Home › Blog › Chess Hustlers: How the Money Works and Where to Play
A chess hustler is a regular at a public chess table who plays passers-by for small stakes, usually 5-minute blitz, and often sells lessons on the side. In New York, reported prices have stayed at $5 to $10 a game since at least 2012, so the money comes from volume: many short games, plus lessons at about $20 a half hour. Hustlers have told reporters that a good day brings in about $100, and the best-known spots are Washington Square Park and Union Square.
Street chess has been part of New York's parks for decades, by one account since the 1940s. This guide covers the money, the etiquette and where to play, with or without a bet.
A chess hustler is a player who sets up at a public board and plays anyone who sits down, for money. Most games are blitz on a clock, usually 5 minutes each, and a flag counts as a loss.
The arrangement is open. The price is stated before the game, the visitor chooses to sit down, and the hustler is betting on more blitz experience than the person across the board.
In New York, the best-known regulars play at the southwest corners of Washington Square Park and Union Square. A 2007 New York Times piece described a "small legion" of hustlers across those 2 parks and a spot at St. Nicholas Avenue and 141st Street.
The tradition has some famous names attached. Stanley Kubrick played "for quarters" in Washington Square Park in the early 1950s, and Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) opens with the park games, including a $5 game.
Mostly from $5 to $10 blitz games, with lessons at about $20 a half hour and puzzles adding to it. Here's what reporters have recorded:
| Year | Where | Price reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Washington Square Park | $10 a game | amNY |
| 2013 | Union Square, Washington Square | $5 to $10 a game | amNY |
| 2014 | Union Square | About $5 a game, 5-minute clocks | VICE |
| 2017 | Union Square | $3 for a game without a bet, $5 to the winner of a bet game, $20 for a 30-minute lesson | New York Post (via casino.org) |
| 2022 | Washington Square Park | $5 for a 5-minute game, $7 by Venmo, about $10 without a clock; lessons $20 a half hour; puzzles $5 to $10 after a free one | Anne Kadet |
| 2024 | New York parks | "Ten dollars a game, five if it's a draw" | FIDE |
The latest figure is from December 2024, so treat these as a guide and ask the price on the day.
Earnings depend on foot traffic, weather and who sits down. These numbers come from the hustlers themselves, so they're self-reported:
Foot traffic matters enough to move the scene. In 2013, amNY found about two-thirds of the Washington Square tables empty, because many players had moved to Union Square for the crowds.
They're strong at blitz, but no published source measures their ratings, and the players on record range from casual regulars to titled masters.
At the top end, FM Asa Hoffmann, whose USCF rating peaked at 2471, played blitz for money in New York's clubs and parks. He wrote about that life in The Last Gamesman (2022).
Grandmasters have sat down too. In a 2016 ChessBase report on GM Maurice Ashley playing a Washington Square hustler for $5 a game, Ashley described himself as "probably 600 points above him". In October 2016, Magnus Carlsen turned up unannounced and beat Washington Square players quickly.
The mood varies by table too. Some regulars, like "Johnny Chess" O'Leary, a fixture at Washington Square since 1991, have been described as welcoming to beginners.
The tactics reporters describe are within the rules. A 2014 VICE piece on Union Square listed 3:
Talk is part of it as well. Maurice Ashley called the trash talk "part of the experience", and some players use it to keep the game moving.
The best preparation is a clear agreement. Settle touch-move and what happens on a flag before the first move, and play at your own pace.
Walk up, ask the price, and agree everything before the clock starts. A short checklist:
Settle up after each game as agreed, and expect to lose most blitz games against a regular, so only bet what you'd happily pay for the game. If you'd rather learn than bet, ask about a lesson; $20 for half an hour has been the reported rate since at least 2017.
If you want a record of park games, the Checkmate IRL chess clock saves each result for your opponent to confirm, and online platforms don't rate games played on a physical board (more in Chess.com vs Lichess vs Checkmate IRL).
Washington Square Park and Union Square are where the money games are. Bryant Park and Central Park are better for free games.
| Place | What it's like | Money games? | Hours and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Square Park | 18 granite tables with inlaid boards at the southwest corner, rebuilt in 2012; fast blitz and trash talk | Yes, $5 to $10 a game in reports from 2012 to 2024 | Free yearly chess exhibition; in May 2026 GM Joel Benjamin played 23 people at once |
| Union Square | Players bring folding tables to the southwest corner near 14th Street; up to about 20 players at busy times (2014) | Yes, the main money scene since about 2013 | One regular told the New York Post in 2017 that he plays year-round |
| Bryant Park | Free sets and an attendant | No: the park's rules say "gambling of any kind is not allowed" | 11:00 to 19:00, April to October (check the park's site late in the season) |
| Central Park Chess & Checkers House | 24 outdoor tables at a 1952 building at Mid-Park and 64th Street, restored in 2023 | None reported | Free pieces to borrow 10:00 to 16:30, Wednesday to Saturday; leave a name and phone number |
The 2012 rebuild also added longer tables for wheelchair users at Washington Square. That year, amNY reported that Washington Square closed at midnight and Union Square didn't.
For indoor play near Washington Square, Chess Forum is a chess shop with drop-in games.
The full list of boards, cafés and clubs is on the New York venue page, and chess in New York covers the city's clubs and events.
In London and Berlin, outdoor chess is free and social, and we found no reporting on money games in either city.
London's outdoor scene centers on clubs and stone tables:
The UK government's 2023 chess package of about £1 million included 100 park chess boards, among them one in Ruskin Park in Lambeth. More on the city in chess in London.
Berlin's park tables are open to anyone:
Chess in Berlin covers the city's cafés and clubs.
In Washington, DC, the Dupont Circle chess tables are a public spot with tables in the park. For more parks and public boards around the world, see the outdoor chess guide.
What is a chess hustler? A chess hustler is a regular at a public chess table who plays strangers for small stakes. Games are usually 5-minute blitz, and many hustlers also sell lessons and puzzles.
How much does it cost to play a chess hustler? Usually $5 to $10 a game in New York, based on reports from 2012 to 2024. Some charge less for a draw or more for a game without a clock, so agree the price before the first move.
How much do chess hustlers make? It varies widely, and the figures are self-reported. Players have told reporters about $50 to $100 on a weekday or a good day, one claimed up to $400 a day, and one described a best-ever day of $1,700.
How good are chess hustlers? No published source measures their ratings. The players on record range from casual regulars to FM Asa Hoffmann, whose USCF rating peaked at 2471, and GM Maurice Ashley put himself about 600 points above the hustler he played.
Do chess hustlers cheat? The tactics reporters describe are within the rules: fast play, clock pressure, locked pawn positions and unusual openings. Agree touch-move and flag rules before you start.
Where are the chess hustlers in New York? At the southwest corners of Washington Square Park and Union Square. Union Square has been the bigger money scene since about 2013.
Where can I play chess for free in New York? Bryant Park and the Central Park Chess & Checkers House. Bryant Park lends sets with an attendant from April to October and bans gambling, and the Chess & Checkers House lends free pieces Wednesday to Saturday.
How many chess tables are in Washington Square Park? 18, since the chess plaza reopened in 2012. Before the renovation there were 19.
Is Washington Square Park in Searching for Bobby Fischer? Yes. The 1993 film opens with the park's chess scene, and young Josh plays a regular there who charges $5 a game.
Are there chess hustlers in London? We found no reporting on money games in London. Its outdoor chess is free and social, at FourCorner's club meetings, the Russell Square tables and the giant set in Holland Park.
Checkmate IRL is the companion app for over-the-board chess: a chess clock that saves your results, an offline rating, and a map of places to play near you.