♟️ About the Organizer

Svarta Hästen SK is a chess club based at Svarta Hästen Chess & Wine in central Stockholm, Sweden. Carl Fredrik Johansson founded the club in 2024 to create an accessible environment for adults who are new to chess and formal club competition.

The club works closely with Svarta Hästen, a chess-focused social venue founded by Joel Ighe. The original Stockholm location opened in 2023 at Biblioteksgatan 21. In 2025, the concept expanded with a second venue at Dicksonska Palatset in Gothenburg.

Svarta Hästen combines chess with a relaxed bar environment. Its custom-built chess tables provide space for casual games, lessons, tournaments, and social events. Beginners can play without previous club experience, while stronger players can join organized competitions.

Carl Fredrik Johansson manages the club’s training, tournaments, and chess events. He is an experienced chess organizer and internationally licensed instructor who previously served as President of the Swedish Chess Federation.

🏆 Tournaments and Competitive Chess

Svarta Hästen SK organizes classical, rapid, and blitz competitions. Its program includes club championships, seasonal tournaments, amateur events, and competitions designed for players who are taking their first steps into organized chess.

The annual Svarta Hästen Club Championship gives members an opportunity to play longer classical games. The 2026 championship used a time control of 60 minutes plus 30 seconds per move and attracted players with a wide range of ratings and experience.

The club also organizes the recurring Vårblixten and Höstblixten tournaments. These spring and autumn blitz events offer fast-paced competition in the distinctive atmosphere of the Stockholm chess bar.

Other activities include the Vårsnabben, the Queen’s Gambit tournament series, and editions of the Stockholm City Chess Festival. These events help connect club members with the wider Stockholm chess community.

Following the opening of the Gothenburg venue, Svarta Hästen SK expanded its tournament activity to western Sweden. The club now organizes Amatördragen på Svarta Hästen, a rapid tournament created for amateur and developing players.

🌱 Chess Training and Community Activities

The club’s central aim is to make over-the-board chess more approachable. Adults who have mainly played online can meet opponents, learn tournament procedures, and become part of a local chess community.

Svarta Hästen offers private and group lessons with Carl Fredrik Johansson. Training is available for complete beginners as well as players who want to improve their tactics, strategy, openings, and practical decision-making.

The venue also hosts casual chess evenings, coaching sessions, exhibitions, and special events. Players can reserve a chess table or visit the bar for informal games without entering a tournament.

Svarta Hästen also participates in larger public chess initiatives. In 2026, it operated a dedicated area at Chessparty Stockholm in Avicii Arena, with coaching, pub chess, quizzes, and other activities.

Through its combination of social chess, instruction, and regular competition, Svarta Hästen SK provides a welcoming route into organized chess. It supports beginners while also offering established players an unusual and active meeting place in Stockholm and Gothenburg.