Bishops, Knights, Rooks and Pawns

We'll now go to a tiny German village, Strobeck, with a 900-year history of chess playing.  Ms. Harriet Geithmann chronicles her experience in "Strobeck, Home of Chess: A Medieval Village in the Harz Mountains of Germany Teaches the Royal Game in Its Public School," National Geographic Magazine, May, 1931.

Strobeck is in the mountains between Berlin and Weimar, accessible by train and then a half-hour walk in 1931.  There were 1,400 inhabitants at the time.  From an early age, schoolchildren were taught to play chess  and paid close attention to the game, "for a moment of carelessness means loss of the game.  They display perfect sportsmanship, never squabbling over a move.  In mild weather the benches and boards are set up in the playground" (photo caption, p. 639).

Every year there is a Chess Festival in Strobeck.  One of the unique features "is a game played with living pieces" (photo caption, p. 650).

This was a short article with a beautiful section of color photographs showing off the native costumes which were still worn in 1931.  The people were most hospitable to Ms. Geithmann even though no Americans ever came there and no one spoke English.  Several legends explained why the villagers were so preoccupied with Chess but the real reason was lost in history.  One of their customs concerned brides from Strobeck who were moving from the town.  They had to demonstrate their proficiency in playing chess so they could continue the custom in the new town.  A small gem of an article!