A Game of Kings

Bringing Chess to the Reservations

By Seneca Yellowhorse

So chess runs my life...

My SHP project has long been in the making since I first picked up the game at the tender age of six, a whole new world has been opened to me. One full of opportunities worthy of insight, and from which you can derive life lessons. The knowledge i've obtained from this fourteen hundred year old board game has paved its way into my daily life where I often benefit from the critical thinking and analysis required to achieve successful progress. For me chess is a tool anyone can utilize to train and unlock deeper thought that can ultimately enhance ones consciousness.

How Place Names Impact the way we see our Landscape

The article ‘How place names impact the way we see our landscape. discusses the views people collect from names of places, this topic introduces the idea that names can change the connotation of the place in question. Comparisons in these connotations are very dissimilar and this is the reason for the discussion. Essentially, a group of people might find one thing offensive whilst to another this thing could hold no negative impact, this discrepancy extends to names which are seemingly different amongst locations.

Sharing One skin

The Okanagan people realized that in order to have peace you must have four versions of yourself. Spiritual, emotional, physical, and thinking. These four selves are used to find the balance needed in order to live in this free world. Each part was used to help the Okanagan people relate to each other and the world. As read in the story many people today often overlook these simple yet powerful beings. Often confined to their own heads they are unable to look passed and into the path to peace.

Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News: Know the West, 1 May 2022, https://www.hcn.org/issues/54.5/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape. Accessed 27 August 2022.

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470.

Chess V Natives

Going into this research log I knew that Native American ties with chess were already severely limited, thus finding anything tying them together would be very difficult. With this in mind I began to dissect key historical points that occurred in the Native American world that are very closely related to chess, or points in other cultures where things are comparable. Although Natives don’t really play chess, their history suggests that they are prepared to be successful in it. My first article titled Pueblo Native Americans: Their History, Culture, and Traditions discusses much of our Pueblo ancestor’s struggles with colonization and their seemingly uncanny resistance to adversity.

The article explores some of the earliest history of my people going all the way back to our Chaco Canyon-Mesa Verde era which is known for its complexity in architecture and higher thinking relating to that of the sky. Examples such as the sundial and the astrologically designed buildings took our ancestors some very critical thought and much planning to achieve. The level of thought required to do these things is very much similar to the level of thought in the nature of chess. That’s why I believe we as Native people have the tools and historical experience to blossom in chess.

Heading back to our adversities, these are what have really led natives to where they are today. Our constant clashes with European and Spanish colonizers have left us with deep battle scars from which we have learned. Historical bouts such as The Battle of Little Bighorn or the Indian Pueblo Revolt both show that Native Americans are keenly aware of strategy involving war, and that they understand how to evaluate prediction. Once again these themes are heavily prevalent in the chess realm.

Since chess hasn’t really been integrated into Native culture, I felt that taking a peek at other cultural groups involved with chess would be a good blueprint to start because we’ll be able to possibly integrate some technique they may have used to hopefully lead to an excel in Indigenous chess players. Throughout the history of the game a pattern always seems to emerge involving a ‘spark’ player for a respective culture or racial group.

In the history of the Black chess community it required a grandmaster to be titled for the popularity of chess to explode amongst themselves. For the Indians one of their very own became the world champion and the game became a household tradition amongst Indian communities. Even on a bigger scale when Bobby Fischer became the world champion chess boomed in America like never before. These are all examples of a single person drastically changing the chess landscape, causing great influence on the amount of players. The Indigenous Peoples of America have never had one of these ‘spark’ players and I believe that if a Native American was able to make it to the upper echelons of the chess world other natives would follow in their path.

For this to occur Natives would have to feel welcomed into the chess community and looking at the past, the chess community hasn’t always given out open arms especially here in the states. An article by the name of A Brief History of Chess in the Black Diaspora discusses some of the limitations Black chess players had in the 1800-1900s, these were usually because of active Jim-Crow Laws. The article states that chess was in Africa several hundred years before the Europeans got ahold of it which means even though Europeans were less experienced with the board game the chess community ultimately shunned people of color in America.

Taking a look at chess in a broader perspective throughout the existence of the game shows us that chess is viewed as something elegant with class. Over the years this perspective has evolved less and less because of the increasingly easier access to chess and its learning content. This viewpoint was accurate for the earlier years of chess because that’s when rulers were the only people with freetime and access to the game. Following the new age of the internet, chess was suddenly revived and was no longer just a game for royalty.

Native Hope. (2022, May 26). Pueblo

Native Americans: Their history, culture, and traditions. Native Hope Blog. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://blog.nativehope.org/pueblo-native-americans-their-history-culture-and-

traditions#:~:text=Evolving%20from%20a%20hunter%2Dgathering,designing%20complex%20water%20irrigation%20systems.

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Pueblo rebellion. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Pueblo-Rebellion

A brief history of chess in the black diaspora -. Chess Institute of Canada - Bringing Chess to Life™. (2022, February 25). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://chessinstitute.ca/2022/02/24/a-brief-history-of-chess-in-the-black-diaspora/

The Current State of Native Chess

Taking a glance at the historical past of chess there are certainly levels of discrimination that the game has long suffered from. For America’s Indigenous Peoples, crossing of the chess barrier has never occurred at the elite level. When looking at ethnic and racial groups that have entered the bout of 64 squares it is noteworthy that every other significant racial group has thrown a symbolic hat into the ring with the fact that all these groups have had at least one titled chess player (A player skilled enough to be in the upper echelon of chess players). Native Americans historically and to this day have been underrepresented in the chess community, their presence is next to that of invisible on the USCF player listings.

Taking a glance at the topic, it is clear that the major problem could actually be that no one is shedding light on this problem. Looking up my topic online I was surprised to find very little to nothing on the underrepresentation of Native Americans. The lack of this content is making this issue a very unknown one, but comparisons offer insight into how to fix it.

An essay titled ‘Race and Gender in chess in the United States’ describes the current state of chess in America and its diversity issue nationwide. The article takes raw statistics of top chess players in America and compares them peer to peer to see the difference in racial percentages relating to their relative ethnicity. The statistics show that 47.6 percent of grandmasters in America are of Caucasian descent, 9.5 percent of grandmasters are of African descent, and the other minorities consist of European, Oriental and latin descendents. This can be used to add to the conversation of comparison because when taking a look at African Americans as a whole and struggles in the chess community it is not that dissimilar from those of the Native Americans.

Following the same path African Americans and people of color were habitually discriminated against in the chess world, there are countless stories surrounding players from the past being shown prejudice for the color of their skin. Such examples can be seen in the history of Walter Harris; the first titled African descendant, where he can recall a time he wasn't allowed to enter a tournament because of his skin tone. Over the years of my chess career as a Native American minority I can also think back to a handful of times when I may have been discriminated against because of my racial background, but this just eludes me with more questions. If I can still be discriminated against in a new era of America where it’s not the focus, then what have other Natives been put on blast for with interactions to a intelligential board game?

Race and gender in chess in the United States . Edubirdie. (2019, June 8). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/race-and-gender-in-chess-in-the-united-states/

Shabazz, D. (2022, April 30). Black history month 2022-Day 17: Walter Harris. The Chess Drum. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2022/02/17/black-history-month-2022-day-17-walter-harris/#:~:text=Born%20September%2028th%2C%201941%2C%20Walter,2014%20(in%2Dperson)%7D.

World Statistics Day - Chess touch. International Chess Federation. (2020, October 20). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.fide.com/news/782

Basch-Gould, P. author B. N., & *, N. (n.d.). Diversity in chess. tutorcarrot blog. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://blog.tutorcarrot.com/2022/01/15/diversity-in-chess/

The chess community, although accepting, has had a long history of discrimination within its domain. Elitism has existed in the game since its beginning, it is evident when taking a gander at the past in regards to females and the game of chess. The game over the years has arguably not been kind to women as they have been discriminated against in all facets of the game. Their approach, strategy, performance, and appeal have all been put into question by various forms of media, individuals, and whole organizations who were willing to put the integrity of the game after demeaning and hurtful bigotry. Examples exist such as the world chess champion himself, Bobby Fischer, stating that “they never put out a good woman chess player, never one that could ever stand up against a man in the history of chess.” A skepticism formed around the gender that some are still facing today in a chess environment where toxicity has almost been normalized.

Chess has been played all over the world, This has led to its introduction into many communities very un-similar from each other. The origins of where this game lies are located in India. Knowing this, it’s strange to find out that years ago, long before they became the juggernaut of the East, India was often not in contention for the world’s greatest players. This of course was completely flipped on its head when India acquired their first and only World Champion Viswanathan Anand who has had the biggest influence of culture relative to any other chess player ever. Before ‘Vishy’, chess was irrelevant in certain parts of India. Now it is a staple of Indian culture that Indians everywhere play and try to find success in. Of course it would have probably not happened or even been possible with the absence of an Indian phenom.

When gender and race is not called into the equation and all turbulence is thrown out the window, communities such Russia can climb to the peak of their domain. For years Russia had had an iron grip on the chess world in regards to player strength and absolute quantitative dominance, they have established a community in which chess is not only a norm but it is held in high esteem. In Russia chess is a way of life that makes the world go round, this isn’t because chess is made for them. In fact chess had to travel across several thousands of kilometers to reach the obscure frozen lands of the Russian empire; all this, yet they still rule the 64 squares. I mention this because for Russia, it is not about ability, they have created a system in which chess isn’t its own community, but that it is an entity that exists within our own community. People have intertwined themselves with chess, the culture, and what it means to play the game; this has culminated in a competitive prowess that all its members aim to achieve.

Vaidyanathan, Rajini. “Chess in India: Why Is It on the Rise?” BBC News, BBC, 17 May 2012, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18074307.

Murali, Tarun. “India's First Grand Master Viswanathan Anand on Chess and Its Champions .” The Hindu, 30 July 2022, https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/indias-first-grand-master-viswanathan-anand-on-chess-and-its-champions/article65697552.ece.

Ninan, Susan. “66 GMS and Counting: The Story behind India's Chess Surge.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 July 2020, https://www.espn.com/chess/story/_/id/29501703/66-gms-counting-story-india-chess-surge.

“Viswanathan Anand Exclusive: The King of 64 Squares | India Today Inspiration.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Jan. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rRiW7wJ9ec

David Smerdon Assistant Professor. “What's behind the Gender Imbalance in Top-Level Chess?” The Conversation, 12 May 2021, https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-gender-imbalance-in-top-level-chess-150637.

“Rare Interview - Bobby Fischer on Women.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Nov. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NuBCU-wCSo.

“GM-s per Capita Worldwide, 1. Iceland ! - Chess Forums.” Chess.com, https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/gm-s-per-capita-worldwide-1-iceland2.

Rodgers, James. “Why Russians Are Good at Chess, and Why It Helps to Know That.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesrodgerseurope/2018/09/22/why-russians-are-good-at-chess-and-why-it-helps-to-know-that/?sh=3d450bd54de6.

Augmentation;

A Board at a Time

Solutions to the issue

On a cloudy after school day on October 5th 2022 I hosted an over the board chess tournament in the HEB building. The goal was to tackle my topic issue head on by introducing Native youth to the game of chess in hopes that they will continue to educate themselves on the game.

Why teach chess?

I feel that although this way of action is somewhat inefficient, the idea remains very much the same. This form of teaching is much more personal and it hopefully encourages Natives to play chess more often.

What´s the endgame?

Ultimately the outcome achieved by this action plan was to inform Natives who have never played the game of chess, to me this was a successful action plan because the group left with knowledge of the game and hopefully a newfound curiosity.

The Santa Fe Mayor´s Cup

Through the later weeks of January all the way through to early March was a chess tournament known as the Santa Fe Mayor’s Cup. I alongside fellow classmates of SFIS: Ashton Tenorio, Ryan Nieto and Maryem Houdini participated in the tournament. This was with the goal of making a direct change to my issue as well as bring a gleam of inspiration to any native youth in search of a chess career.

For the players who joined the tournament we have now begun our steps into the chess world which will hopefully hatch deep interest into this beautifully complex board game.

For Everyone else I hope all take note of such endeavors, and find inspiration to begin, start over or get back into the game of chess. Let tournaments like this serve as a stepping stone for other Native Americans trying to play.

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