The smell of falafel wafts from Anatolia’s as someone yells, “Check mate!” Not even freezing temperatures can postpone the psychological warfare at Woodruff Park.
Many people walk by Woodruff Park on a daily basis, hardly noticing the cult-like community engrossed in elaborate chess matches. Names are called, pride is lost and minds expand at the boards found on the western end of Woodruff Park. Regulars at the park favor the stiff competition and competitive atmosphere that accompanies the beautiful backdrop of downtown Atlanta. Jack, a familiar face at Woodruff, is no newbie to the competition.
“Everybody knows Woodruff has the best chess players in town,” Jack said. “You come here to get the best competition and play against some of the best minds.”
Frequent competitor Rodney agreed.
“The competition here is upper level,” Rodney said. “There is a high level of expertise on behalf of pretty much everyone here. A lot of the guys out here have been playing for decades, so it gets real serious.”
Jack is a self-taught 20-year chess player. He enjoys chess for the existential experience it provides.
“I love the out-of-mind and out-of-body experience you get playing chess. With the types of people that come out here, you literally have to focus on the board and give it your complete attention. All of you becomes devoted to one small area. It’s great,” Jack said.
Other locals like James Magnum not only enjoy the feeling that comes from playing but also the productivity it ensures.
“It’s just something great to do. It gives me somewhere to go on a regular basis, and keeps my mind positive.”
Magnum said he enjoys the environment at Woodruff Park not only because of the competition but also because of the different minds with whom he surrounds himself.
“I like being around different personalities. I’ve learned to appreciate different types of people because of jobs in the past, so interacting with different personality types is a pleasure for me.”
“I’ve made some great friends out here playing,” Jack agreed. “You can learn a lot from someone over a quick game.”
Although Jack enjoys the physical feeling of the game, Rodney, a thirty-year veteran to the game, claims it is a little deeper than that.
“There’s no chance to the game,” Rodney said. “You either win or lose by strategy, and that’s what’s great about it. Your level of expertise determines your success.”
Although Rodney loves the gentleman’s game, he explains that there is a level of difficulty that comes to playing the game as well.
“If you’re just freestyling it, the hardest thing is finding an opening on the board,” Rodney said. “If you study the game and watch the board, it’s more so the timing of certain moves that can become tortuous. It’s strategic.”
Jack agreed with Rodney, crediting the difficulty of the game to complicated mental formulas for movement, as well as playing with strategies unique to each opponent. Magnum feels that the trouble lies in a simpler issue.
“It’s all about concentration,” Jack said. “You can’t be in and out of the board. You won’t play your best if your mind is wandering into different places, but you still have to remember to balance that with having fun.”
The players believe that the game is synonymous with life. The chess board mirrors life in a multitude of ways.
“Chess reminds you of life at every moment,” Jack said. “You need to be aware of the strategies you use to maneuver through life, just as you do the chess board.”
“If you haven’t been through anything and you don’t study the game, you’ll never find yourself successful,” Rodney said. “Mental victories are extremely crucial to life, but you have to balance them with humility. Just like on the board.”
