Chessboard

The Chessboard is an outdoor stadium in The City of Hearts where a variety of sports and entertainment events are held each year. Originally built to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Queen Frieda Jacobs’ coronation, the stadium was never meant to be a permanent fixture. However, following the crowd’s enthuiastic reaction to the game of human chess which was organized that year to entertain the monarch, this once temporary structure was upgraded and reinforced to stand the test of time.

Purpose / Function

The stadium’s primary purpose is to host Wonderland Croquet and Wonderland Chess, but it is also a favorite venue for Edenian performing artists of all sorts. 1D4 Wolves plays here at least once a year, for instance. And live performances of Bards were a staple during the reign of Queen Frieda.

Alterations

The original structure was built primarily of wood, a decision made when the architect and engineers believed it would be torn down at the end of the Tenth Anniversary celebrations for the Queen. After the one-off human chess match proved popular amongst the common folk and the sport of Wonderland Chess developed as a result, construction workers tore down much of the original structure and replaced with a replica built from concrete and steel.

A second and third tier of seating were added as the years wore on, owing to the ever-increasing popularity of the venue.

History

When the decision was made to build a venue to help celebrate the Queen’s then ten-year-long reign, the Queen’s family tree had just recently been traced back to pre-Calamity Earthling city of Boston. While researching the history of Boston for stadiums, the architects of The Chessboard found, amongst the archives of the Edenian Athenæum, plans for Fenway Park—which had been scheduled to open just days after the Earth-666 iteration of reality came to an end.

Given that the Queen was deeply proud of and intrigued by her family’s history, the architects decided to rebuild Fenway right here in Eden. And thus, The Chessboard is possessed of all the quirks fans in The Real World know and love: “The Triangle,” a version of the Green Monster called the Red Monster, and a sentient version of Pesky’s Pole called the Pesky Pole because of its tendency to mock the players below.

Founding Date

273

Type

Stadium

Parent Location

The City of Hearts