ChessClosed
35 reports · 100% success rate (8/8 confirmed) · latest report 2026-06-21
This show has closed (final performance June 21, 2026). The rush data below is kept for reference. See the closed shows archive for others.
Rush Strategy for Chess
Rushing Chess is a moderately competitive rush where showing up a couple of hours before the box office usually pays off. Across 35 community reports, the median reported arrival time is 8:30 AM. Arrive by 9:15 AM for a good chance at tickets. At box office open, reporters have counted a median of about 5 people already in line, so aim to beat that. Reported success rates are high (around 100% of confirmed reports walked away with tickets), which suggests supply has mostly kept up with the line. Saturdays have drawn the most reports, so expect heavier competition then; midweek tends to be easier. Rush tickets run $49 at the Imperial Theatre. Rush timing: box office open (10 am weekdays/sat, 12 pm sun). All figures are community-reported, not official box office policy.
Based on 35 reports
~80% chance based on past winners
Arrival Time Over Time
Green = got ticket, red = didn't, gray = unknown
Line Count at Box Office Open
Reported line size
When People Arrive
Reported arrivals by hour
Arrival Range by Day
Earliest to latest reported arrival each day · ◆ = median
Success Rate by Day
Which days have the highest success rate
All Reports
We were first at BVSC at 8:30am, around 6 right now at 9:50am. Counting about 15 at Chess right now. Between 10-15 at Giant
I arrived at chess at 9:15am and ended up being 14th in line to the window. From what I could hear most were getting matinee. I got one seat for the evening performance. Thanks to Reddit I knew to tur
8:00 Outsiders- 10 8:32 Proof- 5 Giant- 6 Chess- 4 Operation Mincemeat- 4 Buena Vista Social Club- 0 Outsiders- 19 9:30 Proof- 10 Giant- 11 Chess- 16 Operation Mincemeat- 7 Buena Vista Social Club-
Went to Imperial at 6pm and was offered rush tickets. They said they had 2 left.
7th in line at 7:20am. 3 at outsiders, 0 at mincemeat/BVSC.
5 in line for Chess as of 11am.
4 in line at 9:05 AM (line count observation from post body).
Chess: 4 in line at 9:05
Walked up at 1:45 for 2PM matinee, got $49 rush ticket
Chess, I tried the box office on a whim at 1:45 for the 2 PM matinee and was sold a $49 ticket that said "RUSH". Not sure if it really was a Rush ticket, but assume so.
9:00am outsiders-8 mincemeat-2 giant-0 chess-0 death becomes her-0 (first people showed up after 10:00) i was 3rd in line for stranger things a little after 9, but the two girls in front of me we
I also went to Death Becomes her after I left the Chess box office and the line was already done and I still got 2 rush tickets. Walked out of there around 10:19
Chess 1st in line - 7:40am, 21 people at 9:35
9:02am Mincemeat: 3 Outsiders: 13 (first person at 6:40am) Chess: 5 (9:07)
7 in line for chess now
Nobody at chess. 10 in line for outsiders
About 15 in line at Giant as of 9:55. And when I walked by Chess it must have had 40-50 in line as of 9:55
15-20 at Chess, none at Buena Vista, ~10 at Outsiders, 7 at Giant, maybe 5-10 at Proof (hard to see from my spot) as of 9:06
I don't have exact numbers but there were a couple people on line at Chess and Giant when I walked by at 7:40. Four on line at Stranger Things at nearly 9 o'clock. Death Becomes Her is across the st
1 at Chess, 4 at Mincemeat. I’m online for Outsiders, and there are 9 people here. I got here at 6:45, the next person at 6:50, then 8, 9, and 9:30.
I got in line at Chess at about 11:35. I didn’t count, but probably 15 people in front of me. I got a $49 rush but upper mez.
5 in line for Chess by 8:20, now at 9:53 there are around 23.
At 7:57: Buena Vista social club has no one, Outsiders has 3, Operation minecemeat has two, Chess has three Edit: Update as of 8:08 Outsiders has 8
9:40 am 16 at chess
Chess - First @ 6:30 - 2 @ 7:00 - 8 @ 9:00
Was 6th at Chess a bit after 8. 6-7 people got in line immediately after me. IIRC, the first person arrived at 6:30. The line was prettty long by the time the box office opened - not sure how many tic
got to chess at 9:15-ish and got a box seat for 2:00 show, the guy at the window wasn’t super helpful and i just got the box seat, even though its not a great view. walked across to outsiders for fun
Giant 3 at 8am 9 at 9am (ETA: Box office confirmed all rush seats are partial view. Not sold out so no standing room right now, suggested time to check in again is 4-5pm.) Chess next door looks
My friend got to Chess at 7:25 and was 6th. We got box seats. The line was around the block by 8:30/9
chess 6 @ 7:50 9 @ 8:05 outsiders 10 @ 8:20 bvsc 0 @ 8:20 proof 1 @ 8:30 operation mincemeat 4 @ 8:30 giant 6 @ 8:45
Was 6th in line at Mincemeat at 9:05am, and got one ticket. Walked past Chess out of curiosity when I arrived and counted 46 people
Update on Chess: I arrived at 8am, was 18th in line, and they ran out of rush tickets about 4-5 people before me. After that the lowest price was $189 for the matinee show.
Chess update: I was about 10th(?) in line and was able to get tickets for the matinee show! Got there at about 6AM and was terrified they would run out but it seems that they had extra since today was
| Date | Day | Performance | Arrival | Position | Line at Open | Got Ticket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-26 | Thu | evening | 7:20 AM | #1 | - | ? | - |
| 2026-03-31 | Tue | evening | 8:30 AM | #1 | - | ? | We were first at BVSC at 8:30am, around 6 right now at 9:50am. Counting about 15 at Chess right now. Between 10-15 at Giant |
| 2026-04-18 | Sat | matinee | 9:15 AM | #14 | - | Yes | I arrived at chess at 9:15am and ended up being 14th in line to the window. From what I could hear most were getting matinee. I got one seat for the evening performance. Thanks to Reddit I knew to tur |
| 2026-04-18 | Sat | evening | 8:00 | #10 | - | ? | 8:00 Outsiders- 10 8:32 Proof- 5 Giant- 6 Chess- 4 Operation Mincemeat- 4 Buena Vista Social Club- 0 Outsiders- 19 9:30 Proof- 10 Giant- 11 Chess- 16 Operation Mincemeat- 7 Buena Vista Social Club- |
| 2026-05-12 | Tue | evening | 10:00 AM | #19 | - | ? | - |
| 2026-05-15 | Fri | evening | 6:00 PM | #0 | - | Yes | Went to Imperial at 6pm and was offered rush tickets. They said they had 2 left. |
| 2026-05-16 | Sat | matinee | 7:20 AM | #7 | - | ? | 7th in line at 7:20am. 3 at outsiders, 0 at mincemeat/BVSC. |
| 2026-05-17 | Sun | matinee | 11:00 AM | #5 | - | ? | 5 in line for Chess as of 11am. |
| 2026-05-20 | Wed | matinee | 9:05 AM | - | 4 | ? | 4 in line at 9:05 AM (line count observation from post body). |
| 2026-05-20 | Wed | matinee | 9:05 AM | - | 4 | ? | Chess: 4 in line at 9:05 |
| 2026-05-23 | Sat | matinee | 1:45 PM | - | - | Yes | Walked up at 1:45 for 2PM matinee, got $49 rush ticket |
| 2026-05-23 | Sat | matinee | 1:45 | - | - | ? | Chess, I tried the box office on a whim at 1:45 for the 2 PM matinee and was sold a $49 ticket that said "RUSH". Not sure if it really was a Rush ticket, but assume so. |
| 2026-05-24 | Sun | evening | 9:00 AM | #3 | - | Yes | 9:00am outsiders-8 mincemeat-2 giant-0 chess-0 death becomes her-0 (first people showed up after 10:00) i was 3rd in line for stranger things a little after 9, but the two girls in front of me we |
| 2026-05-27 | Wed | evening | 10:19 | - | - | ? | I also went to Death Becomes her after I left the Chess box office and the line was already done and I still got 2 rush tickets. Walked out of there around 10:19 |
| 2026-05-27 | Wed | evening | 7:40 AM | #1 | - | ? | Chess 1st in line - 7:40am, 21 people at 9:35 |
| 2026-05-28 | Thu | evening | 9:02 AM | #1 | - | ? | 9:02am Mincemeat: 3 Outsiders: 13 (first person at 6:40am) Chess: 5 (9:07) |
| 2026-05-28 | Thu | evening | - | 7 | ? | 7 in line for chess now | |
| 2026-05-28 | Thu | evening | - | 10 | ? | Nobody at chess. 10 in line for outsiders | |
| 2026-05-30 | Sat | evening | 9:55 | - | 15 | ? | About 15 in line at Giant as of 9:55. And when I walked by Chess it must have had 40-50 in line as of 9:55 |
| 2026-05-30 | Sat | evening | 9:06 | - | - | ? | 15-20 at Chess, none at Buena Vista, ~10 at Outsiders, 7 at Giant, maybe 5-10 at Proof (hard to see from my spot) as of 9:06 |
| 2026-05-30 | Sat | evening | 7:40 | - | - | ? | I don't have exact numbers but there were a couple people on line at Chess and Giant when I walked by at 7:40. Four on line at Stranger Things at nearly 9 o'clock. Death Becomes Her is across the st |
| 2026-05-31 | Sun | evening | 6:45 | - | - | ? | 1 at Chess, 4 at Mincemeat. I’m online for Outsiders, and there are 9 people here. I got here at 6:45, the next person at 6:50, then 8, 9, and 9:30. |
| 2026-05-31 | Sun | evening | 11:35 | - | - | ? | I got in line at Chess at about 11:35. I didn’t count, but probably 15 people in front of me. I got a $49 rush but upper mez. |
| 2026-06-02 | Tue | evening | 8:20 | - | 5 | ? | 5 in line for Chess by 8:20, now at 9:53 there are around 23. |
| 2026-06-03 | Wed | evening | 7:57 | - | - | ? | At 7:57: Buena Vista social club has no one, Outsiders has 3, Operation minecemeat has two, Chess has three Edit: Update as of 8:08 Outsiders has 8 |
| 2026-06-03 | Wed | evening | 9:40 AM | - | - | ? | 9:40 am 16 at chess |
| 2026-06-04 | Thu | evening | 6:30 | #1 | - | ? | Chess - First @ 6:30 - 2 @ 7:00 - 8 @ 9:00 |
| 2026-06-05 | Fri | evening | 6:30 | #1 | - | Yes | Was 6th at Chess a bit after 8. 6-7 people got in line immediately after me. IIRC, the first person arrived at 6:30. The line was prettty long by the time the box office opened - not sure how many tic |
| 2026-06-06 | Sat | evening | 9:15 | - | - | Yes | got to chess at 9:15-ish and got a box seat for 2:00 show, the guy at the window wasn’t super helpful and i just got the box seat, even though its not a great view. walked across to outsiders for fun |
| 2026-06-17 | Wed | evening | 8:00 AM | - | 3 | Yes | Giant 3 at 8am 9 at 9am (ETA: Box office confirmed all rush seats are partial view. Not sold out so no standing room right now, suggested time to check in again is 4-5pm.) Chess next door looks |
| 2026-06-17 | Wed | evening | 7:25 | #6 | - | Yes | My friend got to Chess at 7:25 and was 6th. We got box seats. The line was around the block by 8:30/9 |
| 2026-06-18 | Thu | evening | 7:50 | - | - | ? | chess 6 @ 7:50 9 @ 8:05 outsiders 10 @ 8:20 bvsc 0 @ 8:20 proof 1 @ 8:30 operation mincemeat 4 @ 8:30 giant 6 @ 8:45 |
| 2026-06-20 | Sat | evening | 9:05 AM | #6 | - | ? | Was 6th in line at Mincemeat at 9:05am, and got one ticket. Walked past Chess out of curiosity when I arrived and counted 46 people |
| 2026-06-21 | Sun | matinee | 8:00 AM | #18 | - | ? | Update on Chess: I arrived at 8am, was 18th in line, and they ran out of rush tickets about 4-5 people before me. After that the lowest price was $189 for the matinee show. |
| 2026-06-21 | Sun | matinee | 6:00 AM | - | - | ? | Chess update: I was about 10th(?) in line and was able to get tickets for the matinee show! Got there at about 6AM and was terrified they would run out but it seems that they had extra since today was |
All data is community-reported and may not reflect actual conditions.