Human Chess - A Unique Highlight in Spring Festivals

Every time Tet comes, all over the country, there is a bustling atmosphere with folk games with unique characteristics of each ethnic region. And one of the special and outstanding highlights taking place during the holidays of Vietnam is Human Chess - a game that is not only for entertainment but also full of sportsmanship, intelligence and rich in Vietnamese national identity.

This unique sport originated in the Northern Delta, and has now been widely developed in villages and communes across the country. Human chess is a form of intellectual competition, an intellectual sport that clearly demonstrates the collective nature and responsibility of the commander. With the nature of a chess game with chess pieces played by people, this is a folk game full of humanity, imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, expressing community culture.

According to northern culture, the process of human chess is marked by the imprint of folk art forms through unique traditional dances combined with the sounds of gongs and folk songs. The chessboard is chosen to be a large ground or a yard at a communal house or pagoda. Each chessboard must have 32 pieces, including 16 men and 16 women, who are young men and women selected from well-behaved families and are loved and respected by the villagers. Among them, the male and female generals will be the ones with the most beautiful and outstanding appearance among the 32 chess pieces. In addition to the 32 players in the chessboard, human chess cannot lack the 33rd person, the chess master, that is, the referee of the chessboard. This is the person who directly helps the jury monitor the wins and losses of the chess match.

The chess pieces are usually dressed in colorful clothes with the symbols of the pieces they play embroidered on the front and back of the shirt to make it easy to distinguish and for the audience to follow the progress of the game. According to the rules, the player holding the red pieces goes first, then the black pieces, and in turn until the end. Each time a player makes a move, he knocks once. The runner comes to listen to the command and moves the pieces on the field.

The principles of moving the pieces are horse, elephant, chariot, and cannon. When entering the game, one must be calm, alert, and proactive, not distracted by the opinions and views of the audience. When making a move, one must plan ahead 2 or 3 moves to avoid being surprised by one's opponent. Thus, Human Chess takes place in the jubilant atmosphere of the festival. Every time the opponent's piece is captured, the chess piece performs a duel or a self-defense performance. The "chess pieces" must undergo long and arduous training because the moves performed are not easy.

Unlike the bustling, jubilant atmosphere of sports such as football, volleyball or wrestling, playing human chess often attracts a large number of spectators, but everyone tries to keep quiet so that the players are not distracted. The commentators are not allowed to speak first, only when the chess pieces have moved will they comment on the moves and intentions of each team. During the entire match, along with the moves in each team's military strategy, everyone will be immersed in the bustling sounds of gongs and drums. Flags, hammocks and parasols fluttering in the rosy spring sunshine, along with the crowns and robes of the "three armies of generals and soldiers" have revived the image of the feudal court.

The most exciting part of human chess is definitely the endgame. At this point, the position of the “chess pieces” is also the most fierce and intense. The battle of wits becomes even more intense when each move is urged by the drum. If the chess piece has not yet moved, the main drum outside will urge it again. The side whose king is checkmated loses. Therefore, the leader must be truly calm and alert to bring victory to his team.

Human chess is beautiful in its simplicity and sophistication, calmness and boldness of the nation's heroic traditions. For that reason, this folk game is often not attractive from the beginning but it often absorbs slowly, making viewers have to focus on watching, unable to miss any details. And perhaps, because of those characteristics, human chess has become an elegant pastime in every holiday of the Vietnamese people. Not only is it a traditional folk game, human chess has created an interesting highlight and bold rustic features of the Vietnamese countryside in the jubilant atmosphere of spring in all parts of the country.

Through the ups and downs of time and history, human chess has always maintained its distinctive spirit with the traditional beauty of an intellectual folk game. This is an opportunity for each player to relive the glorious battles in history with pride in the glorious feats of the nation. The elegance and deep traditional meaning make this folk game have a lasting vitality in life, connecting the hope of many good things to come in the new year, bringing faith and happiness to everyone.

According to Dulich.vn