Today’s Vintage Chess Humor

Chess & Violence

What are the chances that your opponent is going to kill you during a chess game?  Probably not very great, but certainly better than zero. Infact, much better than zero.

Here on my blog I have often discussed this issue. Newspapers love to carry such stories of violence. For example, here is just a short list of them:

On February 3, 2009, a man killed a friend with a sword after a chess game in Alameda, California. An argument broke out during their game, and the two started wrestling. Joseph Groom retreated to his bedroom and returned with a sword, which he used to stab Kelly Kjersem once. Kjersem later died.

In January 2008, Zachary Lucov was playing chess with Dennis Klien in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, when a scuffle broke out. Luco pulled out a gun and Klein was shot in the elbow. Lucov was arrested for aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.

In October 2008, David Christian of Iowa City got in a fight with Michael Steward while playing a game of chess at the rooming house where they both lived. He was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Christian choked Steward to death.

But my personal favourite:

The two got into a row over a chess rule and then one of the players killed the other, ate his heart and – apparently – part of his lung! The Irish press had a field day with this one!