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All the United States California San Jose Santana Row Chess Plaza

Santana Row Chess Plaza

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

San Jose, California

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This over-sized board game is a piece of interactive public art that begs passersby for friendly attention.

"Playing" with the portable pieces usually results in a highly unorthodox version of the actual game: queens swapped for rooks, pawns annihilating bishops, and so on. There are quite commonly several toddlers in on the madness, probably attending to their play more seriously than the adults monkeying around and taking cell phone pictures of themselves on the checkered turf. Located along Santana Row – San Jose's best knockoff of the Champs-Élysées – this curiosity is a more emotionally fulfilling diversion than the shopping complex's retail offerings.

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Located within the 300 block of Santana Row.

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June 9, 2013

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Santana Row Chess Plaza
356 Santana Row
San Jose, California, 95128
United States
37.321054, -121.947346
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