The chess competition for the 1938 Bolivarian Games took place in Bogotá from 10 to 20 August 1938.
Six men competed in a double round-robin tournament held at Del Rosario University.
[1] The revelation of the tournament was 21 year-old gold medalist Luis Augusto Sánchez, who conceded a single draw to Miguel Cuéllar and won all his other games,[2] including both against the reigning Colombian champion Alfonso Herrera.
[3] Herrera and Cuéllar won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
[4] Bolivia sent two players including Jorge Rodríguez Hurtado, its national champion and president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, and Venezuela was represented by its national champion Sady Loynaz.