Over the years, chess has become one of the most important exercises or sports for people of any social class. In 1681, it was considered the game of the aristocracy and with time it was taken out of their hands, by other feudal rights and now it has become the recreation of the million.
In Europe
The cafe Régence was one of the main chess centers in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Great chess masters of the time played there, as well as many French and foreign intellectuals and politicians.
Chess is a game of infinite variations. If the moves made on the board corresponded to reality, the variations imagined, but not made, would be equivalent to literary fictions. But it happens that in the labyrinths of the game, spirit and matter, idea and action converge in the same way. Tactics and strategy form a dialectic that leads to the highest heights of thought.- Jorge Luis Borges-
Régence became famous and was a famous meeting point in Paris. It was attended by geniuses such as Maximilien Robespierre, Denis Diderot, Napoleon Bonaparte and Voltaire.
An American politician by the name of George Walker, -asserts-, that a space dedicated to chess, in order to prosper, must be open to everyone, -free as the air to the sky-. Accessible, at a reduced cost for all men, not only for those who can afford a luxurious hat and a distinguished jacket.
At the Café Régence, a very heterogeneous crowd mingled. Denis Diderot, the French encyclopedist, based his novel of dialogue here, “The Nephew of Rameau”, neither beautiful nor particularly elegant he found the Régence at that time.
Café Cardinal, “house of coffee”
Today, there is a small “coffee house”, called Cardinal. The decor and ambiance allow us to experience the sensation of being in the warmth of our own home.
In this incredible place, we can play as many games of chess as we want, drinking a tasty artisan coffee and we can also take a book and start that adventure.
By the way, speaking of drinks, they prepare one named after the French genius and philosopher, Voltaire.
It consists of a load of espresso, warm-frothed milk, and semi-bitter chocolate from Oaxaca and is inspired by the very old Café Procope in Paris, where Voltaire used to gather and drink a coffee with chocolate.
The history behind the Café Cardinal turns it into an exciting stay for the body and spirit of the visitors.
The Cardinal “house of coffee” has two branches in Mexico City. It is founded by three enterprising and adventurous partners: Alex, Shak, and Pol. The house coffee is from Xochitonalco in Oaxaca; the most requested coffee is of Acatepec (Nahuatl) origin.
If any of the readers make a trip to the country of Mexico, why not, you can schedule a pleasant time at the Cardinal’s facilities and play a game of chess and order an artisan coffee.
I want to mention some benefits of practicing chess:
1. It helps mental calculation.
2. Improves the visualization of space.
3. Helps personal self-control.
4. Promotes resilience in the face of adversity.
5. Promotes prudence.
6. Teaches respect for the opponent.
A way of life
Chess is a board game that has become a way of life nowadays. At present, many cafeterias establishments keep it as a recreational sport concept for visitors. In the country of México, in one of its villages, Ajijic, Jalisco.
A group of chess players ranging in age from 6 to 89 years old, participate in tournaments and have their game schedule two or three times a week. On Saturdays, they meet in a garden kiosk called Lake Chapala Society. The meetings are convivial for an hour and a half, where several masters and expert chess players give advice and begin the games with a cup of coffee or a bottle of juice.
On Thursday afternoons, the chess players’ club – Huarachess-, opens the convivial in a Terrace/Restaurant in the Village of Ajijic, they call it: -The peacock garden-. Visitors can drink from an iced coffee to a glass of red wine or craft beer.
On Sundays, the Huarachess Club opens its doors again inviting the general public to play outdoors in the main square of Ajijic, Jalisco.
As we can see in the pictures, the people who attend are children, adults, women, and on an interesting note, they have an audience of people from the European and American continent.
What it brings
Chess in the cafeterias clears the bad thoughts and helps to fight “the battle” of life. Chess on 64 squares. The chessboard is infinite, one wrong piece and someone concedes, chess, unlike life, cannot always result in checkmate.
We have millions of possibilities between the movement of two players; chess is a game-science-sport that has been deployed around the world and of course, after Armenia, the country where it is most popular.
Some time ago, Spanish television broadcasted the confrontation for the world championship between Kárpov and Kásparov, from the Lope de Vega Theater in Seville, to advertise the Universal Exposition of 1992, where the last game was watched by 13 million spectators.
Chess sounds like it’s a Hamelin flute. Doctors, teachers, and experts affirm the endless benefits of practicing this sport frequently. They synthesize its good contributions in three skills:
1. It requires quick and flexible decision-making.
2. It leads us to self-criticism.
3. We find the balance.
Chess is to pause the moments. Respect for others, memory, geometry, geometry, verticality, look, criticism, creativity, shelling and also integration. It has become the language of children and adults.
It is a way to integrate, participate and promote equality and this has led us directly to express it within the atmosphere in Las Cafeterias del Mundo. In the country of Mexico for example, there are now coffee centers or restaurants, where people attend to drink their favorite beverage while a game of chess is being played right there.
As well as in several parts of Europe, this wonderful discipline is also practiced. In 2012 the European Parliament introduced in the educational systems of the member states this universal activity and during 2015 happened what Leontxo calls a miracle, the congress unanimously approved the moment the promotion and practice of this sport in schools and the rest of the public spaces. Paradox or not.
A game based on the confrontation between two sides, -black and white pieces-. The projects in which this game is used in a transversal way palliate the effects of social inequalities.
Basic need
The educator has taken his theories to extreme places in Latin America and has found that it helps to weave social fabric between parents and children and this builds more community.
Like a long-legged fly in the stream/its mind moves in silence – Yeats –
Let’s talk about the Queen’s Gambit. It is the true story of a 16-year-old chess prodigy who finds in the black and white tapestry, transcendence to her life, but also drugs and alcohol. In its first 28 days of broadcasting, it has been watched by 62 million households, according to Netflix.
Chess is a passion. It is an experience that can decipher the subconscious of the Human Being and makes him see “a front”. As an educational tool, the results are incredible. The world in 64 squares. A universe of infinite possibilities. The beloved and appreciated master and writer, Jorge Luis Borges, said that there are moves in chess-like stars in the sky.
