What Are You Willing to Sacrifice in Chess and Life?

Scene where Larry Fishburne's character "Vinny" plays a young Josh Waitzkin in Searching for Bobby Fischer


You're dealing with a king not a kong out here/ You're a pawn, but we can get along out here!

- Jidenna, Chief Don't Run

These days mainstream TV has been pushing a lot of chess on the screen. Television shows like Fresh Off The Boat, Luke Cage and The Get Down all made chess references in the last two seasons. My boy Mike Relm even called me to tell me the movie Get Out had some references to chess and mma in it.

While a lot of popular players inside chess like to talk about the likeness of chess to life, very few of them are able to share consistent connections. It also hard to do it effectively and consistently. We all know it makes sense to make better decisions in our life. We all want to. Many of us struggle to. However, looking at the life of chess players like Paul Morphy or Bobby Fischer (who both went insane) or others like Mikhail Tal (who was an amazing thinker but was not the best at taking care of his health) make it hard to argue that playing chess alone ensures a good life ahead.

Nevertheless, American chess icon Josh Waitzkin's’ The Art of Learning is one of the best testaments to the relationship between life and chess. It makes looking at the way one can incorporate chess themes in your life digestible. This is important. Especially for someone like me, who is not a world class chess player.

The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) is one of the only organizations dedicated to the chess and life strategies theme. We were founded on the idea to keep the connections between life and chess easy to understand and share with casual players.

One of my favorite examples of chess and life is found in the classic game from 1858 by American chess legend Paul Morphy in his game against Count Isouard and The Duke of New Brunswick called “The Opera House Massacre.” It was played in Paris at an Opera House. The Count and The Duke took turns moving the black pieces.

Move 12 for black is a pivotal point in the game. I always ask my kids (almost all of them beginners) who is stronger between white and black. I often get the response that black is stronger. My thought is that black is a better defender of their king, but they have zero active attacks going on. Meanwhile, white has more pieces active in the battlefield. In chess as in boxing, good defense is important, but it is equally important to making sure you have deliberate attacks happening as often as possible.

Moves 16 shows white running the queen to the back rank.  It looks like checkmate at a glance. That is only because many beginners forget to use their knights laterally. They tend to only move them forward and back. These two images are so crucial tactically and philosophically for us in HHCF. We talk about the importance of two things:

1) Morphy had clarity of vision. He saw the truth in the positions he played. One of the biggest problems in life is trusting yourself. Before many of us make a decision, we ask a friend or two “Is this a good idea?” Sometimes they agree, other times they don’t. Other times the response from friends is mixed. Very few of us can laser in on what we see and act from a place of inner conviction. Chess helps us teach ourselves to trust in the reality of what we see. It helps us form a habit of taking the best actions based off of that clarity of vision. One of the best ways to really make a habit of knowing if it IS what it looks like it is- is to play chess.

2) Sacrifice. The word sacrifice is defined as “destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.”  Sacrifice  is something you must give up or risk- for a greater good (we hope). We have to recognize though that anything you sacrifice is only worth it, if you win! So then let’s ask, “Where are the sacrifices we need to make to achieve our life goals?” Ask anybody (but especially kids) what they want to be, or do, and you get a lot of passionate responses.

Right now, there is a kid on a football team. Let us call him Rashad. If  is truly a top tier player he is spending a ton of time in the gym, studying his playbook, studying film, working hard to make sure his grades are up to par so there is no question about his eligibility. The entire time that is happening Rashad is missing out on school parties, on trips to the amusement park, on online shenanigans etc. Over the course of his high school journey, there are many social events he misses out on.

However, in senior year we see he gets a full football scholarship to a top tier university. Everyone at the school is so excited.  Very few of his fellow students, friends or family realize the years of sacrifice it took to get that opportunity to come to life. “Rashad is so lucky!” they say. Never considering all the years of study and effort it took to get “lucky”.

The question for my class (and my question for you today) is what is the queen sacrifice in your life right now? The queen is powerful, dynamic and brings terror to her opponents on sight. No person lightly gives her away. One only sacrifices her, if they are clear that victory is sure. Training yourself to be willing to let go of the queen is so hard. Few of us can do it. I wrestle with it often. But it must be done.

As on the board, so in life. Next time you are thinking or talking about anything major that you want to accomplish. Think about the last three big things you did to actualize that goal. If it is diet related, don’t lie to yourself about the cookies you snuck in last night. If it is financial, don’t forgive yourself for for spending money you could have saved on shoes.

Look for the hard sacrifices you need to make. Look at your personal goals and work to consistently make the sacrifices needed. If you are not making the sacrifices you may be unclear on what you want and why. Look into that. If you are afraid to give everything to get what you want then don’t complain. Until you are ready to put it all on the line you will never reach the level you say you seek. Enjoy your games.

Watch the entire Opera House Massacre played out here: https://www.chess.com/blog/Boogalicious/morphys-opera-house-game

HHCF Jiu-Jitsu Team Wins BIG at US Open in Santa Cruz !!

What a weekend. I don't even know where to start. I guess I will start by thanking all of the HHCF Jiu-jitsu team members and their families for supporting us at the US Open this weekend in Santa Cruz, CA. I also want to thank Alan "Gumby" Marques and all of the Heroes Martial Arts Family for all their brotherhood and sisterhood. I also have to thank the Deus Fight family for designing the only Official HHCF jiu-jitsu gi (The Oakland gi) and donating the uniforms to our team. Please buy one today.

OK.....

I could give you all the back story but I won't. The thing I will say is that when I launched the HHCF Jiu-Jitsu and Chess program I did not expect this. I hoped for things like this, but really, it was beyond what I envisioned.

My first student Forrest AKA Batman walked onto the mats. He came to my school with encouragement from his father and his sister. He had previously been at HHCF Summer camps, but had never done anything like jiu-jitsu. Forrest is a super quiet kid. Till this day, I have never heard him yell. He always had high character and was always respectful. However he was also very mild. Some might say too might. He was never bullied, but, nobody wanted to see that happen.

What he lacked in vocal tone he made up for in focus and effort. In between time, I worked on his mind using books like Josh Waitzkin's The Art of Learning. I want to thank Josh personally and everyone at the JW Foundation for donating books to our class. With training from myself, HHCF's wrestling coach Andrew Swank and our other jiu-jitsu coach Sammy Teame Batman took home second place. I gave him the nickname Batman because Batman has no super powers. He works hard and he knows HE has enough inside of himself to win. Forrest is the same way.

WATCH his first match here:

He won his first in less than 2 min (virtual textbook win) and losing his second match just before the buzzer. The second match was dynamic from front to back, but I  don't have it on film. When I asked him what match he liked he smiled and said the second- because of the back and forth.

 4 out of 5 of our athletes took home medals.

Batman WINS....This is not a movie. It is real. 

BillyRay aka Megatron took 2nd in his division and 1st in open weight div. 

                                           Bryan wins GOLD in his division. Fight with heart and technique.

                                          Pete was dominant in his first match. Most scores in jiu-jitsu are single digit, like a soccer game. This guy not only racked up 24 points but he secured an armlock with ONE SECOND on the clock. Electric. He went on to submit two more opponents after scoring big but lost in the semi finals. He walked away with a bronze. It was unreal.

                                         One of our guys was DQ'ed for doing an illegal choke in his first match. I take responsibility for that. He thought the choke was legal. I assure you he will be crushing the competition in tournaments to come. I too will be back in the mats in the next month or so. I'm thankful to all our supporters. I also want to thank the coaches from all the teams that make up the HHCF Jiu-Jitsu team. Fighters from Heroes, Team Silva BJJ, Smash Gyms, Mauricio Alonso, KOA Martial Arts and others have united to support the cause of nonviolence and peace through martial arts, chess and Hip-Hop. There was a time in the bay when all of our schools would never support one another. Now through embracing the unity in our diversity, we stand as champions together.

If you would like for your son or daughter to be part of the HHCF Jiu-Jitsu team please sign them up today at www.hiphopchess.com 

HHCF Philosophy: A Technical Flow: Chess and Jiu Jitsu

A Technical Flow: Chess and Jiu Jitsu

By: Adisa Banjoko

 

 

On the mat I battle cats, the same way I’ll take your back/  A strategized a plan of attack- Kalhi  A Technical Flow

zug·zwang

   [tsook-tsvahng] A noun

In chess a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost pieces or have a damaging positional effect.

For many years people have discussed the connections between chess and martial arts. I’ve been a casual student of chess and jiu jitsu for a while and I have seen many overlapping themes. My earliest memory of the correlation is watching Rickson and Royler Gracie play chess before one of Rickson’s matches in the movie Choke. In recent years we have seen the emergence of the Checkmat team (known for being very aggressive and strategic in competition) and recently an instagram photo of champions Roger and Kyra Gracie playing chess in their gi’s popped up on the net. If that was not enough, jiu jitsu clothing brand CTRL Industries has dropped a limited edition set of gi’s named after chess pieces. “The Rook” and “The Knight” have gained a lot of internet buzz among jiu jitsu players online. Little by little the connections seem deeper and more authentic.

In his book Black Belt Techniques, Jean Jacques Machado wrote “As in a game of chess, you don’t simply concentrate on taking one piece; all your moves contribute to an overall plan. An advanced student already has engraved in his mind a set of positions, along with the natural reactions that these positions will induce in his opponent.”  

I train at Heroes Martial Arts in San Jose, CA. Its a very cool school. I don’t say that from a place of arrogance. We have some tough dudes there. Some world champions, some national champions and some unknown, ridiculously rugged folks on that mat.

Our head instructor Alan “Gumby” Marques is pretty amazing. He’s a quiet dude. Very deep intellectually and technically. He never says or does anything more than he needs to. I don’t say that lightly, to suggest he’s lazy.

On the contrary he’s got a serious work ethic. One so big that when his instructor Ralph “The Pitbull” Gracie handed him a black belt...it was the one on Ralphs waist, that he handed to Gumby.

On your first day of class at Heroes, you’ll be taught the essence of what Gumby thinks jiu jitsu is about, and life: Safety, Position, Finish.

That’s it. Sounds so simple but it's so complex.

Essentially Gumby feels your first job in any conflict is safety. Get yourself safe from whatever is coming at you. After that, do what you must to improve your position. It can be a quick substantial movement, or it can be in incremental inches. Once you have achieved the best possible position, end the conflict by finishing them. In jiu jitsu, it would be a submission hold ( a choke, armlock, wristlock, kneelock, footlock etc.). On the chessboard, its checkmate in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Gumby believes that this method is what’s best on the mat, in the boardroom, on the chessboard etc. No matter your conflict, you can use the “filter” of safety, position, finish to assess, re-evaluate and elevate your situation with great clarity of mind and purpose. Its so beautiful, I believe it shines brightly in the shadow of military minds like Sun Tzu and Machiavelli.

So much of what we learn about jiu jitsu is related to the chess theme known as Zug zwang. I first learned of this going through the Chessmaster game in the Josh Waitzkin academy. For those unfamiliar with the term, Zugzwang means to put your opponent in positions that force them to make positionally or materially worse position again and again until there is nothing left.

In jiu jitsu, one of the most ideal positions is called The Mount. I’m not really sure who “discovered” the immense value this position, but Carlos and Helio Gracie (founders of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu system) created an entire methodology  based on its importance.  From this position you are pinning your opponent with your hips, and arms (kind of like the skirmishes you might have gotten into with your older brother or sister. Once there you can change the pressure on the chest and the belly. You can threaten the neck with chokes or torque the shoulder. Or, you can just smother your opponent with clean movements until panic sets in and they move right into another position called The Back Mount which essentially assured almost no effective defensive responses. At that point a choke called “The Lion Killer” is applied and the match is over.

 

 

This video of Helio Gracie’s grandsons Rener and Ralek Gracie is a clear illustration of zugzwang elements within the jiu jitsu methodology.

I caught up with Josh Waitzkin,  the American chess icon and Black Belt in jiu jitsu under Marcelo Garcia . I asked him about zugzwang. He told me “A lot of heavy guard passes play on this principle. Fabio Gurgel [legendary BJJ fighter and coach] embodies it hugely. In chess, the dynamics of "opposition" with king and pawn vs king are the easiest way to help people understand it. Adding  “King  and pawn vs pawn positions are mutual zugzwang.”

Rey Diogo Black Belt Oliver Reich says he sees the connected themes of zugzwang and jiu jitsu as well. “When guard passing leads to positional control,  guiding their opponent  into chained submission attacks- its almost identical to zugzwang.”

Observe Henry Akins perspective on guard passing. The positional shutdown illustrated here screams zugzwang to me.

As much as I love chess, I’m nowhere near a master level of playing. I needed to talk to someone who could help me drill down a bit on the concept. I called Dr. Daaim Shabazz, founder of the chess news and culture  website The Chess Drum to ask him his thoughts on zugzwang.

“Seeing zugzwang emerge in a chess game takes quite a bit of understanding and experience” said Dr. Shabazz. “Many world-class players can see certain patterns emerging that restrict an opponent’s options. It may be capturing control of squares or restricting the opponents ability to execute their own plans. In jiu jitsu you have many of these scenarios where submissions are set up because the opponent no longer has any viable options to escape. “

“Thus it is not the submission itself that is the focus, but the way it is set up. In chess, it is similar. The process of restricting an opponent until they cannot move any pieces is an intricate one and one that totally demoralizes the other player. Usually when the player is suffocating, they will try to break free all of a sudden. In chess, as well as jiu jitsu, this is a mistake since that person leaves themselves exposed while trying a sudden tactic or escape. However, in chess it is also easy lose concentration and allow an opponent to escape from your vice grip and turn the tables. Sun Tzu taught that you should always provide an opening for an opponent so that they will not fight so ferociously. However, in zugzwang, the opening also leads to an immediate loss.”

To share a clearer idea of how this plays out positionally in chess, Dr. Shabazz gave a great example.

“I recall former World Champion Garry Kasparov playing the computer Deep Blue (developed by IBM) in 1996. In this game, Kasparov developed a lasting space advantage with a simple opening called the Reti. In those days, you could play positionally and watch the computers go astray because they lacked deep positional understanding. Slowly, but surely, Kasparov continued to grab more and more space from the computer. It is like being in a dominant position in a grappling sport. He then closed the position giving the computer fewer options, but appeared to give the computer a way out by sacrificing a pawn. However, this sacrifice gave Kasparov an even tighter grip on the position. In the final position, the Deep Blue team resigned since the computer had absolutely no moves, yet many pieces were still on the board! “

WATCH HOW THE GAME PLAYED OUT:

http://www.thechessdrum.net/palview/Kasparov-DeepBlue.htm

Of the many similarities between chess and martial arts, specifically jiu jitsu I find this to be the most profound. Zugzwang is always masking itself. On the board a seemingly silly blunder by your opponent incites you to quickly snatch up a knight- only to find the horror of a discovered check. Prepositioned pawns and bishops cut the board off, giving the king little room to breath. Its almost as if your opponent is saying “I am everywhere.” That discovered check soon walks the king slowly to the gallows- zugzwang.  

Daaim trains in Capoeira but his understanding of chess and jiu jitsu methodologies make him sound like a seasoned guy on the mat. “The ability to create a zugzwang takes positional understanding, knowledge of opponent’s tendencies and excellent planning. These skills are developed by a depth in the understanding of the middlegame where advantages are lost or gained. This is also where one’s wealth of experience comes in. Again zugzwang maneuvers are rare in chess and often occur in the endgame, but when they do occur in the middlegame, they are instructive since it usually shows complete mastery over an opponent.”

The first step in developing zugzwang is really just doing one move checkmate chess puzzles that help you see the reality of the situation for what it is. This is clearly a benefit of chess that helps martial artists as well as average citizens. Once the reality of the situation is clear, you can then observe and innovate on the potential future in the game,a jiu jitsu match or your life in general.

RZA from Wu-Tang Clan is one of Hip-Hop’s most talked about chess players. He writes about the many connections between chess and life in his book,The Wu-Manual. I’ve played him and lost twice. Most recently we played at the Rock The Bells tour when it came to The Bay Area. The thing I noticed about his game this: He sees a greater potential threat in your moves before you do. He slowly cuts them off. By the time you realize what could have happened, you’re immobile. Its almost like for him zugzwang is in play from the first move. Reminds me of rolling with my instructor, Gumby. Its impressive.

The clarity of mind that comes from doing one move checkmate puzzles is how I try to cultivate my eye for zugzwang. I get the most fun reading Eric Schillers One Move Checkmates or Play Like A Girl, by Jen Shahade.  A few times a year or so I test my “chessvision” with those books . Another great one is the Chessmaster video game puzzles.  You think you see all the entries and exits that are blocked for the king and its not there. You try to move the bishop when its the rook that gets it done. You over think the position and try to smash with the queen when its the pawn that lands the final blow. That last scenario is so crucial to understand. Its why my instructors personal way of always using exactly the right amount of effort for any job is so mind blowing. The Confucian teachers from the Ming dynasty had a quote that resonates with me when I think of those situations. “To go too far, is just as bad as not going far enough.” Focused effort, the right tools for the job, proper planning, zugzwang.

Adisa Banjoko is the founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. He holds a purple belt at Heroes Martial Arts in San Jose, CA. For more information visit www.facebook.com/hiphopchess

Lost footage from HHCF event feat. RZA, Rakaa, Josh Waitzkin and more...

OK, so I just stumbled on this, and it was a cool thing to find. This was one of the HHCF's early events. A lot of people shot, it but I lost contact with all of them. Anyway, check these two clips out. You will see RZA, Josh Waitzkin and a few others in the shots. Looking forward to the upcoming events made me look around at some of the past ones so I can get super exited.

HHCF Documentary Trailer: Checkmates

CheckmatesDoc from J.P. Garzone on Vimeo.

We expect this to be out in 2013. It has begun...We will not be stopped...All fates have changed.

In The Shadow of Sun Tzu, Chess & Jiu Jitsu

I train at Heroes Martial Arts in San Jose, CA. Its a very cool school. I don’t say that from a place of arrogance. We have some tough dudes there. Some true champions, some national champions and some unknown, ridiculous rugged folks on that mat.


Our head instructor Alan “Gumby” Marques is pretty amazing. He’s a quiet dude. Very deep intellectually and technically. He never says or does anything more than he needs to. I don’t say that lightly to suggest he’s lazy.


On the contrary he’s got a serious work ethic. One so big that when his instructor Ralph “The Pitbull” Gracie handed him a black belt...it was the one Ralph took off his waist, that he handed to Gumby.

On your first day of class at Heroes, you’ll be taught the essence of what Gumby things jiu jitsu is about, and life: Safety, Position, Finish.


That's it.


Sounds so simple but its so complex.


Essentially Gumby feels your first job in any conflict is safety. Get yourself safe from whatever is coming at you. After that, do what you must to improve your position. It can be a quick substantial movement, or it can me in incremental inches. Once you have achieved the best possible position, end the conflict by finishing them. In jiu jitsu, it would be a submission hold ( a choke, armlock, wristlock, kneelock, footlock etc.). On the chessboard, its checkmate in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.


Gumby believes that this method is whats best on the mat, in the boardroom, on the chessboard etc. No matter your conflict, you can use the “filter” of safety, position, finish to assess, reevaluate and elevate your situation with great clarity of mind and purpose. Its so beautiful, I believe it shines brightly in the shadow of military minds like Sun Tzu and Machiavelli.


One of the clearest connections between jiu jitsu and chess is a chess theme called zugzwang. It's a German word, made specifically for the game of chess.  It means "move compulsion". I first learned of this going through the Ubisoft Chessmaster game in the Josh Waitzkin academy. For those unfamiliar with the term, zugzwang is when you place your opponent in positions that force them into positionally or materially worse positions, irrespective of what move they choose. Each move leaves them worse for the ware until there is nothing left but the checkmate.




In jiu jitsu, one of the most ideal positions is called The Mount. I’m not really sure who “discovered” the power in this position, but Helio Gracie (founder of the Gracie Jiu Jitsusystem) created an entire methodology  based on its importance.  From this position you are pinning your opponent with your hips, and arms (kind of like the skirmishes you might have gotten into with your older brother or sister. Once there you can change the pressure on the chest and the belly. You can threaten the neck with chokes or torque the shoulder. Or, you can just smother your opponent with pressure and clean movements until panic sets in. The onset of panic forces them to make mistakes. Most often they move right into another position called The Back Mount. Now the opponent is not facing you, your chest is on their back. Your legs hook their lower torso and your arms clasp the upper torso. From the Back Mount, there are a limited set of effective defense responses from the opponent. At that point a choke called “The Lion Killer” is most often applied and the match is over.



Of the many similarities discussed between chess and martial arts, specifically jiu jitsu I find zugzwang to be the most profound. But even more profound is how zugzwang can be masked by different players. Especially according to their psychology. A seemingly silly blunder by your opponent incites you to quickly snatch up a knight. Now you discover the horror of a discovered check as a penalty for your lack of observation. That discovered check soon unveils a series of checks. Soon we see the king escorted slowly to the gallows- zugzwang.  



The first step in developing zugzwang is really just doing one move checkmate puzzles that help you see the reality of the situation for what it is. In jiu jitsu it would be studying the nuances of a cross choke form the mount to ensure all the elements of your base are in tact, the depth of the choke is proper etc. This is clearly a benefit of chess that helps martial artists as well as average citizens.

The clarity of mind that comes from doing one move checkmates is almost unreal. You think you see all the entries and exits that are blocked for the king but the mate is not there. On the mat you squeeze with all your might but the wrist position is off. You try to move the bishop when its the rook that gets it done. You might apply the choke with all your might but give no regard to the placement of your feet- allowing him to escape. You over think the position on the board and try to smash with the queen when its the pawn that lands the final blow.

That last scenario is so crucial to understand. Its why my instructors personal way of always using exactly the right amount of effort for any job is so mind blowing. Not as much a mind blowing idea, but a mind blowing function in reality.  The Confucian teachers from the Ming dynasty had a quote that resonates with me when I think of those situations. “To go too far, is just as bad as not going far enough.” Balanced effort, the right tools for the job, proper planning, zugzwang- learn to apply it on the mat, on the board and in life. Please look into these ideas and let me know what you think. I encourage you to share your thoughts directly with me at www.facebook.com/hiphopchess