Once, chess games were played everywhere in St. Petersburg - from palace rooms to coffee houses, taverns, and city clubs. Historian Tatyana Ivanovskaya will trace how the spaces of the game changed, why people of different classes met at the same board, which familiar addresses hold the chess past, and how the city became the chess capital of Russia. Chess entered the everyday life of St. Petersburg long before specialized clubs appeared. In the 18th century, the game was associated with palace and aristocratic life, and later boards appeared in coffee houses, taverns, and public gatherings. The movement of games from private chambers to open urban spaces reflected an important change: the circle of players expanded, and chess became a means of communication between people of different backgrounds. Historian Tatyana Ivanovskaya will follow this path through specific buildings and addresses. Listeners will learn where game enthusiasts gathered, how the first associations were organized, and which familiar places on the central map are connected to chess life. Particular attention will be paid to the social role of chess. At the board, an official, a merchant, and a student temporarily found themselves on equal footing: what mattered were calculation, experience, and the ability to understand the opponent's intentions. The game created a space where class differences receded, new acquaintances were formed, and communities with their own rules and reputations emerged. The lecture will cover the period up to 1917. This boundary is chosen deliberately: after the revolution, chess culture was revived in a different social system and acquired new functions. The poster for St. Petersburg is available on KUDAGO.