Medicine Hat's Giant Chess Set is open for 2020. (Photo Courtesy of Colton McKee)

By Chris Brown

Checkmate

Medicine Hat’s Giant Chess Set is open for play

Jun 23, 2020 | 4:33 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Kings and queens, knights and bishops will spend the next two months in downtown Medicine Hat.

Play has begun at the city’s Giant Chess Set, located between the Medicine Hat Public Library and the Court of Queen’s Bench.

“We are very excited to have the chessboard open today. We really didn’t think it was going to be able to happen with the COVID going around,” said Laura Harris, employment supports team leader, CORE Association, which operates the set. “We are very stoked, and I know that’s an old word, we are very stoked to have this open this year and I’m just really happy that we’ve been able to accommodate even though we’ve had the COVID outbreak but everything is looking up. It’s a sunshiny day and that’s all anybody can ask for.”

Players are asked to use sanitizer before playing, and will have to wear a mask and maintain six feet of distance from others while playing.

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At this time the regular-size chessboards and pieces are not being put out for public play, said Harris.

The set will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guinness World Records officially recognized the chess set as the largest one in the world in May 2009.