Today, St. Louis area Boy Scouts played a game of human chess during an event co-hosted by the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis to launch the first-ever Chess Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts of America. Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura participated in the event and stood in as the black King. The game ended in a draw.
NASA Astronaut and Eagle Scout Greg Chamitoff presented 15 Scouts with the badge and on Sept. 12 the new merit badge will be available to Scouts across the U.S. Also, as part of the event, Chamitoff presented the Hall of Fame with the chessboard that flew on the space shuttle Endeavor as part his Official Flight Kit.
The World Chess Hall of Fame, is a cultural institution that showcases art, history, science and sports through the lens of chess, officially opened on Sept. 9 in St. Louis’s historic Central West End neighborhood – located across the street from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The Hall of Fame relocated from Miami and chose Saint Louis as its new home due to the city’s growing reputation as a center of chess.
Laura
Fantastic!
Hi Susan Polgar,
Wow,interesting to know that Human beings(Players) position themselves in 64 squares to play out,a game of mind.
If players dress to their respective piece designation and move with expression & emotion(just an act),like King as a King(though not heavily dressed) – Will add vigor to the players, spectators and to the sport,over all.
This may take this game from board to Ground [ May even turn from indoor to outdoor game,if the squares are big and the spectators can take the seat in an elevated stands / platform ,so that they can have the aerial view of the game,for a prefect understanding and following the game.]
Which in turn,may turn up,even non chess players to be part of the spectators of this spectacular sport of minds,then the commercial value for this sport will be in leaps and bounds.
All the best to the organizers,as well,much appreciated for initiating human beings to involve in 64 squares,to play the game of chess.
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]