Chess Anyone?

I'll bet most of you don't know about Manhattan's Chess District. Well, I didn't either, until my bro and s.i.l. came to visit. They said they wanted to check out the chess district in NYC. When I gave them a blank look, my brother said, "Don't you know people play chess in Washington Square Park?" When I shook my head, he followed up with, "Didn't you see the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer?"

In my defense, I am a member of the non-chess-playing minority in the Slesnick family. And my knowledge gap becomes a veritable chasm when Dan and his family are around. Not only do they all play chess, they play tournament chess.

So off we went to Greenwich Village where the chess district can be found along Thompson Street (chess shops galore) and in a section of Washington Square Park where chess players and patzers congregate and play for money.

We watched some players in the park (see photo). I really didn't see how either of them could concentrate. Playing with a clock, their knees bounced constantly with excitement or, perhaps, nervousness. And each move was punctuated with a loud slap at the clock. That would drive me crazy!

We also visited the renowned "Village Chess Shop," which is open 24 hours a day so that people like Stanley Kubrick can stop by to play any time they want. However, players must abide by some strict rules, which are posted prominently in the play area: