Interesting Article

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ World RPS Member's Bulletin Board ]

Posted ByMaster Roshambollah on July 25, 2001 at 13:53:17:

There's an interesting article in today's Washington Post, if any of you have access; if not, I will post a URL to the article below. The article is on the "street chess" scene in Washington's Dupont Circle. Those of you who've been on this board for a while may remember my account of the Dupont chess scene way back in message #231.

The article goes into detail on some of the main points I mentioned, such as the homeless guys who regularly trounce their business-suit wearing opponents (and take them for all the cash they can get.) When I need a break from the physical and mental rigors of RPS, I will sometimes play a game of chess with the guys in the Circle. I assure you, when it comes to chess these guys are no joke. They play all summer long, up to 12 hours a day, and they regularly decimate players of all skill levels.

It's an interesting scene, one in many ways familiar to the casual RPS player. The use of colorful nicknames and psychological play rivals our own. One player supposedly hasn't castled in 20 years, in much the same way that some RPS players will avoid one throw, saving it for when they really need it.

One part I found especially funny was the insistence of the players that the gambling that goes on for each game should not be called "hustling"; rather, they prefer to call it "teaching", or as one player termed it "a lesson fee." I thought that was great! I intend to use just such semantic posturing in my own future RPS-for-ante games.

The only disappointing part of the article is that it TOTALLY ignores the co-thriving "street RPS" scene that I chronicled. Perhaps the recent construction in the Circle made the RPS players less conspicuous, or perhaps the Post is biased against our great sport. I urge those of you reading this to contact the Washington Post, and urge them to rectify this situation by running a feature article on the "street RPS" scene in the Circle. It is only through our united efforts that our sport will take it's rightful place in popular consciousness.

Master Roshambollah
Director-Outreach, Fund Raising
And Spiritual Concerns

Chess in Dupont Circle

Follow Ups

Re: Interesting Article C. Urbanus 18:05:56 7/25/2001 (0)

Post Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:: There's an interesting article in today's Washington Post, if any of you have access; if not, I will post a URL to the article below. The article is on the "street chess" scene in Washington's Dupont Circle. Those of you who've been on this board for a while may remember my account of the Dupont chess scene way back in message #231. : The article goes into detail on some of the main points I mentioned, such as the homeless guys who regularly trounce their business-suit wearing opponents (and take them for all the cash they can get.) When I need a break from the physical and mental rigors of RPS, I will sometimes play a game of chess with the guys in the Circle. I assure you, when it comes to chess these guys are no joke. They play all summer long, up to 12 hours a day, and they regularly decimate players of all skill levels. : It's an interesting scene, one in many ways familiar to the casual RPS player. The use of colorful nicknames and psychological play rivals our own. One player supposedly hasn't castled in 20 years, in much the same way that some RPS players will avoid one throw, saving it for when they really need it. : One part I found especially funny was the insistence of the players that the gambling that goes on for each game should not be called "hustling"; rather, they prefer to call it "teaching", or as one player termed it "a lesson fee." I thought that was great! I intend to use just such semantic posturing in my own future RPS-for-ante games. : The only disappointing part of the article is that it TOTALLY ignores the co-thriving "street RPS" scene that I chronicled. Perhaps the recent construction in the Circle made the RPS players less conspicuous, or perhaps the Post is biased against our great sport. I urge those of you reading this to contact the Washington Post, and urge them to rectify this situation by running a feature article on the "street RPS" scene in the Circle. It is only through our united efforts that our sport will take it's rightful place in popular consciousness. : Master Roshambollah : Director-Outreach, Fund Raising : And Spiritual Concerns

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ World RPS Member's Bulletin Board ]