Activists protest against chess as 'racist'

[:) Smiley]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
It looks like it's wearing a bishop's hat.

Me being from a non-Christian background, see it and think "Soviet nuke" first, "bishop hat" second.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Seeker
Chess spread from Persia both east and west, the east asian version having slightly different rules (pawns move back and forth and sideways, knights can move in a very long L shape, and the king is limited to a special zone).

That's Chinese chess. It is completely different from Chess, with a different board, different pieces, and different rules.

Japan has its own version (Shogi). Shogi doesn't have cannons, it's only in Chinese chess.

There is no peice the equivalent of the queen in both. The "bodyguard" pieces in Chinese chess are completely defensive and can only move in the general's "tent."

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Dissident
Does the side that goes first win more often? I always thought the odds were fairly equal. So it really makes no difference who goes first. Thusly, white is not superior to black.

Yes. White wins more often, because you get to control the tempo if you play properly.

Therefore, in a chess tournament, several games are played with players use alternating sides.

[Natalinasmpf]

It does make quite a difference, you can easily put black on the defensive...they take the center board control first, and black is disadvantaged because it has to wrestle it away from white, while white can simply assert...

However, if white fails to force black on the defensive in the first few opening moves, the advantage is gone. Also, being overly assertive can backfire.

Its much rarer for black to conduct queen's gambit than white, as well. Its very hard to do when white already has centre-board.

Anyway, bear in mind, that white is not always white...or black always black. Black might be emitting UV colours, and white infra red colours as you go about it...

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Over here, it's called "le fou", which can be translated either as "the crazy" or "the jester"

The jester is called narr (or hovnarr to make clear it's the one at the court - any fool can be called a narr) in Swedish - a position entirely different from the löpare.

[Natalinasmpf]

which can be translated either as "the crazy" or "the jester"

But...but...King Lear was the one who was mad, not the jester!

[Al B. Sure!]

its a rook, not a roc, the giant bird in the stories of Sinbad.

[Last Conformist]

Spelling of that one differs. The Persian is ruhk, if memory serves, so the 'oo' spelling would actually make more sense.

[Al B. Sure!]

it's pronounced the same as the bird though... i doubt a relation.

[Al B. Sure!]

actually, isnt it likely that the rook isn't a castle at all but a siege tower or something?

i looked it up and nothing said anything clear but, rooks were called castles until fairly recently. apparently, the early players of chess changed the eastern chariot to something more european (a castle tower)... the tower was on the emblem of the earls of Rochford, from where Rook is derived, I assume.

[Natalinasmpf]

And created moving fortresses....

Bright idea. Castles that move!

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


That's Chinese chess. It is completely different from Chess, with a different board, different pieces, and different rules.

Japan has its own version (Shogi). Shogi doesn't have cannons, it's only in Chinese chess.

There is no peice the equivalent of the queen in both. The "bodyguard" pieces in Chinese chess are completely defensive and can only move in the general's "tent."

chinese chess is interesting

I have played a few games, am not very good

Jon Miller

[Al B. Sure!]

it symbolizes salleys from the castles, perhaps?

[Patroklos]

Shouldn't we pait them all white, to show that these people have finally integrated into civilized society?

Or maybe grey to show a melding. Tie-Died always works.

[Al B. Sure!]

its not about the melting pot anymore... now its the salad bowl. integration instead of assimilation.