Yet another way to lose a piece

Organizing a game of human chess can be a challenging endeavor. For example, who gets to be which piece?

Certain [pieces] are more popular than others, said [New Hampshire librarian and educator Michael] Sullivan, who lectures and conducts workshops throughout the country. "Most of the elementary-aged boys end up wanting to be knights," he said. "Because dressing up as a knight is very fun."

Most young girls, said Sullivan, want to be the queen. This sometimes poses a problem, because Sullivan likes to assign pieces based on height.

Problems can also arise during the play of the game.

"When the pawns are wandering off to see their daddies, and the rooks are sitting down, it can be very difficult to visualize the game," said Sullivan.

Read "Check this out: Chess play gets physical" from the Portland (ME) Press Herald.

Using human chess to help the local economy

From "Live chess tourney proposed" at The Beacon:

...a Stockton businessman.... Fred Strackhouse plans to set up a human chess tournament on squares marked off in the parking lot of his Stockton Inn to help the town's businesses get over the winter slump.

High school students will move around the board as life-size pawns, knights, rooks, queens, kings and bishops. Participating schools would appoint their own respective chess masters to direct the moves of the "game pieces." Possibly they'll be costumed or wear their school colors or hold an emblem of the game piece they represent....

He is working out a plan to coordinate a months-long elimination tournament featuring schools from Bucks, Hunterdon and Mercer counties. If it works, he says he believes the weeknight games could be a boost for local businesses in the quieter winter months.

Does standing around a parking lot in New Jersey at night in the middle of winter dressed up like a chess piece sound like fun to you?