Some time in the fourth century BC, Sun Tzu wrote the Chinese classic The Art of War which has survived. In it, we find traces of almost all the strategic patterns and principles later developed over the course of centuries. What constitutes the art of war itself in Sun Tzu’s eyes, is the ideal of winning without bloodshed. To be successful in that respect, the concept of grand strategy comes into play. This is where the word ‘strategy,’ depicted as ‘forethought,’ in the military and chess battlefields, intertwine. Grand strategists think and plan further before taking action. Grandmasters of chess and military commanders are adept at exploring such possibilities. Strategies involve looking at the world with a dispassionate eye, planning subtle moves that would gradually become visible to others. On the chess board, we often imagine that we have a vibrant plan of action, that we have goals we are trying to reach. However, in many instances, we are fooling ourselves. What we have are not goals, but wishes. We novices at chess like to focus on the move at hand, the tactical moves. But grandmasters and generals must visualize the entire chessboard deep into the future, crafting an overall policy for success. And that is the glaring difference.
Chess is one of the oldest surviving war games. It is also an accurate war game which covers the pre-gunpowder period. Each of the chess pieces has clearly defined capabilities and assigned starting positions, much like soldiers in ancient warfare. Let us take the lowly pawn for example: outnumbering all the other pieces, the pawns are the common foot soldiers of the military. Like most soldiers of the ancient era, they are ordered simply to confront the foe. The pawn carries a large shield to protect his front and his attacks are limited to swift strikes from the side. That is why a pawn can only capture another piece diagonally opposite his front. Also, like the lowly foot soldier ever seeking to better his condition, if the pawn survives the trek across the brutal chessboard/battlefield, he will be promoted to any other chess piece. Traditionally it’s the queen, the most versatile piece on the chessboard. Altogether, chess resembles real war in many respects. The game guarantees a struggle of the will and it contains what has been termed, ‘the essentials of fighting.’
On the local chess circuit, the game found its footing once more as the Guyana Chess Federation hosted a one day rapid tournament two Sundays ago following a dull period of inactivity for six months. It was a refreshing seven round competition that was held at the sumptuous National Resource Centre in Woolford Avenue. Unsurprisingly, Anthony Drayton, 20, emerged victorious in the tournament. Drayton is a national chess player with a World Chess Federation (FIDE) rank who represented Guyana on Board One at the Tromso Olympiad in Norway last year. In the junior section, Joshua Gopaul, 15, a student of St Stanislaus College, placed first. He has been identified to represent his country at the Guyana games which is to be held locally next month.
President of the Guyana Chess Federation Irshad Mohammed has disclosed that FIDE is donating 200 chess sets and 20 chess clocks to Guyana for use in an experimental school programme. The column is respectfully suggesting that perhaps, consideration can be given to spreading the rich ancient game throughout the ten regions of Guyana by targeting school teachers from around the country who attend the Teacher’s Training College. Finally, the column wishes to thank Director of Sport Christopher Jones for the first-time use of the National Resource Centre to play chess.
Chess games
The following games were played at the 2015 Dutch Championship that was held in Amsterdam. Grandmaster Anish Giri won the Championship.
White Anish Giri
Black Sergei Tiviakov
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O a6 11. Kb1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. g3 b4 14. Ne2 a5 15. Bh3 Qc7 16. Rhe1 Re8 17. f5 Nxe5 18. Bxe5 Qxe5 19. Nf4 Qd6 20. Nxd5 e5 21. Qe2 Bb7 22. Bg2 e4 23. Nc3 Qf6 24. Nxe4 Bxe4 25. Bxe4 Rac8 26. Qb5 Bd4 27. Bb7 Rxe1 28. Rxe1 Rf8 29. Re8 Qb6 30. Qd7 Bf6 31. Bf3 h6 32. Rxf8+ Kxf8 33. Qc8+ Ke7 34. Qb7+ 1/2-1/2.
White Benjamin Bok
Black Robin van Kampen
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Ne2 c6 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 Re8 9. Ng3 Nbd7 10. Qf3 Nf8 11. Nce2 Ng6 12. c3 Bd6 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Nf4 Nxf4 15. Bxf4 g6 16. Rae1 Be6 17. Re2 Nd7 18. Rfe1 Nf8 19. Bh6 Bd6 20. Bf4 Be7 21. Re3 Qb6 22. Bh6 Qc7 23. Ne2 Qd8 24. Nf4 Bg5 25. Bxg5 Qxg5 26. Re5 Qh4 27. g3 1/2-1/2.
White Loek van Wely
Black Benjamin Bok
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. O-O e5 5. e4 Be7 6. Re1 O-O 7. c3 Re8 8. Na3 d6 9. h3 h6 10. d3 Be6 11. Kh2 Bf8 12. Nc2 g6 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 d5 15. exd5 Bxd5 16. dxc5 Be4 17. Ne3 Bxc5 18. Bd2 Nb4 19. Bc3 Nfd5 20. Nxd5 Qxd5 21. Qxd5 Bxd5 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Ne5 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 Bd6 25. Ng4 Re6 26. Nxh6+ Kf8 27. Ng4 Nd5 28. Bd4 b6 29. Rd1 Ke7 30. Kf3 f5 31. Ne3 Nxe3 32. Bxe3 Be5 33. Bg5+ Bf6 34. Bxf6+ Kxf6 35. Rd7 Rc6 36. Rxa7 Rc2 37. b4 Rb2 38. a3 Rb3+ 39. Kg2 f4 40. gxf4 Kf5 41. Rf7+ Ke6 42. Rb7 Rxa3 43. Rxb6+ Kf5 44. b5 1-0.
