Human Chess

Human Chess

Hikaru Junction

Human Chess

Greetings, chess fans. I have found a few interesting games which are exactly the opposite of games played between computers. They are played, not only by humans, but with humans as the chess pieces.

One notable, annual, repeated chess game is played at the Marostica Chess Festival, which commemorates a famous chess game played between Rinaldo d'Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara for the hand of a maiden in 1454. A nice duel. Not quite as violent as the gun or sword duels that were more common.

I am uncertain as to the source of the following game. I have obtained it from [http://www.chess.com/blog/OldChessDog/human-chess-game-at-marostica/]. It claims to be, in the PGN header, from 1454. However, since I cannot verify this, I believe that it is the game from the 2014 Marostica chess festival. Apologies for the uncertainties. It is, however, a cracking game, so I’ve included it.

Actor Playing Rinaldo d'Angarano(?)–Actor Playing Vieri da Vallonara(?) Marostica 2014(?)



The following game was obtained from http://humanchess.typepad.com/lowereastside/. It was, evidently played on a largish grid of city streets, with each intersection a square. Above is a story on what it was like to be a Black knight.


Jennifer Shahade-Gregory Shahade 2004



The following is, sadly, an honorable mention. Kasparov-Timman was, however, played in a very cool way: with shipping containers as pieces in an effort to promote the shipping company APL. They are, as described below, believed to be the largest pieces ever used in a chess game.

From: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1546255
More info: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apl-sponsors-worlds-largest-chess-game-during-rotterdams-celebrations-74295892.html



Garry Kasparov–Jan Timman Wereldhaven Festival 1999

Posted to Hikaru Junction

Show Comments (2)
Comments (2)

  • Posted 3077 days 18 hours and 25 minutes ago
    Standard memberHikaruShindo
    That's really interesting, and I didn't know about it. I will read this. Thanks, moonbus!
    As an aside, that comment was really quick.
  • Posted 3077 days 18 hours and 41 minutes ago
    Subscribermoonbus
    Kurt Vonnegut Jr wrote a short story about a chess game played with real humans as the chess pieces, titled "All the King's Horses".

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_King%27s_Horses_(short_story)
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