TITLE:
Chess through an Anthropological Lens: A Comparison of Counterplay and The King’s Gambit: A Son, a Father, and the World’s Most Dangerous Game
AUTHORS:
Justin Lin Lee
KEYWORDS:
Chess, Anthropology, Biography, Culture, Ethnographic
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Anthropology,
Vol.13 No.3,
August
10,
2023
ABSTRACT: Chess is a popular
game with a very unique culture that may not always be recognized or appreciated. There have been few thorough anthropological
assessments of chess in the literature. Two books in the literature, Counterplay, by Robert Desjarlais, and The King’s Gambit: A Son, A Father, and the World’s Most Dangerous Game (The King’s Gambit), by Paul Hoffman, address
chess from an anthropological viewpoint—specifically through an ethnographic
lens as both authors fully immerse themselves in the chess culture. While Counterplay is written by
Robert Desjarlais, who is an anthropology professor, The King’s Gambit is a biography written by Paul Hoffman, who is an author and chess player.
Hoffman writes the book from a similar viewpoint as Desjarlais though he is not
an anthropologist. These two works thoroughly address chess culture, exploring
themes such as competition, psychology, obsession, rage, physical stress, and
the aesthetics of chess. The two books share
not only similarities but also a number of unique viewpoints. Both works significantly contribute to the
anthropological study of modern-day chess and its issues.