Chess at Washington Square Park, Part #1
Washington Square Park in the “Village” area of New York is a historic place in chess lore. It is the place where many famous chess players have roamed and many stories have been borne. “Searching for Bobby Fischer” featured scenes in the famous park and featured these players as did movies like “Fresh” and books like “The Chess Artist.”
I remember hanging out in Washington Square Park back in the summer of 1990. I lived at New York University during the summer while interning at Time-Warner. Maurice Ashley and I met there so I could discuss with him a chess network I envisioned (it became ‘The Chess Drum’). In the park, I learned of “Russian Paul” “Sweet Pea,” “Poe” and other characters. Chess rivalries were heated and dollars were flowing. Ernest Colding came down there too.
1990 Flashback: “Russian Paul” waiting for a game while
Ernest Colding (seated right) is in a test. Photo by Daaim Shabazz.
I saw some very disturbing things in the park including a large, chemically-induced Black woman who somehow came out of her shirt! 😯 I remember the staccato beat of dancehall reggae and the gruff rapping of then-king, Shabba Ranks. I made some friends and learned another side of chess in that park.
It’s amazing how many of these hustlers have to face leaving their “fame” and venture back into the harsh realities of a cruel world each night. Some of them play through the winter as well. What is it about chess that will cause a man to become so absorbed? (See Simon’s clip below)
It is amazing that some of the characters mentioned above have become “park legends.” I recently read an article on Russian Paul (tattoos and all) and it is amazing that he is still at it! (See article)
Simon discusses life in the game of chess.
Hikaru Nakamura waiting to take someone’s lunch money.
Yaacov Norowitz getting swindled.
Great article ,but you can’t forget to mention the trash-talking,halarious hustler JP Morgan (also featured on a youtube video)
There is also another great washington square park youtube video entitled For Love or Money.This video is featuring the late legendary chess hustler Vincent Livermore ,who was the real life inspiration for Laurence Fishburne’s character Vinny in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.This is the oldest featured washington square park video,but the quality is great.
The question of chess skills and ideas of what type of chess is good, bad or ugly makes for a long and very interesting discussion?! However, one knows that the difference in the type of chess played puts the question to the player immediatly. Example:Great speed chess players like tom, and sam are some of the best that I have seen and played during my travels all around, I do not want to take away from the fact that they very skilled in that reguard, but tournament chess is something different and I have noticed that speed players loose focus when it comes down to that 40/2, then you have the nieghborhood players who never leave the block and beat the same players over and over again but never go to or even are interested in tournament play, so the skills never mature, but they do not know what they are missing!
I think that chess mastery represents all of the above, because in the end love of the game is the biggest draw, by the way I lost 6-7 speed games in a row to a distiguished chess player at the Chicago Open and you know what, I think in a 40/2 my results would be alot different.
There should be a title or rating that identifies street masters, speed masters, tournament masters, and slow chess master, because masters come in all of these forms and the game is huge enough to encompass them all! 💡
How legal are the small tokens i.e lil money on the side when playing i8n a public park??
Thanks for this kind mention, and excellent description, of The Chess Artist. You really got a handle on what I was trying to do with the book, and why our trip to Russia (actually in 2000) was a useful lens through which to consider the chess world.
Interesting stuff on Washington Square…I was just there recently, and made my donation to one of the players there. It was a slow day–perhaps the construction in the park is hurting business? It was entirely dead when I showed up, but a crowd gathered to watch the two games I played, so I was happy to have drummed up a little business.
To add to one of the discussions above, there was a story I looked into a little bit but did not include in The Chess Artist. Apparently, the chess players in the park were made subject to a gambling raid once upon a time–and it wound up in court. Interestingly, the court ruled that chess was not gambling because it did not include a luck component. The case was actually cited, I believe, in a later definition of gambling.
Thanks again for the kind words,
J.C. Hallman
Amazing posts! And very enjoyable to all chess enthusiasts. I myself have made the pilgrimage to New York city’s Chess parks and clubs and have met most of the above mentioned people. I actually got the opportunity to play against JP in the Village chess shop . It was actually by accident and at the time I had no clue who he was and of course took him for anybody. He only prefered a 5 minute game and seemed to make all of his moves within the first 30 seconds. We played several games,all of which wound up in his favor. At the time …I actually found him nasty and rude but was surprised to see him the following year …….tutoring a 8 year old boy who was accompanied by his mother. He was very kind to the woman and her son and paid close attention to the child as he examined the board. He looked up and saw me observing him and to my surprise smiled and said….” Yo whats up dude”……I was shocked , said hi and walked away. This must have been about 5 years ago.
Great article Daaim. Blitz chess is so much fun that players play it all night and into the morning. There are a lot of really strong speed players. When Philly traveled to play Baltimore last year they had a young man (sorry I forget your name) that I called Horseshoe. He was a strong blitz player and he beat me twice. Than he said “you don’t want know my rating”. Well sir, you are right.
Chess NYC Presents an Open Tournament at Washington Square Park
Showcasing the New York City Chess Scene
Saturday June 6th from 3 -6
Free Registration
20 Spaces Available
5 Rounds Swiss Unrated
10 Minute Time Controls
Prizes for Top Finishers
To register email info@chessnyc.com with Name and Rating
Hi. I’m Rachel. I just discovered your piece on chess hustlers of New York. Althought I am transsexual now and have only very recently come back to chess, I was there from it’s very beginning (at least around 42st). We called Bobby Haywood (an ex boxer) Bobby Dee, and we were all better at chess than he was. I remember Sam the Rabbi (who taught Sweet Pea how to play chess upstairs at the chess house), and he was a very vile, half-crazy man (at least that’s how he acted). A while ago I put a 2 part series on you tube called “Early days of chess in New York.” It’s in 2 parts so make sure you see part 1 first. By the way I may repeat myself in the video; that’s because I have a memory problem. Thanks again.
Desde ciudad de Mexico saludos a Luis Busquets que aparece en el relato enfrentado a Vinny.
La pelÃcula Buscando a Bobby tiene como antecdente desconocido que Mexico promovió tres campeonatos mundiales infantiles en las ciudades mexicanas Durango, Xalapa y Mazatlan, anos aproximados 1979, 1980 y 1981 yendose el evento hasta 2010 a diversas ciudades del mundo.
Josh Waitzkin was champion in USA after Mexico made events.
Alfonso Ferriz Master USCF & WBCA 1975 & 1992
co winner IX National Chess Open 1975 Las Vegas
National Champion in Mexico same date.
In 2000 take principal sports news in all papers & review of Mexico Country when challenge Kasparov in 8 board in 8 minutes in Hilo de
Ariadna Chess Simultaneus Exhibition. Kasparov declined play and refused cart of principal rector of famous University Iberamericana., Dr. Enrique Gonzalez Torres. 4 June 2000.
Tell Busquets of his Ferriz friend.
Saludation to Chess Master Luis Busquets
alfonso_ferriz@hotmail.com
Hi everybody since Mexico City
National Chess School
http://www.esnaj.com
It’s funny
Daaim, Please send me a copy when these tournaments are available such as the Hip Hop tmts or others that maybe available so that I my enter them. Happy Holiday. Jose Espinosa PS, I am out the shelter and have an apartment now.
You may also be interested in viewing “Early Days of chess in New York.” Parts 1 & 2. It features street chess. If you google it you should get it, or else google “Rachel’s Primer.” You will find both there.
Howdy,
What A BLAST From The PAST ! I was never in Washington Park. However, at that same time I was manager of Les Bale’s LINCOLNWOOD and later CHICAGOLAND CHESS AND GAMES. SAM FORD was one of our regulars. Along with PAUL, GUNTHER, and a THORNY bunch of Guys that could have fit in perfectly in WASHINGTON Park. The Language and SMOKE that Made Boxers and Londoners feel right at home. The guys at the Club My wife and I run now have moments like that Minus the SMOKING and “COLORFUL”Language.
However all the TRASH-TALKING and BRILLIANT PLAY you can handle takes place at the local McDONALD’s here in Hammond on 169th and Columbia. Players are there after the lunch rush and play on for hours. They are there every day of the week. A bit light on Sunday. The CHESS is just like Washington Park. Some of the Chessmen are worn and even cracked. ALL of the PLAYERS there are GOOD. There are no games played for money.
Guys like The Washington Park Crowd, Gunther, Paul, and Sam Ford do not come around but ONCE. Thank You to everyone who Shot Video and put down their words here.
ED BLANCO
Dear Daaim Shabazz
some news about Danny Rummer or Bill Banks. Both chess players in Miami. Also Orlando Cespedes. All them I saludate in Jacksonville with my family friend Paul & Edith Hargett.
Beautiful people
Regards from Mexico City
alfonsoferriz@gmail.com
http://www.esnaj.com
I can’t forget Danny Shey, He lived in Houston. He played ther in Chess Houst Club with the Babcook family (mother and son.)We travel Danny and Me since Hosuton until Las Vegas). I drive my car on roads. Amarillo, Tucson, Phoenix, Douglas,…. Also traveled with Louis Busquets, and Sergio camposortega in roads of USA in 1974 and 1975 )since New York (Ocean City, MD, there played Eugene Martinovsky, John Peters, Hans Boom, John Tisdall, Elliot Winslow, Sunil Weerematry, Christomidis was the organizer) until Las Vegas; stayed in Los Angeles in Master Jesus Mondragon home in San Isidro, Cal. Later Sergio up the car with Louise and travel since Los Angeles until Jacksonville. … Sergio died in Mexico City maybe in shoot bang like 1995, when the hampa atraped his little son. The son lives.
I dont forgett another’s torunaments (Niagara Falls, I beat many time Arthur Bisguier… We competed with Walter Brown, Andy Soltis, Ken Rogoff, Fred Pena,) in New York Open with William Hook (capitan Garfio), from Islas Virgens, Eugene Salomon, Eugene Martinowsky (again), Robert Byrne… In Fredericksburg Open played with Robert Watchell, David Florian… After all periple I was in list ratings 1970 “Exper”t, and 1974-1975 “Master” USCF. I had many good friends…
alfonsoferriz@gmail.com
Hi again Daaim. I will see the videos. Thanks at lot.
Good. Soon I will write you.
Please give me your mail.
Mine
,
I was a homeless guy in NYC during the 1980s, and hung out in Washington Square Park playing and watching chess games. I remember Vinnie Livermore very fondly, as he was one of the nicest chess-hustlers I’ve ever met. I used to get coffee for him at Caffe Reggio on MacDougal Street while he was playing. Watching him play was amazing, as he was so good. I was very sad when I heard that he had died. There was another chess player whom I knew, a tall white guy named Dwight, who also died of AIDS. I remember grand master “Zilba” —(full name Josef Israel Zilber)— who wore dozens of rings & buttons on fingers & clothing. You can read about him at http://www.Wikipedia.com. And GM Roman “Jinjin” Dzindzichashvili, who was the top USA player in 1983 & 1989. He’s written several books about chess, and posted some Youtube videos. I remember Jimmy Jam & Markus Moonbeam and another big black guy named Mark, and Poe, who I thought was “Paul” until I read about him on this internet-site. And Sweet Pea. There was a big dark-skinned Jamaican guy who didn’t play chess, but was always there, reading his worn Bible and preaching from it. And a very large black woman who ranted and raved a lot, and would get totally naked sometimes on hot days. Once she grabbed me from behind and started choking me. I don’t reckon she would have hurt me, but it scared the f*ck out of me. With kind regards, Mark Creek-water Dorazio, homeless guy in NYC, 1985-1991.
14 March 2019
Hi Daaim, and thanks for posting a reply. The Jamaican evangelist (Michael) is in part 2 of “The Men Who Would Be Kings” on youtube, at 3:45. Plus, the large black woman (Doris ??) is in part 1, smoking a cigarette, at 6:34.
Where are you now ??
Best, Mark