The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board
Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain by
David Shenk (Hardcover - September 5, 2006)
**** THE ROLE OF JOHN J. PERSHING AND CHESS DIPLOMACY ****
John J. Pershing is special to chess history, although few people know of
the occasion when Pershing used the game of chess to negotiate peace
treaties with Moro tribesmen of the Philippines.
Spain had ceded the Philippines to the U.S. following the Spanish-American
War of 1898, where Lieutenant Pershing had led the Tenth Calvary, a black
troop. The dismounted Tenth excelled in the attack up San Juan Hill, in
which Pershing, cool under withering fire, led his troops.
Transferred after to the Philippines as a Lieutenant, Pershing committed
himself to educating himself to the situation. Many in the American
military
and state department viewed the Moros as barbaric. For certain, they were
a
warrior people who honored bravery with respect. They were also Muslim,
and polygamous. Their culture had been connected to Mecca since the 13th
Century. The Moros hated Christians, and especially Christian Filipinos.
Ferdinand Magellan had raised the Spanish flag over the Philippines in
1521.
Hostilities had existed ever since. Three hundred years of Spanish
colonization
had left little that could be called modern.
The American Army had mostly been restricted to a "Coastwise
Colonization."
Little contact with the interior had been ventured. A military governor
was appointed, but the Moros had practiced slavery, piracy and banditry
for
centuries. The Moro mind was a different world from that of the American
military. In Moro culture, (1) things written, would be, and (2) Infidels
and
their doings were irrelevant. With such a mind set both the colonial
regulations and military officers would be flouted. Moros would simply
refuse to
acknowledge the power held by the infidel. With such extreme polarization
of culture, Pershing realized that there would be massive bloodletting if
working relationships with Moro tribes were not developed.
What the American military ceded as merely a problem of suppression of the
"Insurrections," Pershing saw as a human problem. The Moros reminded him
of
the Apache and Sioux warriors of the American continent. Ever the
professional, Pershing began educating himself in Moro culture. He
studied Moro
language and customs. He read the Koran. Moros of different tribes and
regions
were led by a headman called a "Datto." If religious taboos could be
by-passed, Pershing held some hope for relationships of trust. Pershing
learned
that the Moros played chess.
Pershing walked into the center of a virtually deserted Moro village and
set up a chess board. After a wait, the Muslim headman appeared, willing
to
play a game. Over the course of hours, a mutual respect was developed,
the
opponents learning much of each other. By this method, Lieutenant
Pershing
was able to establish relationships of understanding with many Moro
headmen,
and treaties often formed, saving many lives on both sides. For his
success, Pershing was promoted to permanent captain in 1901. In 1903,
President
Roosevelt addressed the U.S. Congress, naming Pershing as an officer
deserving promotion on merit.
The Denver Chess Club used to meet at the VFW at 9th & Bannock Streets,
where a small museum was kept on the first floor, dedicated to the
Colorado
volunteers in the Phillipine campaign. This was the very first Veterans of
Foreign Wars chartered in the continental United States, VFW POST #1.
There
were swords, ammo displays, pictures, and Moro weapons. I do not think
any
of us made the connection at that time, between our chess play in Denver,
Colorado and the winning chess diplomacy of John J. Pershing.
In Denver Colorado, the Adams City High School Chess Coach, Larry Grohn, a
social studies teacher, will not be in bed before midnight on Tuesday,
because he drives his students to the Denver Chess Club's Tuesday night
meeting. It is the best way to acquaint his students with strong
competition. The
next morning, Larry Grohn must teach school again. He needs chess clocks
and equipment, for which there is no funding; but Larry Grohn prevails
through sheer determination. His dream is to give his players a chance in
life, a
chance which might be found through the lessons of chess.
To the extent that David Shenk can make the world more aware of the
satisfaction to be found in chess, of the friendships to be made, of the
rewards
of developing mind and soul, we shall all be much in his debt. Many people
could handle life better, I think, if only they had developed only a
little
of the qualities of character that chess teaches; how to handle conflict,
how to think 'out-of-the-box' and how to develop a genuine respect for
those
who seem to oppose us in daily life. Indeed, there is an ancient maxim:
THINE ADVERSARY IS BECOME THINE INSTRUCTOR.
Chess is, dollar for dollar, one of the most affordable of all pastimes.
It
brings people together in bonds of friendship. It can teach deep lessons
about life and mankind. It can free us from worry and care, and assuage
the
feeling of being alone and 'not-fitting-in'. It is a most excellent
stepping stone to connecting to the basics of life, in a world where many
people
are utterly bereft, not knowing which way to turn or where to go.
Most importantly though, people need to get rid of the delusional notion
that the game is only about "winning."
