Goin' Down the Road

[John Torrie]

I’m doing a roundabout to Toronto. Last August in Toronto I played a few entertaining blitz games in the church park on the corner of Queen and Church St., and gave a few copies of The Saint John Chess Player to the players who were gathered about. I’ve also played a few games on a table in front of city hall. Are there any other outside places where chess is played or pub in the Downtown Toronto area where players frequent? I’m bringing some extra copies with me.

[Thomas Bean]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

... Are there any other outside places where chess is played or pub in the Downtown Toronto area where players frequent? ....

I gather from reading another recent post that there is a new Toronto-based chess organization that may, as a result of not actually booking advertised facilities, need to hold pending chess events outdoors....

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

There is also Pub Chess Toronto. I haven't seen any publicity about it recently on Chesstalk, and their website has expired. It was meeting every Wednesday night at the Madison Pub, 14 Madison Ave. (near Spadina subway). Toronto players would know more about its status than me.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

Pub chess is still going on Weds near Spadina subway and also Sats at bar across from the Islington subway.

On Monday nights at the Annex Chess Club near Bathurst subway there's both slow and casual games.

[John Torrie]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

The trip to Toronto was just a quick spin around. Saw a group of people wearing multiple layers of clothing gathered by the tables on Queen and Church. No games in progress or pieces in sight. Perhaps they were warming up for a contest. The tables in front of City Hall were only visited by the pigeons. One table was missing half the squares. The chess repair team has their work cut out for them there: bring cleaning supplies, dark and light squared-to-size ceramic tiles and grout. The library attendant at City Hall accepted a few copies of the Saint John Chess Player, but advised me she would have to okay it with her supervisor before she could put them out. I figured what the hell; at least we get one reader. At other libraries, like a farmer spreading seed, I skipped the ‘ask for permission’ phase and just left a copy here and there on reading tables.
Monday the 3th. I only have an hour to visit the Annex chess club. Park half way up on Brunswick – the fact it is ‘Brunswick’ I consider a good sign – then walk down to Bloor, over to Bathurst, then way and way up Bathurst. I should have crossed over from Brunswick, but I didn’t know. I consider this a bad sign. Finally get there, end up in the basement, directed to the top floor and meet Mr Wenick (sp?) coming out the door. I tell him who I am; he tells me who he is. Turns out he is the founder of something like The Chess Federation of Canada, wants to bring chess to all the children, has an active club and membership with multiple programs and visiting celebrities. He’s a forceful personality, a man on a mission. I’m a man on a mission also. I give him several copies of the Saint John Chess Player to pass around, then say hello and shake hands with a couple of lead instructors, then say I gotta run, and head out the door.
Tuesday the 4th. It is a day of relaxation. Visit the messiest book store in Toronto on Dundas in the Junction. Have a good rant about chess with the owner and a patron who happens to live on St. John Ave nearby. I consider this a good sign. Give them copies. Owner tells a couple of chess jokes – the one with the dog playing chess that everyone knows, and another. “Why don’t you take a chess player to a restaurant?” He has no money, perhaps. “No, aside from that, the last time I did the tables had a checkered pattern. When I asked for the salt it took him an hour to maneuver it over to me.”
Bought a three dollar copy of Beckett’s absurd Endgame play because of the name and price, and Brunner’s sci-fi People Player because of the chess picture on the cover. Squares of the City I tracked down in ….well that’s another story. Sorry I missed the Madison. This was not a drinking trip.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

....The tables in front of City Hall were only visited by the pigeons. One table was missing half the squares. The chess repair team has their work cut out for them there: bring cleaning supplies, dark and light squared-to-size ceramic tiles and grout. ...

Hey, Neil Frarey aka Mr. C. .... you want to win an election, get to work!

Yeah, ok, fix the missing board squares.... but above all, TEACH THE PIGEONS TO PLAY CHESS! :D:D:D

[John Torrie]

Re: Goin' Down the Road

I considered adding to your humor by claiming that I had captured a Toronto city hall pigeon and brought it to Saint John where I attached an opening move to its leg, let’s say 1.e4, assuming that the pigeon would make its way back home. Then I wondered if carrier pigeons were ever used for chess games… perhaps between kings of state or the like… before telegraph and all… maybe just between castles within sight of each other. Let’s add a prisoner in a donjon, instead of a king of state. Not the basement donjon, the tower donjon. Now we got a short story and a chess game on the go, sort of like Charles Stubb’s traveling Tramp Game, only with a twist. This is far better than Beckett’s Endgame let me tell you – I’ve read it.

Now it’s up to you, add a scene and a move and pass it on to anyone you like. Then it’s their turn. The original conditions of the ‘Tramp’ or the travelling game was that it would be returned to the sender when the last person to play claimed a win with their move. In this case they must also finish the story.

Care to play? 1.e4 being sent by carrier pigeon from the donjon in the distance. Your move.

All participants will receive a free copy of the ‘Stubbs Tramp’ article in The Saint John Chess Player upon completion of a move. Email: chesscircular@hotmail.com