Checkmate Sessions

Stichting Amsterdam Chess Open brings you Checkmate Sessions. A community event where chess and techno unites people and brings the accessibility of chess to another level. No entry fee, no tournament, no pressure; this one is for everyone. From 19.00 till 00.00, the Q-Factory Café transforms into a space where ready-to-play boards are spread across the room and the dancefloor opens up in front of the chess players behind the decks.

Guiding the Checkmate Sessions from hiphop to hardgroove. Come for the music, stay for the game. You don't need to know how to play, or play at all. Pull up at a board if you're curious, watch a game over a drink, or just stay on the floor and enjoy the sets. Bring friends. Meet strangers. If you've never touched a chess board, this is the easiest place to start. And if you have, there's always someone to play. No ticket is needed for entry.

Stichting Amsterdam Chess Open organizes queer-safe events, we don't tolerate any form of racism, sexual harassment, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and violence. Get curious and get ready for Amsterdam Chess Open 2026.