The Last Chess Shop in New York City

“I came here to get a PhD in American literature, and here I am, with pictures of American writers on the wall—a chess vendor.” That’s Imad Khachan, owner of Chess Forum, the only remaining chess shop in New York City. A Palestinian refugee with no family of his own, Khachan has become “the father of everybody” to a community of chess enthusiasts, those curious to learn more about the game, and those whom Khachan describes as the city’s “invisible people.” “When no other place will welcome you, you have a