Check this out: Chess play gets physical
By ISAAC KESTENBAUM, News Assistant
Chess pieces don’t normally talk back to their players.
Yet this was the case on Saturday at the Gray Public Library, when New Hampshire librarian and educator Michael Sullivan led a game of “living chess,” with humans standing in for chess pieces on a room-sized board.
Some participants dressed as their chosen pieces and wore white or black, depending on their affiliation.
Certain positions are more popular than others, said Sullivan, who lectures and conducts workshops throughout the country. “Most of the elementary-aged boys end up wanting to be knights,” he said. “Because dressing up as a knight is very fun.”
Most young girls, said Sullivan, want to be the queen. This sometimes poses a problem, because Sullivan likes to assign pieces based on height.
In Gray, the game unfolded on a giant board, roughly 20 feet square, made of interlocking rubber tiles.
Sullivan tries to keep live games fast-paced. “I try to remind players that this is not their chance to play championship-level chess,” said Sullivan. “You want to keep it moving, keep it fun and be aggressive. Don’t try to play your best game; try to play your most exciting game.”
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I love live chess. It’s fun.