Chess as Metaphor for Politics

Story from The Independent (Ireland): (Image: Knight, Nishapur (Iran), 7th century CE, The Hermitage Museum) Obama makes all the right moves in Iranian chess game By Catherine Philp Saturday March 21 2009 Could this be Obama's 'Reagan' moment? Already comparisons are being drawn to that president's exhortation to Mr Gorbachev to "tear down that wall" as he stood before the Brandenberg Gate. Ronald Reagan had a real barrier of bricks, mortar and barbed wire on which to project his vision of East-West harmony. Mr Obama's plea is more abstract and more nuanced; less of a call to revolution than food to fuel the growing doubts of the Iranian people about their proud isolation. Contrast his words with George W Bush's bluster about an 'axis of evil'. That phrase did nothing to help Mohammed Khatami, then Iranian President, to sell his moderate agenda and hesitant attempts for rapprochement with the West. Nor did it blunt Iran's nuclear ambitions, which have taken on new momentum since the election of the firebrand demagogue, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reaching breakout point this year with the accumulation of enough low-enriched uranium to develop into a bomb. This is the reality that Mr Obama faces: the prospect of a nuclear Iran. Even on a purely tactical level, the military option offers no guarantees of success. Of the different scenarios being game-tested in Washington, only the second least palatable is containment of a nuclear-armed Iran. Mr Obama's advisers have told him, with some authority, that there is no other option than a diplomatic one. Consider this as the second move in a game of chess -- an ancient Persian pastime. Or, to Persian speakers, ta'araf, the elegant conversational process of engaging an interlocutor, absorbing their language in a lengthy process of polite deference, before getting down to business. In his inauguration speech Mr Obama offered to extend a hand of friendship to those who first unclenched their fist. Mr Ahmadinejad responded with surprising positivity -- salted by a healthy dose of Persian chauvinism -- agreeing to talks but only in "an atmosphere of mutual respect". Then yesterday, after acknowledgements of Iran's cultural heritage and warm wishes on its national holiday, Mr Obama echoes Mr Ahmadinejad's own phrase back to him, telling him America seeks "engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect". Iran is not North Korea: people will hear this speech. The authorities attempted a crackdown last week on satellite television, aimed at Farsi channels beamed in by dissidents abroad, but news always get through. The BBC's Persian Service is a favourite on radio. The government's first official reaction is telling, harking back to past differences such as the 1953 US-engineered coup, or the 1988 shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane. Many Iranians are tired of the past, and hungry for a different future. Current economic woes have taken their toll on Mr Ahmadinejad's popularity as Iranians realise how little his world-stage grandstanding has done to benefit them. Mr Ahmadinejad asked for mutual respect. Mr Obama has offered it. The ball is in his court. It would be hard to explain to Iranians why he should now balk. Presidential elections are coming in June and Mr Ahmadinejad faces a tough challenge from a newly united opposition. In 2005 the reformists and moderates ran against each other, splitting the anti-Ahmadinejad vote. In 2009 the drive to remove Mr Ahmadinejad is strong enough to have made them join forces. Mohammed Khatami, by far the most popular, but controversial, candidate, dropped out of the race last week, throwing his support behind Mir Hosein Mousavi -- less popular but more acceptable to the ruling clergy, who hold ultimate power in Iran. Suddenly there is a real alternative to Mr Ahmadinejad, and a real chance of him winning. Mr Ahmadinejad ignores this new overture at his own peril, and that is what Mr Obama is banking on. - Catherine Philp

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I found this article particularly interesting, because I believe that chess as westerners would recognize it was first played in ancient Persia - today's Iran. I'm no expert on etymology, but a study of Pahlavi (Middle Persian) words that are used to define and describe chess led me to believe that the game described in the great Persian national epic/history Shah Nameh as having been imported from Hind (a region in Pakistan/formerly considered part of northern India) was actually of Persian origin. Those ancient words for chess/about chess conveyed the sense of a face-to-face meeting; not so much a confrontation as a probing, a learing process, a testing of skills one-on-one, and had more to do with measuring the worthiness of an individual than warfare. It was a drawn-out process, with the players settling in over many days, slowly discovering each other's strengths and weaknesses on the board. Chatrang is, essentially, a game of discovery and growth, for no serious player can ever come away from a game without being changed in some small whit.

And of course...

This Sunday's postings wouldn't be complete without including a story using chess (and checkers!) as political metaphor: The EU is playing checkers; Gazprom is playing chess From a blog by the Editors of Foreign Policy Fri., 09/21/2007, 5:15 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a 2006 press conference with Tony Blair, said the European Union needed to work towards a common energy policy to limit the influence of Gazprom, the Russian-controlled energy giant. Merkel's statement came after Russia, unhappy with the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, turned off that country's gas in the middle of the winter. Not long after, Merkel pirouetted and signed a unilateral deal with Russia to supply about 90 percent of German energy. Other large countries have signed similar deals (all under different terms). So much for EU solidarity. However, smaller EU countries have become increasingly concerned about Gazprom as it has expanded its business interests in Europe. On Thursday, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes presented what she said was a concrete step to counter the company's influence. According to Forbes, the European Commission is expected to publish a new law that mandates separate ownership for non-EU gas distribution and gas production companies. This is known as "unbundling," and it means that the same company cannot produce and distribute the gas. Because the measure is clearly directed at Russia, it has become known in the EU as the Gazprom Clause. On the surface, this law suggests a shift towards a common energy policy. But a deeper examination shows it has no teeth. First, Germany, Italy and France will oppose the deal, as they all have national utility companies with substantial foreign ownership. They do not want to break up those firms, which would be required by the proposed law. Without both of those countries on board, it's unlikely the law will make it through the EU parliamentary process. Perhaps anticipating this opposition, the Commission also presented a second plan that allows joint ownership as long as an independent operator controls one of the companies. In other words, Russia would have to create a separate company to distribute gas, while Gazprom produces it. This separation is insignificant, as both companies answer to the same master. So, the Commission's victory for collectivism appears to be a hollow one. Until more forceful steps are taken towards EU consensus, Russia will keep striking unilateral deals with European countries, making a common energy policy less and less likely.

Chess as Metaphor

Chess is used constantly as a metaphor, in politics, war and sports. Here are a couple references used in recent news: A chess match in Smithfield Pocono Record September 17, 2007 Do Smithfield Township residents play chess? Those who oppose the planned concrete batch plant on Airport Road may want to brush up on their skills, for they face a formidable adversary. ... If these residents want to be taken seriously, they will have to be innovative in their strategy, making patience and determination their watchwords. ... It will be an interesting chess match. Remember, even a lowly pawn can take down the king. General calls for surge in diplomacy Seattlepi.com September 16, 2007 Eaton is an intense admirer of the Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan -- "This is the next 'Greatest Generation' " -- but contemptuous of leaders who've put them in harm's way. ... The guy he (Bush) is hiding behind is a very good general," he said of Gen. David Petraeus. "General Petraeus is playing a sophisticated game of chess over there while the administration has problems understanding checkers." Is Belichick the Next Auerbach? Boston Daily September 17, 2007 Even before the tape scandal broke there was a feeling that, as the saying goes, Belichick was playing chess while everyone else was playing Chutes ‘n Ladders.

More Than a Mere Game

Chess with Errol Tiwari More than a mere game Sunday, September 9th 2007 In an age dominated by religious zeal and ideological fanaticism, the development and promotion of chess is crucial. Chess is a sobering philosophical pastime that transports you away from the exhausting world of violence, confusion and uncertainty. When you face an opponent over the board, you distance yourself in mind from the ugly travails of international conflicts and the extreme difficulties which confront you every day on the home front. The game has a soothing effect on its devotees. It is little wonder, therefore, that it is so meaningful to the powerful, such as CEOs, chairmen, managing directors, ministers of government, prime ministers and presidents, who will keep a chess board and pieces routinely at hand always, to be used when required to assuage the tension caused by belligerents scattered across the globe. For the modern state and its rulers, chess is more than a mere game. It is a weapon that is used by nations to make a statement. If ideology necessarily determines foreign policy, then the Fischer-Spassky World Championship chess match of 1972 was no sunny afternoon tea-party encounter. It was a metaphor for the Cold War. It was the clash of two completely different cultures: one American, and the other Soviet. It was a battle of ideas, political systems and ideologies in the form of an actual chess match waged with great skill, tension and tenacity across a wooden board of 64 squares. We see clearly the interconnection between chess and the conduct of international relations. One news item described Fischer's refusal to play for the championship as "the greatest American disaster since Pearl Harbour." The championship was never about two grandmasters moving pieces and pawns around a chess board. It was about an intellectual engagement, perhaps a confrontation, between the two most powerful nation states in the universe. It was a tactical and strategic mind game between two countries at the height of tensions during the Cold War in which the winner put a stamp on his country's claim to intellectual superiority. Two weeks ago, China stunned the world by defeating Russia in a chess match in Russia. Each country fielded a team of 10 players, male and female, and China prevailed by the handsome margin of 52 ½-47 ½points. Of course, Russia did not field its strongest grandmasters who are preparing to play in the World Championship tournament in Mexico City, but China also did not commit at least one of its biggest names in the game. At the moment, China is engaging England in a similar match with a team of ten also, but this time the Chinese have introduced Hou Yifan, a 13-year-old prodigy who is ranked No 4 in the world among women. Hou, however, will play as a male member of her team and will oppose only male members of the English team. She is being fed a steady diet of tough competition, training perhaps, for full participation among males in a fashion similar to Judit Polgar. In Mexico City, a third world country, India, has the highest ranking among chess-playing nations. Viswanathan Anand has a FIDE rating of 2792, way ahead of the world champion Vladimir Kramnik. Russia, India, Armenia, Hungary and Israel are represented at the tournament which begins on Wednesday. On the local chess scene, the Steering Committee for the Development of Chess has begun preparations for hosting of the country's National Chess Championship. A seven-round swiss system qualification tournament will begin next Sunday to determine 10 players for participation in a double round-robin championship tournament later in the year. This tournament will be played on two successive Sundays at the time control of one hour and fifteen minutes per player per game, and is open to all chess players in Guyana. The committee is currently engaged in a drive to obtain members for the new Guyana Chess Federation. Persons wishing to become members can contact Mr Irshad Mohamed on Tel. 664-1650 and Mr Shiv Nandalall on Tel. 623-7723. Karjakin v Yusupov Sergey Karjakin is a teenage grandmaster who has already defeated world champion Vladimir Kramnik . He is respected for his prowess in sharp positions. In the following game he outplays the renowned Artur Yusupov, a former world title contender, celebrated chess trainer and author. Karjakin plays the endgame flawlessly and forces his opponent into a Zugzwang situation in the end. [Diagram at top] A Yusupov (2583) - S Karjakin (2678) NH Tournament Amsterdam, 2007 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5! The move is routine but has a tactical point.7.Nh4 Bg4 8.Be2 Allowing the exchange of Black's problem piece, but if 8.Qb3 Qd6 9.Qxb7 Qe6+) 8...Bxe2 9.Qxe2 e6 Black is very comfortable with his bad bishop exchanged and a slight lead in development.10.Nb3 Qc7 11.g3 0-0-0 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.0-0-0 Qc7 15.Nf3 Ne4 16.Kb1 Rhe8 17.Nfd2 Nd6 18.Rhe1 f6! 19.Qh5 g6 20.Qf3 Qf7 21.Nf1 g5 22.Ne3 h5 23.Nc5 b6 24.Nd3 Kb7 25.Ka1 a5 26.Rc1 e5! 27.dxe5 (27.Qxd5 e4 traps the knight) 27...fxe5 28.Qxf7+ Nxf7 29.Rcd1 g4! (Securing an outpost on f3 for knight) 30.Nc1 d4 31.cxd4 exd4 32.Nc2 Nfe5 33.Re4 Nf3 34.Rxe8 Rxe8 35.Kb1 Re4 36.Nd3 Nce5 37.Nxe5 Rxe5 38.Kc1 Re4! 39.Rd3 Kc6 40.Kd1 b5 41.b3 b4 42.Kc1 Kc5 43.Kd1 Re5 White Resigns! 0-1. Final position after 43...Re5. The knight and rook are trapped and 44.Kc1 Re2 wins.