| Not at all. Genuine observation. My last game of chess was three weeks ago and I lost. This was after a 3-4 year break from the game as my chess buddy moved out of town. I know what it is to be rusty! Due to an increase in world population it can be pedantically argued that chess is more popular now than it ever has been. However, when The Turk existed people did not have video games to play. People had to make do with board games including chess. People also played card games such as Bridge, a game that is practically extinct in the current era. A different level of concentration is required to play chess than that required for Fortnite, Candy Crush, Forza Horizon and other popular titles. Nowadays most people do not know how good their friends are at chess, in previous times people did know who was worth playing and who was not worth playing. Everyone from the Baby Boomer generation should have some knowledge of chess as it was part of growing up, it is what people did at some stage of education if you were in the 'top sets'. However, playing chess at school or even university is a long time ago for Baby Boomer vintage politicians. Knowing how to play the game fifty years ago is not the same as being able to play today. Bill Clinton is from a generation ago, he is not a current politician. As for Obama I am sure he can play chess but in his photo opportunities he spent his time playing golf, not chess. I am sure he knows the rules of the game and can play extremely competitively, however I doubt that he would be queuing up to take on The Turk or today's IBM chess monster equivalent. So in today's crop of Western leaders there is The Donald. Casinos and golf, not chess. I am struggling to think of anyone in UK politics that is known for playing chess. It is not in their culture. David Cameron playing Candy Crush, that was a thing though. As for Russia, the home of the game, Putin is not known for playing chess. He is known for judo, horse riding and many sports, not chess. I doubt you would have to go very far in his cabinet to find sharp players though. You read in the Wikipedia page about how many powerful leaders sought out a game with the Turk. I am not politician bashing at all by my comment that the world has changed and that I can't imagine the current crop of Western leaders queuing up to take on The Turk. |
I think it's the image Putin wants to project, as a man of action, not an intellectual.