Tuesday January 17th, 2012

The exercise:

Two haiku about: chess.

A long time ago, way back when I still worked at EA, I joined an online chess site at the urgings of several coworkers. We played a bunch of games against each other and had a lot of fun. We gradually began playing less, several of them left or were laid off, and then I quit too. I continued playing for a while but then eventually stopped altogether.

But recently I've been bitten by the chess bug again so I got back in touch with the site (having to get them to switch my account from my work email address to one I actually have access to) and I'm at it again. It's free to sign up at RedHotPawn, so if you'd care to challenge me to a game I'd be happy to play.

Mine:

Surveying the board,
the king whispers to his queen,
"The pawns look nervous."

*     *     *

Attacked from all sides,
the king cries as he brings his
gun to his temple.

12 comments:

Greg said...

Working at EA gave you enough time to play chess? Aren't they notorious for believing that a twenty-four hour day is just three working days put conveniently close together? ;-)
I shall take a look at your red hot pawn (there's a smutty joke in there somewhere), and maybe even find time to challenge you!
I like the first haiku best, though I bet you wanted 'rebellious' instead of 'nervous'!

Chess
She thought it would be
Fun at a musical. Not
Karpov v. Fischer.

----------

Chess-boxing is fun
Though I never think clearly
After the boxing.

Anonymous said...

Chess - haiku

black and white pieces
strategize a game of war
where the winner takes all

king, queen, pawn and horse
make your play to bishop's rook
patient vision wins

Krystin Scott said...

Once upon a blitz
The master made a blunder
mate turns to end game.

I thought Haiku's were only assigned on Tuesdays.. =P

David said...

Red Hot Pawn - i should have used that in mine.

Anthony chose black
Carissa also chose black
Wait, what are the rules?

I took his bishop
He took my rook, knight and queen
I flipped the board up

Krystin Scott said...

@ Greg - OMG chess-boxing is real... I thought you made it up so I googled it to see if it was a play on words or meant something other than the obvious...Ya learn something new every day!

@writebite - very descriptive, That's excactly what it takes to play chess strategy and patience. Probably why I'm not very good.

@david - What a fun way to approach the prompt. Both made me smile.

@everyone else Your all inspiring and creative authors and I look forward to seeing your work every afternoon.

Anonymous said...

(With apologies to Jackson and McCartney)

Armies stand ready.
Ebony and Ivory
Advance to the Death.

A single Pawn moves,
Knights and Queens lay defeated,
The King tips his crown.

morganna said...

Board at the ready
White surveys black -- feints a pawn
The game is afoot!

Sister Christian said...

1997:

cold heartless deep blue
pulling no punches, pounding
garry kasparov

-----

2011:

"slip'ry customer!"
is what you get called if you
challenge your old gran

Gerimi said...

From a gilded square
the Knight covets his King’s Bride
She who rules the board
###

Plot devious schemes
that crumble as pawns rebel
Checkmate ensnares us

Cathryn Leigh said...

E A Sports... it's in the Game...

pkay now that I haev that out... sorry watched my hubby play their hockey game too much, now he does it for real. On to the Haiku (heh I think I can spell that without thinking now)


Haiku

You say strip poker
But knowing our intelect
Let us play strip chess

I'm geeky inside
On the Linolium floor
I move like a Knight

The first on is dedicated to Greg, there is a movie called Chess. And yes I have done what is described in the second one :}

Iron Bess said...

@Marc...I love, love, love your first haiku.
@Greg...most excellent. Love the Karpov/Fisher reference.
@Writebite...you nailed the game.
@Krystin...reminds me of KungFu for some reason.
@David...yup, I have felt that way many times before.
@Grond...to me it feels like a western. I can just see Clint as a king.
@Cathryn...strip chess, love it!

Here is mine

I was crowned a queen
During an epic war game.
I mated then killed.

The game mimics life,
Now the bishop says check please,
Then runs from danger.

Marc said...

Greg - yeah... we might have gotten in a bit of trouble for it :P

I'll second Krystin... I can't believe chess boxing is an actual thing. That's amazing.

Writebite - two excellent haiku :)

Krystin - very nicely done!

And, well, I posted on Tuesday... my time, at least :)

David - your first made me laugh, the second I could relate to :D

Grondzilla - wonderfully vivid imagery.

Morganna - really captures that feeling at the start of a game.

Sister Christian - love the contrast between your haiku, so much life and vitality in the second compared to the mechanical, emotionless in the first.

Oh, and welcome to the blog!

Gerimi - two great haiku, particularly the first from the knight's point of view.

And a warm welcome to the blog to you as well :)

Elor - shudder. That damned voice... whoever that is must be silly rich.

Haha, I could picture you in the second - that's totally something I would do.

Iron Bess - thank you!

Some real animal kingdom'ness going on in that first haiku - great stuff :)