REGENCE Café

A historical chess café in downtown Paris, which was founded during the regency of the Duke Phillip Orleans in 1718. It was very popular among chess amateurs, artists and public figures. Philidor, Legal and other leading French players contributed greatly to the popularity of the café among the chess players. Walter, Russo, Didro, Franklin, Robespierre and Napoleon Bonaparte used to play chess there. In the nineteenth century, the café lost its status among the “chess society”, but kept its chess traditions, which were continued by Deschapelle, La Bourdonnais,  Kieseritzky, de Rivière and others. In 1843, Staunton and Saint Amant held their match; in 1858, there were simultaneous performances by Morphy. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Chigorin also visited this temple of chess.