Sure, I'll play

Balatarin
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Sure, I'll play
by Jahanshah Javid
08-Jul-2010
 

At Budapest's Keleti train station there are a couple of old men who play chess. For money. They look like they're living on state pension and just need some extra cash. I first saw them when I was waiting for the train to Prague. I thought they were passengers like the rest of us. Then I noticed small change on the side. And the fact that these two seemed to win every game.

One of the guys gestured and invited me to play. I said no, no... I pointed at my eyes... I'll just watch, thank you. I wish I knew how to play chess, well. I know how to play, but I don't know a single strategy and I get easily beaten. The last time I played was 20 years ago with a girlfriend who thought she was a lot better than me. And I thought she was too. Until one day I won and I decided it was best to retire while I was on top.

I saw the chess players again a few days ago. As I was watching one of them play at the station's main platform, I slowly began to change my mind. I wanted to play. Just for fun. I didn't care if I suck.

Well, the result was no surprise. The first game I lost in about 15 moves, the second maybe 25. I was proud of myself for lasting that long. Maybe he was being nice and giving me the full 500-Forints-worth of his time. In any case it was a pleasure >>> Photos

****

I guess this is border-line begging, although I would place them on the honorable and fun side of the border. It's a fair challenge. May the smarter win...cash.

****

I've become friends with a couple of Egyptians at the Internet cafe in the train station. A father and son, Majdi and Radi. Today I learned something interesting. Did you know there are other ways of playing backgammon? I didn't.

I was watching Majdi play another guy. At first I thought I needed to concentrate more because I wasn't understanding how the chips were being moved. Nothing made sense. As far as I was concerned there's only one way to play backgammon -- at least on a backgammon board -- and this WASN'T it.

So I watched, carefully. After a few games, I kinda figured it out. It was very interesting. For instance at the start, all the chips are off the board. You throw the dice and land the chips on the opponent's side and then move them to yours. You can only land on open slots... There's no "killing" of chips that are uncovered.

I asked Majdi what the game was called but I didn't understand what he was saying. (By the way, as he was playing, he was saying the dice numbers in Persian, like, yek, do and shesh... But Majdi said he was speaking Turkish. Hm...)

I searched for variations of backgammon and found this one [The Blocking Game] to be the closest to the one I saw today. Give it a try.

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more from Jahanshah Javid
 
Mamane-Omid

On IPhone

by Mamane-Omid on Sat Jul 10, 2010 03:02 PM PDT

My adult step sons  and their friends play eachother on IPhones. But it looked like speed-chess. In speed, similar to playing checkers. I think element of speed in decision making may make the game more interesting.

Mamane-Omid

PS-

JJ thanks for your chronicles from Budapest. Keep them up, please. I almost talked myself into
getting over there, but I waited until the moment passed. 

 


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Monda

ماشا لا !

Monda
Fri Jul 09, 2010 04:08 PM PDT

 

من شطرنج بلد نیستم ولی‌ مثل اینکه ۱۵ یا ۲۵ خوبه.

این مدل جدید تخته نرد را باید به زودی امتحان کنم، نوشته اولین فرمیست که به بچه‌ها در خاور میانه یاد میدن، ولی‌ به گوش عجیب میاد. 


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divaneh

Proud of you

by divaneh on Fri Jul 09, 2010 03:32 PM PDT

Would have not been very glorious if you lost in 3 moves. I have also concluded that there must be a lot of delayed trains in Budapest.


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Mola Nasredeen

...

by Mola Nasredeen on Thu Jul 08, 2010 07:04 PM PDT

The one on the left cheated.


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Sargord Pirouz

Yes, I played Risk, as

by Sargord Pirouz on Thu Jul 08, 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Yes, I played Risk, as well. 

The military simulation games were put out by SPI, AH, etc.  I even had SPI games shipped to me in Tehran, back in the day (although my gaming was exclusively solitaire).

I watched the kids play video games last week. Not much strategy and tactics employed in those shooter-type arcade games for X-Box. I'm all thumbs when it comes to those, and they don't really interest me.

My gaming days seem to be behind me. I'm an old man.... 


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Anonymouse

"numerous" military simulation board games = RISK!

by Anonymouse on Thu Jul 08, 2010 04:35 PM PDT

I'm sure JJJ can arrange a blog where you can play chess by using chess lingo.

BTW JJJ the guys look like former 100% red blooded communists! 

Everything is sacred


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Sargord Pirouz

COP, I attended a high

by Sargord Pirouz on Thu Jul 08, 2010 04:09 PM PDT

COP, I attended a high school (minus one year in Tehran) and university in California. Of course I played Chess and Takteh. (I also played numerous military simulation board games.)

I'm not a clergy member. I'm a political moderate that accepts the status quo. That is to say, I am mainstream in my outlook when it comes to social life and politics inside the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The expression that comes to mind: "When in Rome..." 

Simple enough to understand?


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Cost-of-Progress

SP..how does?

by Cost-of-Progress on Thu Jul 08, 2010 03:39 PM PDT

an islamist like you get girls? Isn't chess Haram in Islam????

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________


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Sargord Pirouz

I was chess champion of my

by Sargord Pirouz on Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:59 PM PDT

I was chess champion of my high school, sophomore year. However, in the second half of my junior year, I lost my crown.

I did well at the university, too, my freshman year. But then girls became such a big distraction, I stopped playing.

From time to time I've played over the years. About a year and a half ago, I was challenged to play in a social setting, where my opponent knew nothing about my background. I remember thinking if I still had it in me. I'm happy to report that I utterly crushed my challenger. 

I still get challenged, from time to time in a social setting, but I usually decline. I'd rather be involved in a wide ranging discussion, than center myself around a board game.


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Marjaneh

Lucky you!

by Marjaneh on Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:28 PM PDT

Btw davatnamam koo?

"I still have my own teeth. 'Just can't remember where I've put them."


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Anahid Hojjati

Dear JJ, thanks for a fun blog about board games

by Anahid Hojjati on Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:35 AM PDT

When I was in fifth grade, my twin sister signed up to learn how to play chess in school. I did not even try. My logic was that I did not want to have a hobby that required more thinking and effort than our homework and studies. It did not seem fun to me. My sister went on to place second few years later in her age group in all of Tehran and she was given 3 coins, each a 2 1/2 Pahlavi. That is a huge prize which we sold when we wanted to leave Iran for US. On the other hand, I liked playing backgammon since even though it takes skill but at least it is not as hard as chess.

One thing that I noticed thru life , was that my sister was better at strategizing during life and I always thought that playing chess had something to do with it. It is very interesting that these guys actually were playing a different kind of backgammon. Also as far as the old guys chess play being a form of begging, it reminds me of this guy I saw in Berkeley months ago.  He was selling his poems each for two dollars!!  Like you noted in your blog, another form of  "border-line begging".


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