Liverpool will play host to the British Chess Championships in Capital of Culture year.
Organisers also hope to attract the world’s top grand masters to the city for a separate event during 2008.
Giant chess sets could also be set up in city parks, and an artist could create a Liverpool set with Scouse-inspired chess pieces.
Liverpool’s chess club is believed to be the oldest in Britain and will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008.
The competitions, held at World Museum Liverpool, will be the culmination of three years of top flight chess in Liverpool.
Some of Europe’s leading players will converge on the city this September to compete in the prestigious European Union Individual Chess Championships, being sponsored by The Mersey Partnership.
And there are also proposals to bring in a national coach to develop acoaching system in Liverpool’s schools.
For more details about entering the European championships, email davewelch@blueyonder.co.uk