The humble two-player strategy board game displayed remarkable resilience and adaptability over the coronavirus pandemic, with more people than ever coming together over lockdown to compete in online tournaments - in contrast to the scaling down of more common games and sports. But what gave chess this edge historically, and how can you celebrate it on July 20th?
One of the most ancient, intellectual, and culturally revered games in the world, chess originated under a different name: Chaturanga, first popping up in northern India during the Gupta period (319-543CE), before spreading along the Silk Roads to Persia. The Arabs later conquered Persia, resulting in chess being taken up by the Muslim world, and spread to southern Europe - where the game roughly evolved into its current form by the 15th century. However, today there are over 2000 unique versions of the game and 600 million regular chess players around the world - now that’s a lot of chess!
New variations, effective rules, and charismatic players only added to the game’s popularity, resulting in the first modern chess tournament being held in London in 1851, and won by German Adolf Anderssen. And in 2019, the General Assembly proclaimed July 20th as World Chess Day to mark the date of the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924.
As for celebrating? Here are some ideas:
Play (or learn to play) chess
Ask a friend for lessons if you’re new to the game, or find some instructions online. Joining a chess club can be a great way to practice: from secondary schools, to local community centres, to sports clubs - there’s bound to be a few within your city. And if not, why not set up your own, and watch the next generation of internationally-renowned chess players come to life yourself?
Organize a human chess game
Bring together 32 of your friends and family members for a life-sized game of chess (think Harry Potter) in the park, accompanied by a lunchtime picnic. An easy way to coordinate is to use coloured t-shirts with game piece names written/stuck on to identify who is playing what.
Celebrate with food
Have fun making game piece-shaped cookies for an avid chess player in your life, or baking a checkered cake that can be decorated as a chess board. A themed charcuterie board made out of alternating light and dark square crackers, with accompanying cheese slices, nuts, and dips, will also be a definite hit with savoury lovers.
Watch a chess-related film
Searching for Bobby Fischer, 1993, based on the true story of Josh Waitzkin’s exploration in the world of chess, who went on to become an international master. The Luzhin Defense, 2000, a romantic drama about a mentally tormented chess player who travels from Russia to Italy to compete, but is overcome by stress and anxiety. And another good choice: Queen of Katwe, 2016, based on the life of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, who grew up in the slums of Katwe and overcame adversity to play on an international level.
References:
Comments