants and pray for their continued success.
"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." (Psalm 125:2)