Press release

Sweden's first chess bar, Svarta Hästen, will open its second location. This time, residents of Gothenburg will have the chance to play chess with a beer in hand – grandmasters and beginners alike.

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In 2023, chess enthusiast Joel Ighe opened Sweden's first chess bar in the heart of Stockholm. The bar – named Svarta Hästen – has since become a gathering place for both beginners and seasoned players alike. Many will recognise the venue from Levy Rozman's YouTube series Battle of Generations, in which he faced Swedish chess legend Pia Cramling at Svarta Hästen, or from Anna Cramling's popular social media posts. It has become a meeting place for local chess enthusiasts and like-minded visitors to the Swedish capital, attracting chess-playing tourists from near and far.

Anna Cramling interviewing Levy Rozman at Svarta Hästen in Stockholm

Now, Svarta Hästen is expanding, with a second location, in Joel's hometown of Gothenburg, on Sweden's west coast.

Joel Ighe explains:

We're riding a wave of newly converted chess enthusiasts who have discovered the world's greatest game via... well, the internet. But many new chess players find it difficult to connect with other players in real life. After all, there is something special about sitting down at a board and having a face-to-face game. At Svarta Hästen, we want to create a friendly and inclusive space for adult chess players who, like me, are beginners! It's also the perfect spot for a first date and just as great for anyone who is simply tired of staring at their phone in solitude.

The new bar will open in the converted stables of the Dickson Palace – a grand Neo-Renaissance building that also houses a restaurant and event venues. In contrast, the more secret Svarta Hästen space is an intimate, warm and relaxed bar, with velvet, wood panelling, wall-to-wall carpeting and vinyl record players. The menu will feature sandwiches developed in collaboration with local sandwich gurus Hasselssons Macklucka.

Gothenburg's Svarta Hästen will have its own character, but those who have been to its sister bar in Stockholm will instantly recognise one thing: the iconic, custom-built chess tables.

Joel Ighe adds:

Yes, there will be yellow and red squares in Gothenburg too! We have to tip our hats to Rudolf Steiner's forerunners, artists Kim Björnsson and Aron McFaul, who designed our custom tables.

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Svarta Hästen opens to the public on November 14 and will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. In the future, there are plans for beginner courses, private lessons, and amateur tournaments.

If you'd like to drop by and play on one of Svarta Hästen's iconic red-and-yellow chessboards, make sure to book a table in advance.

About Joel Ighe

Joel Ighe has a background as manager at some of Sweden's most well-known nightclubs, but also as an ambassador for Chimi sunglasses and a manager for pop artists. After rediscovering his passion for chess during the pandemic, he opened Svarta Hästen, Sweden's first-ever chess bar, at Stureplan in Stockholm in 2023.

Press

Karin Londré, Press Contact Gothenburg
Karin@londre.se +4670796496

• Official website
• Anna Cramling's YouTube channel

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