Chess is not a physical contact sport. In chess, contact is made with the mind, sometimes through speech, sometimes silently. Speech is not allowed in a conversational manner during local and international competitions. Therefore, the bulk of conversations occur before and after tournaments. And that is when the preposterous element of trash-talking comes into effect. Trash-talk centres around baseless and meaningless talk – a kind of foolish and light-hearted banter. In Guyana, trash-talking in chess is quite popular.
In most instances, trash-talking involves gossip. It is a common sight to witness a hubbub of players gathered around a central trash talker who relates humorous stories pertaining to national and international politics, sport and music. Some players love to issue warnings about their impending games in a jovial manner.
‘Beware the ides of March!’ Loris Nathoo tells his opponent if the game promises to be short. In my case, if I spot a checkmate on the horizon I seek to preempt the proceedings by signing the score sheet and ensuring my opponent notices the nature of my written excursion. Some players get up suddenly from the playing table as they force a move which wins a piece, say the frightening knight fork which wins the queen or a rook.
My chess acquaintance “Tex” loved to claim he is busy during a game, and he has to go out, as he secures a commanding position on the chessboard. Of course that was the time when free speech was allowed during tournament games. Alternatively, if he is losing the game, he complains to the tournament director about the persons who are quiet witnesses to the game. Inevitably, Tex complains that he cannot breathe, and the playing area is much too hot, although working fans are in evidence.
Dennis Patterson, ‘Patto’ likes to demonstrate his next move to an opponent when he envisages a superior position. He plays as if he had missed a move, telegraphing a new move which would win the exchange or calling check. Onlookers would admonish him by advising that it’s not his turn to play. Jovially, Patto would say, “It’s not me to play?” In feigned innocence!
Trash talk is friendly and funny. It is a universally accepted norm in speed chess. Not the FIDE regulated speed chess tournaments where the no-speaking rule would apply, but in friendly games.
Laurence Fishburne, playing a streetwise speed-chess player, brought trash talk out eloquently in the family movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. From time to time the New York newspapers carry stories about speed chess in Washington Square where it is immensely popular during the summertime. Names like Vincent Livermore and Jerry ‘Poe’ McClinton come immediately to mind. They play the one dollar games and are feared as much as ranked grandmasters.
Known grandmasters disguise themselves and engage the Park ‘grandmasters,’ the Park chess hustlers in Washington Square to play the game. A Guyanese star chess player, who once represented the country overseas, turned out to be hugely popular in the Square.
Chess players like myself, Nandalall, Webster, Nathoo, Kriskal Persaud, Braithwaite and others, understand the concept of trash talk in chess. It is entertaining fun and calms chess players before an important tournament. I’m anticipating that it stays with us.
Chess games
The following games were played at the 48th Biel Chess Festival, Switzerland, from July 18 – 31.
White: Michael Adams
Black: David Navara
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3 e5
7. Nde2 Be7 8. Bg2 b5 9. Nd5
Nbd7 10. Nec3 Bb7 11. a4 Nxd5
12. Nxd5 O-O 13. axb5 axb5
14. Rxa8 Bxa8 15. O-O Nc5 16.
b4
Ne6 17. h4 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Nd4
19. c3 Ne2+ 20. Kh2 Nxc1 21.
Rxc1
Qb6 22. Kg1 Rb8 23. Ra1 g6
24. Ra8 Rxa8 25. Qxa8+ Kg7
26. Bf1
Qc7 27. Qe8 Bf6 28. Bxb5 Qxc3
29. Bc6 Qf3 30. Qd7 g5 31.
hxg5
Bxg5 32. Qxd6 Qc3 33. Kg2
Qb2 34. Qc5 Qd4 35. Qxd4
exd4 36. f4
Be7 37. b5 Bc5 38. e5 d3 39.
Be4 d2 40. Bc2 f6 41. exf6+
Kxf6
42. Kf3 h5 43. Ke2 Bd6 44. Ke3
Bc7 45. Bd1 h4 46. gxh4 Kf5
47. Bc2+ Kg4 48. Ke4 Kxh4 49.
Bd1 Bd8 50. Kd5 Kg3 51. f5
Kf4
52. Ke6 Ke4 53. Bc2+ Kd4 54.
Kd7 Bb6 55. f6 Kc3 56. Bd1 1-
0.
White: David Navara
Black: Radoslaw Wojtaszek
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5
7. Nb3 Be6 8. h3 Be7 9. g4 d5
10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Bg2 Nxe3
12. Qxd8+ Bxd8 13. fxe3 Bh4+
14. Kf1 Nc6 15. Nc5 Bc4+ 16.
Kg1
O-O-O 17. b3 Bg5 18. Re1 Bh4
19. Rb1 Bg5 20. Kf2 Bh4+ 21.
Kf3
e4+ 22. Kf4 g5+ 23. Kf5 Rhe8
24. Rhd1 Re5+ 25. Kf6 Rg8
26. bxc4 Rg6+ 27. Kxf7 Re7+
28. Kf8 Rf6+ 29. Kg8 Rg6+ 30.
Kh8
Rf6 31. Rf1 Bf2 32. Rxf2 Rxf2
33. Rf1 Rxg2 34. Rf8+ Kc7
35. Nd5+ Kd6 36. Nxe7 Kxc5
37. Rf5+ Kxc4 38. Nxc6 bxc6
39. Rxg5 Rg3 40. h4 h6 41. Rg6
Rxe3 42. Kg7 Rg3 43. Kxh6 e3
44. Kg5 Kd5 45. Kf4 Rh3 46.
h5 c5 47. Rg5+ Kd4 48. Re5 1-
0.
White: Radoslaw
Wojtaszek
Black: Maxime Vachier-
Lagrave
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4.
Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 Be6
7. c5 c6 8. Bd3 Bg4 9. Nge2 Re8
10. f3 Bc8 11. O-O Nbd7
12. Bg5 e5 13. b4 Nf8 14. Bh4
Bh6 15. f4 e4 16. Bc2 Bg7 17.
b5
Bd7 18. Ba4 Qc8 19. h3 Nh5 20.
Rb1 f5 21. Qb3 Bf6 22. Bxf6
Nxf6 23. bxc6 bxc6 24. Qb7
Ne6 25. Nc1 Rb8 26. Qxc8
Rexc8
27. Nb3 Nc7 28. Na5 Nb5 29.
Ne2 Na3 30. Rxb8 Rxb8 31.
Bxc6
Bxc6 32. Nxc6 Rb2 33. Nc3 Rc2
34. Ne7+ Kf7 35. Ncxd5 Nc4
36. Rb1 Nh5 37. Nc6 Nd2 38.
Ncb4 Nxb1 39. Nxc2 Ke6 40.
Nc7+
Kd7 41. Nd5 Ke6 42. Ndb4 Nf6
43. d5+ Kd7 44. d6 Nc3 45. Nd4
Nfd5 46. Na6 1-0.
White: Richárd Rapport
Black: Pavel Eljanov
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4.
Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6
7. g4 Nxg4 8. Rg1 Nxh2 9. Nxh2
Bxh2 10. Rxg7 Nf8 11. Rg2 Bd6
12. e4 Ng6 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Be3
dxe4 15. O-O-O f5 16. d5 Qa5
17. Kb1 Bd7 18. d6 Bf6 19. Bd2
Qe5 20. Nb5 Kf7 21. Bc3 Qf4
22. Nc7 Rag8 23. c5 Bxc3 24.
Qxc3 Ne5 25. Rxg8 Rxg8 26.
Be2
Qxf2 27. Qxe5 Qxe2 28. Rh1
Qd3+ 0-1.
