Have Chess Will Travel, Peace by Piece

“Mathematics is the only true universal language.” - Ellie Arroway in Contact

Do you remember in the movie Contact how Jodie Foster’s character deciphered an alien message through mathematics? Well, when traveling to other countries, rather than chit-chatting via the quadratic equation, a great way to combat the confusion of tongues is to learn a universal game that doesn’t require verbal communication. Enter: the game of Chess. Played for thousands of years in cultures all over the world, this wargame can actually be a bridge to peace. In fact, the Chess for Peace Program was “designed to promote peace throughout the world by bringing secondary school students from different countries together to learn how to play chess and to establish lasting friendships. The vision of the program is to establish a long-term relationship among the young people around the globe as the vehicle by which to promote mutual understanding of shared problems.” And right here in New York City, the nonprofit organization Chess-in-the-Schools hopes students who learn chess through their curriculum will be "more likely to solve conflicts using peaceful means.”

Xiangqi in Shanghai

I remember at many times during my trip through China, I felt isolated due to my inability to communicate with the people there. Time and time again I happened upon groups of people gathered around the games of Go and Xiangqi (Chinese Chess). In some cases, I was offered a chance to play, but I had to turn them down because didn’t know how. I regretted so much that I hadn't learned the basics of game play before taking the trip, and that I missed out on such meaningful cultural experiences.

Tootsie's Travel Tip #1: Before your next trip, try researching what games are popular to the culture you are visiting and see if you can learn how to play. With games like Chess, Go or Mancala, you can easily pack a thin, portable mat and pieces to take with you. Or while you're there, seek out parks or public squares that have game boards set up and an active scene. That simple opening move may lead to an end-game of lasting friendships and travel memories. So, “how about a nice game of chess?”