
An Indian village addicted to chess - sonabinu
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170511-the-indian-village-addicted-to-chess
======
cubano
I have a deep affinity for chess for economic reasons.

In 2002 when I went to prison in Florida for 22 months, playing chess for
$1/game was my "hustle", and it allowed me to eat really well at a panhandle
camp that was well known for its terrible chow.

Also, a rather odd but very beneficial side effect of my play came into
focus...my chess ability seemed to convey a certain status to me by old timers
on the yard, and assigned to me a certain "respect" level that basically kept
me rather safe during my entire stay.

I'll admit...I wasn't always totally virtuous while hustling. I often lost to
players in the beginning as to set the hook for future games and
profitability.

The most interesting part is that, in reality, I kinda suck at chess in the
real world by my own demanding standards.

~~~
Havoc
I don't quite see how chess ability translates to safety in prison?

~~~
cubano
Yeah it sure isn't immediately obvious that this would be so, but without a
doubt it is true because the same experience has occurred several times since.

So I have an escape charge in Florida (escape, not absconding) for not
returning to a county work release center in Orlando many years ago. This was
a really dumb thing to do because now, whenever I'm jailed I often get thrown
in with the "high-security" inmates whom are also known as the murderers and
anyone looking at over 20-years if convicted.

My last time through the system in Florida, I must have spent 4-5 hours a day
playing chess with an alleged murderer whom was infatuated with the game and
trying very hard to get better. I was in for some possession
charges...bullshit really but because the old escape charge there I was.

This man had deep respect in the jail as his brother was at FSP/Raiford
actually _on death row_ for an execution-style murder committed about a decade
earlier. The alleged murder this man committed was related to that very
incident.

Anyway, I had played his brother for several months back "in the day" and was
the only person in the jail who could beat him, and to be honest, I became
somewhat a legend in C-block for my game. Remember, these people in this block
often sit in county jail for 3-5 years waiting for trial and such, so the
"institutional memory" actually lasts a long time in such a dismal place.

Long story somewhat short: By spending so many hours teaching this man to play
much much better, he put the word out that no one was to fuck with me, and I
was not only really safe, but was fed and taken care of by the group.

Very odd experience, but every word true.

~~~
ransom1538
What were you in for? 22 months? Not judging totally curious - Florida's jails
are packed.

[http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/11/13806293-...](http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/11/13806293-in-
florida-1-in-4-blacks-of-voting-age-cannot-vote-because-of-felony-conviction)

~~~
cubano
I was busted selling MDMA in a nightclub.

------
kadabra9
I can relate to this. Chess is a beautiful game, but for certain people it
isnt just addictive; its a complete escape, a way to tune out the world and
just get lost in a game.

I was going through some personal problems a year back and found myself
constantly just staying up into the night, playing game after game of 5/0 or
3/2 blitz chess. I couldn't stop. It was therapeutic, but also a way of sort
of avoiding the problems I had going in my life. I know it wasnt the best use
of my time, but man it felt good to tune out for a while and in a weird way I
think it helped me get through some of the problems I was facing.

~~~
hwayern
There's something about needing to focus on a singular action that really
helps you detach, I find. I don't think it's necessarily avoiding it - when
you're detached and not thinking about it I think you give yourself space to
reorient. Sometimes the world gets too noisy and you can't think straight.

That said, I once tried to relax by playing a chess game and I almost punched
something I was so frustrated with how quiet and slow the game was ;)

~~~
finid
If you're frustrated by the pace of the game, then I think you're not thinking
deep enough.

~~~
hwayern
Ha! Probably, honestly. I've never been too great at thinking way ahead.

~~~
chongli
It's something that takes tons and tons of practice. The more positions and
tactics and openings you burn into your long term memory the less you need to
keep in short term memory.

The best players in the world have put so many thousands of hours into the
game that they can beat casual players trivially without thinking more than
one move ahead. They owe this ability to having vast knowledge of fundamentals
and theoretical lines in all the most common positions. This is how they are
able to win simultaneous exhibitions against a large number of casual players.

------
shas3
Lovely piece!

The addictive element of chess reminds me of Satyajit Ray's movie "Shatranj Ke
Khiladi" (The Chess Players). The movie is set in the 19th century at the
onset of British colonization of the Indian heartland. It is about two
noblemen of the Indian province of Awadh who are addicted to chess to such an
extent that they have become oblivious to the dramatic changes happening in
their households, the province, and the region in general. There's also a
decadent dance-obsessed Nawab (provincial ruler). All three elite aristocrats
are consumed in their hobbies and addictions while the British are maneuvering
to subjugate their province.

~~~
HenryTheHorse
A brilliant film, on so many levels. A tip of the hat to writer Munshi
Premchand, who wrote the short story which formed the basis of Ray's film.

------
baahh3333
This is from the highest literate state in India. No wonder here. When I was a
kid, I used to see all the Autorickshaw drivers assemble under a tree playing
chess and drinking tea while waiting for their next trip.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_states_ranking_by_liter...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_states_ranking_by_literacy_rate)

------
gerdesj
Another BBC story on HN I can't read because I'm in the UK!

Here's another source for bemused Brits:

[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/knight-
exemplar...](http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/knight-exemplar-
chess-saves-people-from-alcohol-in-a-village-in-kerala/article17408584.ece)

~~~
deepuj
Is BBC behind a paywall in the UK?

~~~
manarth
The message they display says:

    
    
      We're sorry but this site is not accessible from the UK as it is part of our
      international service and is not funded by the licence fee. It is run commercially
      by BBC Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BBC, the profits
      made from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great
      new BBC programmes.
    

The rationale is explained in a little more detail in a BBC FAQ [1].

BBC Worldwide is a commercial entity, but the BBC's fair trading rules
prevents them from promoting a commercial entity to UK licence payers. The
somewhat odd outcome is that BBC content is unavailable to people in the UK.

[1]
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/online/website_changes](http://www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/online/website_changes)

------
theprop
Everything "bad" eventually becomes "good" for you.

150 years ago Scientific American bemoaned the "chess phenomenon" that was
spreading quickly across the country. They wrote that chess was a trivial game
that rotted the mind or something to that extent...

~~~
Mediterraneo10
I’m not sure we’re at the point where chess is universally “good”. That might
have been the case in Soviet Russia, where chess was hugely pushed by the
state, or America in those Cold War years where ordinary society saw it as a
noble way beat those Soviets.

Nowadays, however, chess is probably met more with indifference than anything
else. One often hears complaints that it is a gimmick that merely shows that a
person is capable of memorizing many, many thousands of positions, not that
players are intelligent people in some other, more general respect (whatever
“intelligent” might mean here).

Furthermore, it is also understood now that unless you invest in a very large
library of chess books and dedicate all your waking hours to memorization,
you’ll never be able to play chess at a high level regardless of your passion
for the game. Yes, people still play e.g. football among their mates even if
they know they aren’t ever going to be pros, but chess competition used to
have an aura of being open to any clever player who just used his thinker, and
that has now been generally shattered. Plus, computers beat people now.

~~~
carc
As a recreational player that plays in tournaments from time to time and is
active in my local chess community, this post really only exposes that you
don't know what you're talking about. For context, I'm not amazing but I'm no
slouch (~95th percentile in the US) and memorization accounts for so little of
my defeats or victories that it's practically meaningless. In fact, studying
the openings is usually considered to be the least value-adding way to improve
unless you're a titled player (usually 2400+ US ELO)

~~~
Retra
They are talking about perceptions of chess among non-chess players, not the
reality of chess for high-level players.

------
malikNF
Was wondering where I had seen this before. Here's a history TV bit they did
on this village.

[https://youtu.be/hK0_QfZyiWI?t=14m22s](https://youtu.be/hK0_QfZyiWI?t=14m22s)
(from 14:22 - 18:25) its in Hindi, but there are English subtitles.

------
neduma
>> Here 4,000 of the 6,000 population are playing chess, almost daily

Really? I wish to go there for vacation. Great subject for Documentary.
Anyone?

~~~
baahh3333
A native of Kerala here. You are most welcome to my state. You might find more
topics for your documentary here, for ex: The religious harmony of Kerala,
while the other Indian states are still divided on castecism. The high HDI and
literacy (almost 95%) of Kerala. Here is Kerala Government's tourism website
for more information to plan your visit.

[https://www.keralatourism.org](https://www.keralatourism.org)

You can get Visa on Arrival too [https://www.keralatourism.org/visa-
requirement.php](https://www.keralatourism.org/visa-requirement.php)

If you find it hard to DIY. You can contact professional tour operators in
Kerala to plan your vacation.

PS: Kerala has very high literacy about 94.59. Most of Keralites can
write/read/speak English. All the information signs/shops/hotels are in
English & Malayalam. You will have no problem finding your way around and
asking for directions even without a tour guide.

------
lingben
I find these social memes fascinating. I wonder if any sociologist has made a
serious study of how they start and spread. There is another town in India
dedicated to weightlifting and working as bouncers:

[http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/world/asia/india-muscle-
villag...](http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/world/asia/india-muscle-village/)

~~~
Aspos
Given number of villages in India, I guess you can find one addicted to ...
virtually anything. Almost sure I have seen a village addicted to JavaScript.

~~~
xapata
I think I read about that in Hitchhiker's Guide -- there must be a village out
there that grows sentient mattresses.

------
ekm2
Chess is so addictive it made me drop out of CS grad school.I would compete
online every day from 10 pm to 3 am.That is not a good schedule if you want to
make it to an 8 a.m class.

~~~
bykovich2
Out of curiosity, did you find that the draw of chess changed at all after you
left your program?

~~~
ekm2
Not really.But I moderate now that I know how it can affect other things.

------
rdtsc
In the Soviet Union they used to show chess on TV and people would watch it
like people football here in US for example.

I remember watching it with dad and it was good fun.. We'd also play chess at
home in the evenings. I am still terrible at it though.

------
superasn
How is it different from being addicted to a video game in an urban setting?

~~~
gglitch
I don't know if you meant that rhetorically, but I think it's actually an
interesting question. It'd be easy, but facile, to attach formal elegance and
intellectuality to chess, but I'm sure there are equally elegant and
intellectual video games.

In the context of this particular article, the socialization on display feels
qualitatively different and superior (to me), to what I associate with even
relatively social videogames.

------
BJanecke
Somehow this immediately made me think of Player Of Games by Ian Banks

------
MichaelGG
It'd be interesting to know what their rankings are. Is it just to pass the
time at a weak level or do a lot of them become quite strong?

~~~
S4M
There is one picture [0] where the board isn't set properly (the square at the
the bottom right corner is black instead of white), so I suppose they some of
them are not too strong.

[0]
[http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/wm/live/624_351/images/li...](http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/wm/live/624_351/images/live/p0/52/my/p052myzx.jpg)

~~~
XaspR8d
Or perhaps it doesn't matter to them? The orientation of the colors bears no
effect on the play of the game.

It might be confusing to people very used to the "traditional" rotation, but
maybe breaking free of it is a good mental exercise? ;)

~~~
toolslive
It's not only the rotation of the board. Look where those bishops are placed.
There's bishop on b1 with pawns on a2 and c2.

~~~
S4M
Maybe they are playing Fischer Random...

~~~
toolslive
not that random considering the position of K & Q.

~~~
Steko
Swap bishop and knight starting is a common displacement chess variant.

------
wetha
Here's an interesting trip down the rabbit hole -

Kerala, the state mentioned in the article, is surprisingly distinct from the
rest of India. It has some of the highest literacy rates in India (something
like 92%) and an HDI comparable to developed countries[1].

Historically, Kerala had trade relations with the levant, and Rome from
antiquity, and has hosted a large jewish diaspora[2]. Kerala has also had its
share of christian "immigrants", starting with the story of St.Thomas, to
traditions about Syrian Christians settling in Kerala during the 4th century
AD. [3] Plus, the traditional christian church in Kerala is the Jacobite
Syrian Orthodox church [4], with its official language of liturgy being Syriac
(a derivative of Aramaic).

Similarly, there is a very ancient muslim tradition in Kerala [5], including
the very first mosque in India.

Kerala is also famous for a lot of its contribution to Hindu thought [6],
while some traditions are markedly different from the rests of India[7].

Kerala also has its own martial art, which arguably predates the more famous
chinese martial arts. [8]

Finally, IIRC, Kerala was never completely under British rule, but I'm not
completely sure on this point.

All in all, a very fascinating place.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_model)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_Jews](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_Jews)

[3]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_of_Cana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_of_Cana)

[4]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malankara_Jacobite_Syrian_Orth...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malankara_Jacobite_Syrian_Orthodox_Church)

[5]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Kerala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Kerala)

[6]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Kerala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Kerala)

[7] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nair)

[8]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu)

~~~
kranner
Allow me to balance the narrative here:

[http://www.dailyo.in/variety/kerala-dogs-stray-animal-
abuse-...](http://www.dailyo.in/variety/kerala-dogs-stray-animal-abuse-mass-
culling-killing-cruelty-maneka-gandhi/story/1/13757.html)

~~~
someonenice
Allow me to balance it here. Stray dog is a big issue in Kerala. Daily you
read about an attack where a person is attacked brutally by stray dogs. And
peak summer time is when they also carry rabies virus too. Most of the places
kids are not allowed to play outside for fear of dog attack. With little
support from the government, people are left with no other option than to kill
them. Not sure why western media is so concerned about the life of a dog than
a life of Chicken or goat or cow that are regularly killed.

[http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/85-yr-old-mauled-
to...](http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/85-yr-old-mauled-to-death-by-
dogs-in-kerala/story-tbEV9Rks2Mc9jtzmi5nlPK.html)

[http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/stray-dog-
attacks...](http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/stray-dog-attacks-kid-
drags-him-out-of-house-chavara-kollam-1.1740327)

~~~
kranner
It's a big issue because the people of Kerala have made it an issue by
attacking dogs on sight. They have indoctrinated their kids from childhood
about the dangers of stray dogs, and how the only solution is to kill them. Of
course you can't catch them and kill them all, all you end up doing is to make
the remaining ones more fearful and likely to attack humans. It's not like
dogs don't learn and adapt to the changing behaviour of the humans around
them.

Every Indian state deals with stray dogs. Why are stray dog attacks reported
as abnormally high in Kerala? Why is Kerala wilfully defying the Supreme
Court's verdict on dealing with stray dogs (i.e. to sterilise them)?

> Not sure why western media is so concerned about the life of a dog than a
> life of Chicken or goat or cow that are regularly killed.

My antecedents are completely irrelevant to the issue. Everybody everywhere
has the right to question the mass insanity that the people of Kerala are
exhibiting w.r.t. this issue.

------
DarkandNative
Could someone host this article on a platform that UK residents can access? I
really want to read this, but the BBC UK doesn't let us see this!

~~~
DarkandNative
BBC Worldwide (International Site) We're sorry but this site is not accessible
from the UK as it is part of our international service and is not funded by
the licence fee. It is run commercially by BBC Worldwide, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the BBC, the profits made from it go back to BBC programme-
makers to help fund great new BBC programmes. You can find out more about BBC
Worldwide and its digital activities at www.bbcworldwide.com.

------
georgecmu
Based on the photos, it looks like they are playing some local variant of
chess rather than the conventional game: \- the board is turned 90 degrees, so
the white king is to the left of the queen; \- initial positions of knights
and bishops are swapped.

Are there multiple different versions of chess played in India?

~~~
JauntyHatAngle
Variants of chess are common everywhere, I'd hazard a guess to say that people
who play chess all the time are more likely to start mixing it up to add a bit
of spice to the game.

Chess 960 is a good example of the backline swapping around.

~~~
xoroshiro
>Variants of chess are common everywhere

Damn true. I can still remember my high school chess coaches getting mad at us
for playing bughouse, saying it ruins our ordinary playing. I never believed
it would, and it was quite fun, but then again, practice time is for practice
time.

------
spyckie2
If you're interested in (read: addicted to and love all things) chess, one of
my favorite places to learn is chessnetwork on youtube.

He is a lot of fun to watch especially playing bullet, does great commentary
of professional games, and always reviews his games afterwards for learning.

------
thomk
Hi, this is a very culturally insensitive and ignorant question but I am very
curious: Why do adult Indian people, in India, sit on the ground or floor? It
must be a cultural thing, that can't be comfortable or (dare I say it) clean.

~~~
dheelus
Not just adults, but children sit on the floor as well.

Anyways, yes, it is a cultural thing. If you do it all the time, it is
comfortable enough. What Westerner's perceive as uncomfortable is not
uncomfortable at all.

Don't forget that Western style toilets are also a relatively new thing, so
sitting Western style is actually less common (but is now common in post
modern India).

Also, Indians are generally very fastidious and clean. Paradoxically, India
itself is quite dirty since the concept of cleanliness in India is usually
limited to one's immediate habitat. Sweeping, dusting and mopping is a daily
chore in Indian homes unlike the West.

The images in this particular article do not portray a very clean environment
though, I'll grant you that.

------
Taylor_OD
Somewhat unrelated but does anyone know of a good android chess app that also
teaches basic strategy?

------
slyrus
I read that as addicted to "cheese" and was rather surprised by that.

------
libeclipse
This webpage isn't accessible​ from within the UK. That's absurd.

------
cja
I am in the UK and therefore am not allowed to read the article.

------
vagarwal
No women in the photos?

~~~
watwut
It is traditional village. Women don't count. (And likely don't play since
women and men don't mix in traditional villages - each gender has own
culture.)

Though I guess more accurate title would be "half of an Indian village
addicted to chess", it is not end of the world.

~~~
baahh3333
When it comes to India, most people who have never traveled outside their own
state in their countries are clouded by solipsism. They have this view that
India is the same everywhere in terms of culture including the role of women.
What you see in the media is mostly not the real India and is mostly
stereotyped.

> It is traditional village. Women don't count.

Is an uneducated guess and that too especially in a highly literate state like
Kerala. Maybe the below link can throw some light on the small state of Kerala
and why is it very different than other states in India.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_model)

According to the 2011 census, Kerala's has overall 94.59 literacy. Females -
92.12, Males - 97.10.

PS: I am a native of Kerala. If anyone is curious about Kerala and would like
to visit Kerala which is called God's own country, you are welcome here and
yes most of us can read/write/speak English. It includes the bus drivers, cab
drivers, grocery store guy or those native villagers who plays chess. Kerala
has the highest mobile phone density, the most internet users, excellent
healthcare facilities, schools, Ayurvedic facilities, greenery, religious
harmony. I can go on.

Kerala Government's tourism site :
[https://www.keralatourism.org](https://www.keralatourism.org)

~~~
watwut
I apologise. I made quick guesses based on pictures. Thank you for stepping in
with facts.

