Nongwahyay Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 The wife and I will be moving to Thailand in the not too distant future and I´m gathering ideas on how to keep myself constructively busy once we get there!!!! Im quite a sporty type but as a pastime I also quite like the occasional game of chess. Do the locals - as well as TV members - play much chess????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrong Turn Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I'm willing to play in the BKK area. PM, me. Cheers, WT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrt273nva Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 i've met few thai's that play our style of chess (but some of them are pretty good if they do know). They have their own version of chess with similar pieces however I gave up trying to learn it because it seemed like they made up the rules as they went along. I've watched others play and there is some kind of structure and rules, but it is quite confusing to me. When I recommend to them that we should play traditional chess they claim they don't know how. So anyway, I haven't played chess in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingdongrb Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 It's funny watching the Thais just playing checkers. Their version allows to move the king up and down the board in a diagonal direction similar to a bishop or queen in chess. Their version of checkers is actually a mix from the checkers I learned as a child and chess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bravingbangkok Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Yes I would also be interested in creating some sort of club, I think chess is such a good game. Relieves stress Count me in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12DrinkMore Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 (edited) It's funny watching the Thais just playing checkers. Their version allows to move the king up and down the board in a diagonal direction similar to a bishop or queen in chess. Their version of checkers is actually a mix from the checkers I learned as a child and chess. It's part of the big conspiracy to keep the population stupid. Dumb down the game, make it easy to play and call it Thai. Playing a game of Chess with Farang rules! That's not the way, it might lead the population to improve their brain power. No, "keep it simple, and keep 'em stupid". I once tried to learn one of their card games, as the GF of the time (now well and truly ex for obvious reasons) spent an inordinate amount of time playing. I watched the play and thought surely I can do this as well. So we start playing, I get introduced to the basic rules and off we go. After a few hands I thought I was getting the hang of it, but then, out of the blue, PLAP! another rule pops up and I lose. This happened repeatedly as soon as I looked like winning. I tried to write down the rules as we went along, but it got really complicated, as they seem to change at random intervals. Which leads me to introduce 12DrinkMore's Law of Thai Style #1. "The concept of having all the rules logically and irrevocably set out on a piece of paper is not and never will be part of Thai culture" She also became bored very quickly, as playing for points was not the same as the opportunity to loose thousands of Baht over an afternoon. Now you know why I kicked her out. Edited September 7, 2008 by 12DrinkMore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marquess Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 It is a bit like the way that snooker is played in Thailand, they make up their own rules, respotted reds, so I have just got to the stage where I just practise on my own and decline all offers of competition as it will lead to trouble; when one knows the written rules and they make it up. Everything in like is subject hermenutics, but you have to firm foundation in order to know what your doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangyai Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Check out www.bangkokchess.com which is a club that meets in The Bulls Head every Tuesdays.( sukhumvit soi 33 ) Failing that you can play chess online. Check out www.postcardchess.com to see how it works. You can play a whole game or a move a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Do the locals - as well as TV members - play much chess?????Many cast concrete tables have a 'chess' board tiled into them - and generally it is as mentioned about for Thai checkers with used beer caps. See any motorcy taxi strip. In Pattaya the Beach Road McDonalds hosts a handful of serious players - they play with timers, I would imagine if expats were alerted to each other in your area someone could host a gathering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singa-traz Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 There is a nice Thai web site for online: Thaibg dot com And BG stand for BoardGame Learn a new game: GO. There is a couple a place in Bangkok where you can learn/play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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