Chess has occupied a prominent place in the cultural and intellectual life of Paris for several centuries, making the city one of the historic centers of the game in Europe. From the eighteenth century onward, Paris was closely associated with elite chess play, most notably through the Café de la Régence located near the Palais-Royal. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the café functioned as the most famous chess meeting place in the world, frequented by leading players such as François-André Danican Philidor, considered the strongest player of his era, as well as later masters including La Bourdonnais, Deschapelles, and visiting international figures, like the American player Paul Morphy. The café also attracted prominent intellectuals, reflecting the close relationship between chess, literature, and philosophy in Parisian culture.

Paris holds a central position in the institutional history of international chess as the founding city of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). The organization was established in 1924 during the Paris Olympic Games, with representatives from several national chess federations meeting to create a governing body for international competition. This event laid the foundation for standardized rules and official world championships in the decades that followed.

In the modern period, Paris has continued to host high-level chess events, reinforcing its historical legacy. The city has been a regular venue for elite tournaments, including stages of the Grand Chess Tour, such as the Paris Rapid & Blitz, which has attracted many of the world’s leading players in the twenty-first century. Alongside these international competitions, Paris remains home to numerous chess clubs, tournaments, and public playing spaces, reflecting both its historical importance and its ongoing role in contemporary chess life.