The Old Man at the Chess Plaza (Rizal Park)

An area in Rizal Park is dedicated to chess players. I knew this site as the “Luneta Chess Plaza”. During my college days, I recall playing chess with a very old man.

At first, I thought that I could beat him easily. It turned out however that the old man has complete mastery of the game. He was totally invincible in all phases of chess - from the opening, middle game and endgame.  I really had a hard time winning against him especially in a “blitz format” where we each have three (3) minutes to finish the game. I have always been comfortable with the “rapid” or “standard” format of play.

When we played a series of games, I was still a member of our university’s chess team. I was a stronger player then and was able to hold my own.  As the game progress however I can really feel that he is gaining strength.  His tactical techniques and strategic execution were very fluid and he could easily qualify as a chess master. Perhaps, the old man is indeed a chess master in disguise as his mastery of chess is clearly manifested by his accurate handling of the pieces.

After the conclusion of each game, the old man gains respect despite his age and appearance revealing the beauty of the game of chess where all persons - whether professional or student, rich or poor, differently abled or not, young or old and of whatever gender – can play as equals.  Being in different levels of society is not a factor in chess because when the game commences, nothing matters except the pieces on the chessboard.

I assumed that this old man does nothing other than play chess.  He may have devoted all his time to chess and considered the chess plaza as his home. I recall that the old man carries a plastic bag where all his precious possessions are kept. His appearance says that he is a man with nothing but chess.

With all the time in the world for chess, I figured that the old man’s skills might have developed into a master level. With such skills, he tries to earn a living playing chess against those who opts to wager. I know his winnings are not enough to support a decent living. In fact, most chess players have to find other sources of income. Chess, unlike other popular sports, is not an income generating endeavor.

As chess is not a spectator sport, it is very difficult to bring the game to a mass audience thus limiting advertisers and sponsors. It was only in 1972 when Fischer played Spassky for the World Championship in Iceland that interest in chess reached a massive scale. It was like a battle between two powerful countries where the cold war appeared as being resolved on the chessboard. Sadly, such occurrence can no longer be replicated in the near future as there can only be one Bobby Fischer. However, the advent of the internet has made chess available to a worldwide audience. With laptops and iPads, everyone can watch, in real time, chess games between top grandmasters anywhere in the world.

In the Philippines, the prize money in most chess tournaments is not that big. But, several players join these tournaments for the experience and the opportunity to test skills against a multitude of players. It also presents an opportunity to meet new friends and acquaintances with the same interest.

Though chess is not a “money-making” sport, promoting the game among the youth is one way of combating drug use. Playing chess gives the youth something to do with their spare time. Instead of engaging in vices, the youth can always make the right move in chess. I am really happy to see young participants in chess tournaments as this indicates that chess has maintained its allure among the young despite the proliferation of computer games.

Chess gives everyone the right to dream of becoming a champion. In this game, Filipinos can, other than in boxing or billiards, realistically aim of becoming a world champion. As height is not a factor, there is a better probability to beat other countries that we cannot defeat in basketball. Chess gives opportunity for all players whether differently abled or not to compete. In fact, in some tournaments I have attended I saw a blind and a participant with epilepsy play chess.

Chess is a game that is easy to learn but very difficult to master. A player who desires to master the game has to invest a great amount of time because chess requires a thorough comprehension of tactics and strategy. With thousands of books, journals and other references written about chess, there are volumes of information that need to be absorbed. Practice will not make a “perfect” chess player, as no one can claim to be, but consistent practice can develop your skills from an amateur to an intermediate player.

While chess has the simple objective of capturing your opponent’s King, the process is easier said than done. It is not as simple as eliminating all the pieces of your opponent. If the protagonists are basically of the same strength, the battle on the chessboard becomes more of a test of nerves and patience and the clock often decides the result.

At this chess plaza, nerves and patience are tested to the hilt given the very high level of competition. Masters, club players, high rated players and very strong enthusiasts all sharpen their skills in this small chess plaza. One cannot underestimate any player.   But, be wary of chess hustlers whose only aim is to make a few bucks through blinding blitz games.

I hope that this area is maintained and not suffer the same fate as the Quezon City Memorial Circle Chess Plaza that I had been waiting for its resurrection. I really wish that there would be more chess plazas or parks in the future and that every mall earmark even just a small space for playing chess. Perhaps, if the Philippines produce its first World Chess Champion, the game would become more popular prompting these gigantic malls to put up a chess plaza, café or park in their establishments.

I left the Rizal Park Chess Plaza without seeing that old man again. Despite several games we played, I have never bothered to ask his name. At that time, nothing mattered but the game itself. At this time, I can no longer recall the moves or the result of our games.  But what I realized now, years after we played chess, is that the old man was playing to remember and I was playing to forget. 

Indeed, life is too short for chess.