Just 6 months ago the United Nations proclaimed 20 July as World Chess Day describing it as “one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural games, with a combination of sport, scientific thinking and elements of art. As an affordable and inclusive activity, it can be exercised anywhere and played by all, across the barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability or social status.”
Caption: LG @AdamGT vs a Sherpa playing chess during a forced lockdown due to a Himalayan blizzard in Nepal
Caption: What’s left of a chess board in a park in Limon, Costa Rica (LG: @AdamGT)
But where did this game start from? Well one theory is that it started some 1500 years ago with Chaturanga, an early game similar to chess that originated in Northern India and then spread along the Silk Roads west to Persia and after the Arabs conquered Persia it was taken up by the Muslim world subsequently spreading to Southern Europe and then Russia. Since then it’s interesting history has continued with the beginning of modern chess tournaments in the second half of the 19th century and in 1886 the first World Chess Championship was held. Then, in 1997, a computer first beat a world chess champion in the famous match between IBM’s Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov. Kaparov is the Russian chess Grandmaster and former World Chess Champion who was also included in the list of ten smartest people in the world! However, chess is not only a male game. Hungarian Judit Polgár achieved the Grandmaster title at the age of 15 and at that time, was the youngest to have done so breaking the record previously held by former World Champion, American Bobby Fischer. Then we have Chinese player Hou Yifan, the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster and the youngest ever to win the Women’s World Chess Championship.
Caption: A chess board and seating on the edge of Dundas Place Reserve, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia (LG: @AdamGT)
Caption: A large chess set on the deck of a cruise ship in the Caribbean (LG: @AdamGT)
So what’s this got to do with Local Guides? Well we’ve all seen posts about and photos of flowers, gardens, towns, cities and villages, historic and modern buildings, train stations, schools and university campuses, castles, beautiful mosques, cathedrals and churches, bridges, mountains, beaches, islands, farms and fields, lakes and rivers, amazing waterfalls, valleys and gorges, sunsets and sunrises, skies, clouds, the moon and the sun, street art and graffiti, boats, lighthouses, statues, shells, corals and pet stones and rocks, animals, birds and even insects…hopefully I haven’t missed anything, and sorry if I did. So I thought I’d sneak in something a little different! I thought that many Local Guides in different parts of the world play chess or have watched others play chess, and might even own a chess set themselves! But more than that, as well as seeing many different kinds of chess sets, some with very ornately crafted pieces, some large and some small and others very, very small, in my travels around the world I and other Local Guides have seen many play chess in public spaces like city squares and even gardens. For example, in the Times and Epochs Festival post by Local Guide @helga19 she showed a photo of children playing on a large chess set in Revolution Square, Moscow. Then Local Guide @AsifAmirBhuyian had a chess set right up front and center in his post Cherry Blossom At Stockholm 2020, and in her What does the Local Guides program mean to me post submitted for CL2020 @Kathiasb showed a large chess set located in Aventura Mall, Aventura FL US. I’ve also seen chess being played in cafes around the world like Local Guide @Thomasvonprag who introduced us to the 5 best chess cafes in Prague. And I have to add, I really loved the post by @benihana93 titled The Hidden Coffee Gems in which he mentioned one of his most memorable experiences a few months ago when he had a game of chess with the owner of the Scatter Bean coffee shop in Brisbane, Australia. He wrote that “a little known secret about me is if you challenge me to a game of chess then you may have a friend and competitor for life.”
Caption: Chess game tourist vs locals on the forecourt in front of the State Library Victoria,Melbourne, Australia (LG: @AdamGT)
So then if I’m right, there can be little doubt that many Local Guides have more than just a passing interest in chess. Well it seems so!!! Local Guide @RuslanAndyChandra introduced us to the Chess Community at Kampus Pion 8 Depok and in the post, What hobbies have you learned (or revisited) while at home? by @KatieMcBroom, our Chess Coach Local Guide @muk30 wrote that during the COVID lockdown he learnt how to make his own Chess videos!!! Then I discovered that in his hello post, teacher @evettskivili a Local Guide from Queens, New York wrote that he really enjoys playing chess and was looking forward to meeting up with chess players to spar and improve. QED!
Caption: Multiple chess boards permanently setup in the beautiful St Kilda Botanical Garden, Melbourne, Australia (LG: @AdamGT)
So having said all that, in anticipation of the forthcoming World Chess Day, in this post I’ve shared some photos of some of the chess sets that I’ve come across in my travels so please join in! Do you play chess yourself? Do you own a favorite chess set? Perhaps you have one of those sets with very ornately carved/crafted pieces. In your travels have you seen any interesting chess sets or sets placed in interesting locations like a cafe or public space? Yes this post is a few days ahead of the World Chess Day on 20 July but I wanted to give everyone some forward notice!
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