Aussie Chess History: Giant Old Chess Set Found in Town Hall Store

Hello chess blog friends, they've found an old giant chess set in a town hall building! Daily Mercury reports: KINGS, Queens and their knights in shining armour lost their gloss and their kingdom as they lay forgotten and decaying, entombed in a storeroom of the Old Town Hall on Sydney St.

That was until retiree and Lions Mackay North member, Chris Todd, jumped up at this week's Mackay Regional Council meeting and told councillors there was nothing for seniors like himself to do in the city centre.

What about letting his Lions club put in a big chess game, just like many European towns had, Mr Todd asked the councillors.

Happy to oblige her loyal constituent and to the surprise of some, Mayor Deirdre Comerford revealed that indeed, such a big chess set did exist.

But where?

Bernarr Alexander (left) and Chris Todd from Lions Mackay North club engage in a quick battle of chess at the little known location in Mackay City centre. Photo: Peter Holt

It was in the village green, behind the former Old Town Hall building that will soon re-invigorated as the Mackay City Centre that Mr Todd went looking and found the tiled chess board, tucked away and forgotten at the rear of the garden.

The chess pieces were tracked down away from their kingdom in a storeroom.

Mr Todd will get together with City Centre coordinator Bernarr Alexander and he and his club will discuss if the playing board can be moved closer to the street front.

Mr Todd hopes to attract more people to gather at the site for a social game.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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