Chess you can drop in on 24

Many places to play around Lisbon take whoever turns up. The public tables in Campo Grande, Quinta das Conchas, Olivais, the Vale do Silêncio, Bela Vista, Rio Seco and Areeiro are open to anyone with a set, and bars and cafés in Graça, Picoas, Bica, Marvila and Beato host chess evenings that anyone can join. Clubs in Arroios and Benfica welcome visitors, the Academia do Lumiar invites anyone curious to sit in on a class, and a community centre in Olivais has held weekday sessions with no sign-up.

Chess days are open to all as well: museum days around the region and in Loures, the old gunpowder factory in Barcarena and the Barreiro tournament circuit welcome players of every level, and a chess-and-oware group invites newcomers on Sunday afternoons in Lisbon. Open does not always mean free: a bar expects you to order something, and some tournaments charge an entry fee.