Invercargill’s Queens Park now has a new attraction for locals and visitors, with the recent installation of a giant outdoor chess set beside the Cheeky Llama Café.
Completed this week by the Invercargill City Council’s Parks and Recreation team, the life-sized board is already proving popular. On the day the final pieces were added, passers-by immediately stopped to take a look or join in a game.
Invercargill-Southland Chess Club President Gary McLean and Treasurer Richard Christie were among the first to try out the board. “It’s a dream come true for us,” said McLean. “We always wanted an outdoor chess set somewhere in the city, and we couldn’t have asked for a better location than in the middle of Queens Park.”
The board has been built directly into the surface of the playground, and large plastic pieces are used to play. At the end of each day, the pieces will be brought indoors to prevent weather damage.
Parks and Recreation Manager Caroline Rain said the project was simple but added great value to the park. “As soon as we took down the construction fences and had the pieces set up on our new board, we had people walking past and wanting to play,” she said. “It’s a simple addition, built by our staff for very little cost, but adds a lot of value to the playground and Queens Park.”
A sign will also be installed to help newcomers understand the rules of the game.
Christie, who is also an internationally accredited official and trainer, said the giant board could help with public lessons or even outdoor tournaments. “The large board will be a useful tool for demonstrating different techniques to groups and it could be the focal point of an outdoor chess tournament.”
Southland’s links with chess go back to the 1860s, and the current Invercargill-Southland Chess Club was re-established in 2017. The club meets weekly on Friday evenings for social games and tournaments, and newcomers are always welcome.
McLean hopes the outdoor board will increase awareness and make chess more accessible. “Chess is accessible to anyone, regardless of gender, age or culture,” he said. “The outdoor board is an open invitation to anyone visiting the park to give it a go.”
The board is free to use during the café’s opening hours, usually from 9am or 10am until 4.30pm daily.