24-08-2004 20:14									#31
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quote: Originally posted by MikeH On the plus side it's totally pro-homosexuality. Look at the way the queen dominates the board.

Pro lesbianism.




"It's clear that in chess, the female has taken back the power she had before the rise of the monotheistic and patriarchal belief systems, in which the puny male phallocracies usurped the power of woman, creator, begetter, all powerful, Mother Goddess, virgin, crone and temptress."

(try to read it in a Millie Tant/Andrea Dworkin tone for best effect)


Shah mat.

	24-08-2004 21:23									#32
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'Checkmate' is an english corruption of Persian 'Shah Mat', or 'the King is Dead'.

Chess spread from Persia both east and west, the east asian version having slightly different rules (pawns move back and forth and sideways, knights can move in a very long L shape, and the king is limited to a special zone).

In different countries the characters of course took on different cultural meanings....Bishops in europe, elephants in asia.

(end pedantry)

	24-08-2004 21:25									#33
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From what I've read, chess did indeed start somewhere in Asia, probably India, with VERY different rules, and migrated all over the world, changing rules en route. Hence the regional variations, like Shogi, which has cannon bombardments.

And I say this is just more fake bait for DRoseDARS to make a fool of himself. Or is there a source I missed? Calling chess racist is an even dumber move than the thing about white chocolate.

	24-08-2004 21:27									#34
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Clear enough to suggest that Adagio doesn't have a clue.

	24-08-2004 21:41									#35
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quote: Originally posted by Seeker 'Checkmate' is an english corruption of Persian 'Shah Mat', or 'the King is Dead'.

Actually in Arabic it means the king is dead.


In Persian/Iranian it means the king is incapable, or stymied, or cannot move.


Which is what actually happens on the board.


Even more pedantic moi.



Oh, and yes, the queen was a vizier or counsellor.

	24-08-2004 21:47									#36
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quote: Originally posted by Last Conformist Clear enough to suggest that Adagio doesn't have a clue.

Yes, I know nothing about chess...

But it was the last reason I posted that actually made me vote yes, the other reasons I just thought of after voting

	24-08-2004 21:48									#37
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Once, I think it was before the 14th century, the queen could only move one square diagonally, and was thus a pretty lame piece. Nothing compared to the Nietzchian überfrau she's today.

Is this the feminists fault?

	24-08-2004 21:54									#38
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The Mandarins in the Chinese version, the name of which escapes me, which kinda replaces the queen, move just like that.

	24-08-2004 21:56									#39
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actually those pieces are even worse- only diagonal and confined to 5 spots on the board. At least ya got two.

	24-08-2004 22:37									#40
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EDIT: DanSed by Molly Bloom.

On-topic: "chess accused of racism by hypersensitive limousine liberals"?... I think I've read something along these lines from Snopes some years back.

Last edited by VJ on 24-08-2004 at 22:42

	24-08-2004 22:39									#41
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Maybe they should use different colours. How about yellowish pink and dark brown...

	24-08-2004 22:51									#42
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Utter silliness! Whee.

Isn't checkers racist too? I mean, making blacks and Native Americans fight to the death is pretty racist.

	24-08-2004 22:52									#43
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Chinese chess uses red and green, or red and blue. originally, though, all the pieces were the same color, but the words on them were written differently to tell em apart.
Checkers uses red and black
Go uses black and white
Civ uses white, orange, green, dark and light blue, purple, yellow, and red.

	24-08-2004 23:07									#44
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Man of course chess pieces are black and white.

Anything before the 1950's was black and white, don't you guys watch old TV shows?



ACK!

	25-08-2004 00:53									#45
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The TV set is racist.

	25-08-2004 01:05									#46
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Are you implying that the laws of physics are also?

	25-08-2004 01:24									#47
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Surely, if anything Chess is a great symbol of racial equality, as both sides start equal ..

I must confess, id never considered the pieces actually representing colour of skin ... and from what I know of Chess, going first doesn't always give you an advantage..

	25-08-2004 01:27									#48
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I bet these are the same people who complained hurricanes never had "Black" names

	25-08-2004 01:29									#49
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Stupid people . Chess is just a game with no racial intent. Are we to say the sky is racist because of black night and white stars? What about pre-1960's photography?

	25-08-2004 01:42									#50
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quote: Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous I bet these are the same people who complained hurricanes never had "Black" names

So, wouldn't it be nice with hurricans with names like Billy-Bob and Kunta Kinte?!

	25-08-2004 01:50									#51
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quote: Originally posted by Last Conformist quote: 1) I believe back in the days as they invented the game, racism was more common, so they might have made the game racist back then... I don't believe there's anything racist in the game today I believe you don't have a clue. Chess comes from India.

	25-08-2004 02:51									#52
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And what's with all those prawns, the weakest piece in the game. Chess must have something against seafood.

	25-08-2004 03:14									#53
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quote: Originally posted by Eli Not a single Jewish mod? You antisemites!

I've seen a chess board in Venice with rabbis and Christian priests sold at the Jewish "ghetto"(tm). Those antisemitic bastards in the ghetto. The Rabbis were in black!

	25-08-2004 03:18									#54
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Yeah it's a nice little UL.

http://www.clean-funnies.com/html/f299.htm
http://www.berkeley.k12.ca.us/SB/SB_members.html

So... there!

	25-08-2004 03:21									#55
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You know, for a story with no source, and thus dubious veracity, a lot of people are getting worked up.

	25-08-2004 04:22									#56
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white goes before black because smoke comes before fire. That doesn't make sense because the pieces are black. hmmm. Well I heard that somewhere.

	25-08-2004 04:23									#57
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And the game is chauvenist towards women.

Because even though the queen is the most poweful piece. The most important piece continues to be the male unit- the King. Even though the female is more talented, she is expendable and can be replaced. But if the King is taken- the game is indeed over.

	25-08-2004 04:27									#58
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question for you chess aficionados:

Does the side that goes first win more often? I always thought the odds were fairly equal. So it really makes no difference who goes first. Thusly, white is not superior to black.

I voted yes, not because I believe it is racist. It's just that I have an uncontrollable urge to troll sometimes. I can usually control it, but occasionally it gets loose.

	25-08-2004 04:54									#59
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White doesn't really win more often. Most people think it's either a miniscule advantage or no advantage at all.

	25-08-2004 05:21									#60
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Haha, City of Berkeley public school board... While it's still a stretch for them to ban chess, it's entirely possible given their track record. These are the same people who created the antiwar protest field trip, for kindergarten.