October 18, 2007

Chess and Smart Choices

RZA's final move. PHOTO: Daaim Shabazz.

LOS ANGELES

Had dinner with a friend last night who is very close with T.I. He's pretty broken up about it. J Smooth pretty much echoed my friend's feelings in his latest vlog: Possible setup, yes; smart guy, definitely; stupid choices, absolutely.

What a contrast to the smart choices I experienced two days earlier in San Francisco at the Hip-Hop Chess Federation's first annual chess invitational, which brought together kids, rappers, chess masters and martial arts champions, culminating in a climactic battle between The RZA and Monk that made this non-chess player a complete believer.

The combination of hip-hop and chess may seem a bit odd, but Bay Area journalist and author Adisa "The Bishop" Banjoko has always been a bit of a forward thinking renaissance man. The basic concept of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation is simple: Chess is a classic game that stimulates the brain and cultivates intuition. As such, it's a near-perfect tonic for inner-city, at-risk kids. Alas, even in well-off neighborhoods, chess is seen as the province of nerds. But what if kids could be mentored in chess and martial arts (respectively, mental and physical sides of the same coin) by their hip-hop idols?

Banjoko's vision became a reality at this weekend's incredibly classy event. Dozens of kids came to compete and rub elbows, literally, at the chess board with rap artists and game ethusiasts Paris, Raaka from Dialated Peoples, Casual from Hieroglyphics, and the Wu Tang's RZA and GZA. Banjoko moderated a panel that featured chess and martial arts master Josh Waitzkin (who inspired the book and movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer"), The RZA, Raaka, jujitsu fighter Ralek Gracie, and Daiim Shabazz of the Chess Drum, who discussed the confluence of their mind-cultivating disciplines to develop foresight and sensitivity.

It's one thing to talk about these esoteric concepts, and it's quite another to feel them viscerally. Waitzkin and Bay Area DJ Kevvy Kev of KZSU-FM expertly emceed the matches between the emcees, with RZA at one point facing off against GZA (RZA won). But the final match was the headcracker. RZA was cornered and outmanned by Monk, and everyone seemed to count RZA out. Monk closed in for his final attack, moving a rook from his king's flank to the center of the board. No one seemed to notice the fatal error except RZA, who calmly moved his own rook from one end of the board to the other and said, "Checkmate."

I kid you not, motherfuckers lost their minds. I haven't heard that kind of cheering since the MC battles of old. And in that moment, in which RZA snatched victory from the jaws of defeat simply by remaining meditative, being aware of everything, and refusing to panic, I learned a great lesson: Always consider the defensive implications of every offensive move you make in life, and vice versa. Now I understand the connections that Banjoko is trying to make with the HHCF. Life skills, son.

With hip-hop perpetually on the ropes in the media, it was refreshing, to say the least, to be at a hip-hop event that trumpeted intelligence over ignorance. Everything was tight. Banjoko brought in Silicon Valley corporate sponsors like Ubisoft, hosted the event at the sparkling San Francisco Design Center, and catered it with Beef Wellinton and crabcakes.

Unfortunately, this was too much for one cynical blogger for Wired Magazine. I think the event proved a little too perfect for homegirl and she blew a headgasket. Apparently, hip-hop non-profits ain't supposed to have crabcakes and corporate sponsors.

Point is, there's a lot of good news in hip-hop. The RZA is teaming with Waitzkin and Bajoko to expand the HHCF. Cold Chillin' founder Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams and Mr. Magic are pouring their energy into the dynamic Brooklyn Steppers. In Los Angeles, Nick Cannon, DJ Premier, and Paul "DJ P" Stewart are throwing their weight behind the Hip Hop Leaders. All to help kids make the kind of smart choices they need to navigate the treacherous waters of American society.

Alas, if only T.I. had seen the entire chessboard, instead of just the pieces around him.

Posted by dcharnas at October 18, 2007 1:47 AM

Comments

Great piece, I wish I had been there. I used to play chess all the time, we played everyday at the group home actually. Once I switched to poker I haven't been back to it though.. (I still like playing chess better but poker players are easier to take money from)

Posted by: Jay Smooth at October 18, 2007 11:28 AM

LOL. Well, we can get involved when Adisa and RZA bring the HHCF to NYC, and then you can take my money.

Posted by: Daniel at October 18, 2007 2:00 PM

Oh, and I forgot to mention Kevvy Kev's idea for an HHCF tie-breaker: a sudden-death freestyle battle.

Posted by: Daniel at October 18, 2007 2:02 PM

very good piece dan. my dad's a chess enthusiast and coach at his high school. i'll have to let him know about this organization.

that wired piece was snarky for no reason but it was good to read Rakaa and other sensible people's comments checking the author though.

Posted by: jb at October 18, 2007 2:42 PM

I don't see mate in that photo.

Where's mate?

-Black People

Posted by: Black People at October 18, 2007 7:52 PM

It is mate in two for black, white can only delay by sacrificing rooks then it's over

I was just asking people where is BP at?

Posted by: Jay Smooth at October 18, 2007 8:01 PM

Oh I see.

I guess the other guy must've pushed his rooks up to close in for the trap on Rza's king.

But a just a lil prematurely.

My dad made me learn chess at seven.
and I'm 15 now so go figure.

sike I'm not 15.

but that would be funny.
I try to catch a body on the chessboard any chance I get.

Yo, you know out here in L.A. Magic Johnson got his own Friday's and Starbucks?

And the Starbucks is like one big Chess club.
Nuntin but black people chillin.

And the stray cool white dude and or girl.

Mad chess games takin place inside and out.

I've been very active on the rumours board on the "other" site.

I don't see 'em on your blogroll so I won't promote them here.

But it's like a lil cyber cafe over there.

I'm grappling with something really difficult to digest right now, though.

I'm just realizing that just about 80% of Black folks is country.

I'm an East Coast boy working in L.A. and last week I was kickin it with some hood folk out here and the whole time I'm saying to myself,

"Hol' up. These brothers and sister are country as shit."

Then I started thinking.

The Midwest, indiana, missouri, wisconsin=country.

maryland, virginia, carolinas=country.

nevada, detroit, ohio=country.

it's like the east is really delaware to n.y.

other than that? country.

Why you ain't never tell us?

You know how this affects the East Coast vs. Down South arguments/debates?

Talk about livin' in my own world. And thinkin' everyone is just like me.

Sheesh.

There is a smidgeon of hope, however.

I'll elaborate later.

-Black People

Posted by: Black People at October 18, 2007 9:43 PM

Dope post.

With only a rook to worry about, it's surprising that a championship tourney game would end with such a basic mistake.

I want in on it if the event comes to NY!

Also, I'm open to playing people on Yahoo if anyone is up for it. I'm not a great player (but at least I like to think I wouldn't have made Monk's mistake).

Posted by: rafi at October 18, 2007 9:48 PM

It's funny because i saw the picture and said out loud.. How did white mess that up.

Chess is hard is a hard sell to the grimy world up on the East Coast. B.P. touched on it a lil and I think I know what he means. The world of the US outside of basically the Tri-State area is not in tune to the way of life up here. Chess seems like something on NYC that only the Slavic and the pot heads get into but if engaged a lot of people would really love.

The problem is that chess isn't seen to have any real value to the youth these days and while it is a great idea. I would hope they sold the idea more to the 15 - 23 age bracket.
I play but hey I lose too much, I picked up on Bid and tonk as a kid and took more money that way. Chess to me is a truly recreational event. But hit me up if it hit the Tri-State area. cause I'm down to get a win or 2 in on someone

Posted by: Belve at October 19, 2007 1:03 AM

Actually, I don't see how it's mate. White can move his rook on the left to block black's rook. If black rook takes white rook, putting white in check again, white pawn can take black rook. Am I missing something?

Posted by: LiquidSwords at October 19, 2007 12:14 PM

The rooks can drop down for the block, but each will be taken.

Posted by: eric at October 19, 2007 4:23 PM

Eric,
Yes, but if white moves the rook on the left all the way over, the black rook can't take that rook without being taken by the white pawn.

Posted by: LiquidSwords at October 19, 2007 8:14 PM

Nevermind, I'm looking at the board the wrong way. I see it now.

Posted by: LiquidSwords at October 19, 2007 8:17 PM

I want HHCF to bring this to So-Cal...maybe we can have Muggs take the belt from Rza? hmm.

Posted by: Esef at October 24, 2007 2:06 PM