The King’s Game according to the Cincinnati Kid

I Remember:

AEROFLOT NATION MEETS THE MADHATTER:

My camera has taken me to a number of Republics from the former Soviet Union. Embedded in my brain are stories of wondrous beauty and intriguing encounters. My fond memories remain like precious jewels. They are awakenings. If I hadn’t traveled across continents I wouldn’t have these stories.

I strolled through the streets of Riga, Latvia one afternoon. I found myself standing in the center of a cul de sac. It was the beginning of one of my many Alice in Wonderland moments.To my right was a photography union building with a giant large format camera painted on its face. To my left was a one story building with a tiny chess board painted atop the entrance. I had two ports of entry and I chose the tiny chess school. Down the rabbit hole I screamed.

A dozen tiny grade school desks filled the space. A young boy, sitting alone maybe twelve pointed to one of the desks with “do you want to play?”. I was the giant, he was David with the chessboard. I magnanimously agreed. I could sense I was lured into a trap.

Memory can be a twisted function of our brains. My mind immediately flashed back to an electrifying challenge from the former World Champion chess great Mikhail Tal - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mikhail_Tal Mikhail Tal. Tal (as he was known) was one of the great eccentrics in chess history. Tal had an immense E.T. like Electodactyly finger. Tal’s finger was conspicuously his magic wand; or so people thought.

In one sci-fi nano second I merged the sixty year old Tal and the twelve year old boy into one.

Years earlier when I faced off against Tal, he suggested I begin with whites. I moved my white pawn first. He smiled and pointed to the board. Would you like to start again? I was about to be pummeled. I just didn’t know it. Years later, the diminutive 12 year old also suggested I begin with whites. I moved my white pawn. The little boy smiled. In perfect english, “would you like to start again?”. Suddenly I could hear the“penny pitching kid” from the movie “Cincinnati Kid” celebrating, “you are finished Kid” you are finished”.

I always admired Steve McQueen’s defiant and lay it all on the line attitude. His “Cincinnati“ had to beat the best to know his self worth. He had to beat Edward G.Robinsons’ (Lancey Howard) to know for sure that he was the best. The ‘Kid’ lost.

I made it back into the streets of Riga. The aggregation of Tal and the little boy tickles me to this day. They pummeled me. I was thrilled by the defeat. The school gifted me a chessboard with pictures of the Russian twentieth century Grandmasters on the backside. I cherish the memory. I adore the chess games’ visual magic.

I strolled the Latvian streets in some sort of delusory state. I was replaying my game across the sky. I quietly remembered Walter Tevis’ “The Queen’s Gambit”The Queen's Gambit (novel) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_Queen's_Gambit_(novel) two protagonists envisioned a dreamy chess board splayed across the Texas Panhandle. They strategized 20-30 moves while contemplating their next match. It might be one of the most fantastic cinematic dream sequences ever. The surreal moment also reminded me of my separate encounters with the great World Champions, Garry Kasparov Garry Kasparov - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Garry_Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. They too strategized many moves ahead of me. I remember how merciless they were in our battle for supremacy. It was a bare knuckled brawl. I was beaten to the core by greatness. It was also one of the great pleasures of my life.

I have faced off against the best the game has to offer. There is nothing more rewarding than placing yourself amid life’s greatest challenges. It is winning and/or losing that in the most sporting way defines our experiences.

#LongHouse. #Reserve #JackLenorLarsen #Designer