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Whenever you find yourself at a village or church holiday in Vietnam, you get an interesting opportunity to watch the national game - human chess ("cờ người"), which is a favorite of most Vietnamese.
Human chess is a type of chess in which people play the roles of various chess pieces (king, knight, bishop, etc.). Usually this game takes place in an open-air field with squares of a board drawn on the grass. The move, as a result of which the figure is taken, is accompanied by a choreographic battle, which clearly demonstrates the capture of the figure.
Vietnamese human chess is played according to the rules of Chinese chess. The game looks like Western chess, but with different board sizes and different pieces (such as guns and governors), each marked with a different Chinese character. 32 people participate in the game: one team consists of 16 boys, and the other - of 16 girls... The teams differ from each other in the color of their clothes. The chessboard is painted on a flat surface. Village festivals typically play on either the front yard of a pagoda or community house, or a nearby field. The organizers select the players and the referee in advance. All participants must be children from reputable families. The referee and the two commanders must be from wealthy families so that they can treat their players to food. When the selection is over, the judge calls all 32 participants, selects costumes and teaches each player to move like a chess piece. In hot sunny weather, players will be allowed to sit on chairs and wear hats. They either wear stripes with the Chinese names of their figures, or they hold special pillars with hieroglyphs in their hands. The commanders are dressed in traditional costumes. The two opponents controlling the pieces sit in their places outside the board.
When playing human chess, a noisy atmosphere often prevails. Many people gather in the early morning and wait for the start. Three strikes on the drum are usually announced about this event, after which two players in national Vietnamese costumes appear and take their places on two high platforms in front of the chess pieces. The first player starts the game with a shout and the first chess piece leaves its position by performing martial arts techniques before reaching the next square of the chessboard... When the second player's turn comes, he also shouts his move and his chess piece begins to move, performing beautiful martial arts moves. This is how they take turns playing the game. If one of them has lost a piece, then it must leave the chessboard. During a good performance, the audience solemnly applauds, inspiring living figures to show their skills as much as possible. After about two hours, the game of human chess ends. However, spectators often do not want to go home and ask the organizers to continue playing.
The holiday "Vietnamese family day" is approaching and human chess is often held on this occasion. Why don't you get involved and enjoy the warm atmosphere? You will be surprised by the serenity and sophistication of the game, which sets it apart from most of the games played at festivals.
