NYC Communities: Chess Players in Union Square

“Like basketball, chess hustling is a city game — fast and gritty and played on street corners and in parks with the throb of street life as a backdrop.” -New York Times

Union Square wasn’t always a hub for chess playing. Many of the 

best players are known to have played in other parks such as Bobby

Fischer in Washington Square Park. But many of the players flocked 

from Washington to Union Square when they realized how much more 

lucrative it was in Union Square compared to Washington Square. Union 

Square sees much more traffic due to the multiple subways stations 

around it, the farmer’s market, and shopping attractions such as the 

grocery stores. Where as the former outdoor chess groups played 

more for experience and variety, there became shift where the matches 

evolved into matters of bets and playing for donations. A lot of players

left Washington Square also due to an increase in drug activity, though

that activity has shifted to Union Square as well.

Since I’ve been staying in Union Square this past summer, I’ve had the luxury of passing by the park almost every day. The excitement and life that exists there is like a microcosm for the city--many different people, cultures, and generations of people all together in a single small space, living separately and together all at the same time. Let’s face it, being in New York, it is impossible to be alone, unaffected by those around us. As much as we might want to isolate ourselves, the nuances and characters of those surrounding us seep into our worlds and we can either accept it or get out.

Everyday as I’ve walked past the square, I’ve always been intrigued by the different people. There exists the boys who play soccer and other sports, musicians trying to gain some listeners, friends relaxing on the steps while they talk and enjoy an ice cream, and of course we can’t forget about the chess players. The chess players of Union Square are a mishmosh of different characters, but they’ve created a community within their passion for chess. When I walk past, there’s always one or two that asks me to play and I always meekly decline, scared of what might happen if I said yes. In truth I’ve always found the chess players intimidating--after all I don’t know the first thing about chess and have conceived the skill as a  sign of genius due to my inability to grasp the game. When I walk past, I tell myself that they are apart of the secret club and share the power of chess comprehension. But I didn’t want to always be afraid of these chess players. After all how different are we? Yes, they are typically all men and of African American descent and I am a white Jewish girl, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t get along, right?

I decided for my community project I wanted to have one of the chess players teach me how to play. I met Barry one evening when I was walking past and finally found the gumption to go up to one them. He seemed open and friendly and we started talking. He told me that he is in Union Square almost everyday playing chess, sometimes until three or four in the morning. While he loves the game and enjoys competing against other players, Barry’s true love is for teaching others how to play chess and it’s how he makes his living. I decided then that I wanted a private chess lesson with Barry. For $20, he said he would give me an hour of his time and teach me some of his favorite strategies for chess. I took it as a worthwhile investment.

We met the next evening and he started off telling me what each piece represents, the way they move throughout the game, and their value. From there he taught me about opening moves, the strength that comes from getting valuable pieces into the board and knowing how to protect your king. I always thought that in order to be a good chess player you had to know how to strategize. I thought that you had to have all of your moves planned out in advance and know exactly how you’re going to attack. But I think chess is more about constant adjustment, as in life. We can’t plan out our entire lives and expect it to not be unaffected by other individuals, it’s not practical. Rather in chess, it’s about putting your best pieces forward and putting your opponent under constant stress. In truth, it is a vicious game, full of attack, fear, and ruthlessness. Some might say you need these qualities to truly make it in life; I don’t necessarily agree.

Our lesson went from being an hour to close to two hours, but Barry didn’t mind. He was so enthusiastic about everything he was instructing, I wanted to just keep playing and learning different chess moves. Having Barry teach me how to play chess made me realize that while yes we our outwardly very different and we have very different lives, that does not we are unable to connect in some way or another. Being in this city of diversity has made me realize that while I may feel isolated and lonely, in truth I’m connected to everyone even if I don’t realize it.