The Birth of the Singapore Chess Club

By the late 19th century, chess in Singapore had moved beyond casual games played in homes and social clubs. With growing enthusiasm and public interest, the need for a dedicated chess organisation became clear. In November 1896, the first informal discussions about forming a Singapore Chess Club took place at a Town Hall meeting, laying the foundation for what would become the island’s first official chess society.

Singapore's First Chess Club

A year after those initial discussions, the Singapore Chess Club held its first general meeting, focusing on setting rules for club management and tournament play. The idea wasn’t just to create a social space for enthusiasts but to bring structure to the game – formalising competitions, keeping records of matches, and fostering a sense of community among players.

At the same time, sports like cricket and shooting were sparking inter-port contests between Singapore and Hong Kong. Inspired by these friendly rivalries, chess players from both cities decided to organise their own inter-colonial match. The event was met with curiosity and excitement. After all, this was Singapore’s first-ever cable chess match, where moves were relayed over long distances through telegraph communication.

The First Singapore Chess Tournament

By October 1897, the Singapore Chess Club was ready to host its first official tournament, with some interesting incentives for participants. The rules and rewards
were simple yet effective:

• No entrance fee – ensuring accessibility to all members
• Attractive prizes – winners received six- and three-months’ free subscription to The Straits Times
• Mandatory move recording – each player had to write down their own moves, an early nod to proper match documentation
• A special brilliancy prize – awarded for the most dazzling and creative play

The tournament quickly captured public interest, and The Straits Times began publishing game reports, giving chess greater visibility. As one report described, “Chess, indeed, seems to be taking a great hold of all sorts and conditions of men in the Far East.” Meanwhile, the Free Press launched a dedicated chess column, aiming to keep players informed and engaged with the latest developments.

Chess in the Public Eye

The Singapore Chess Club held its first annual general meeting at the Town Hall, with Mr W. Makepeace chairing the session. Although the club started small, it was determined to push boundaries. Before long, players experimented with new ways of competing – including Singapore’s first-ever chess by telephone match.

In a rather poetic touch, the club’s weekly chess column even included literary references, with one contributor, an anonymous classics student, adding a historical quote:

"Gentlemen, to solace their wearied minds by honest pastimes, play at chesse, the astronomer's game, and the philosopher's game, which whettes thyr wittes, recreates theyr minds, and hurts no body in the mean season."

But despite these efforts, not everyone was convinced of chess’s staying power. Some questioned whether the game was losing popularity in the East, noting that Singapore and Hong Kong were seeing fewer high-profile matches.

Would chess continue to grow, or was it at risk of fading into the background?