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LegolasXXXXX
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Post Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 13, 2012 09:48
Who likes/loves chess? That game is the best ever made, and it has survived throughout the ages. I love to watch games on youtube, and I play a friend who loves to play as much as I do...someday I would like to enter a tournement.

With that being said, who thinks there may have been a version of chess in LOTR?

Also, I just realized that you are able to send invites here on CoE in the chat box for playing games, one of which is listed as CHESS. Taking all challengers if you see me online
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
Beren_Onehand
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Post Re: Chess!
on: August 14, 2012 05:26
I like (and sometimes love) chess. It's really fun. Unfortunately I really only get to play it on the computer because no one else will play with me.
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Leoflic_Nightleaf
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Post Re: Chess!
on: August 14, 2012 07:42
Unfortunately I really only get to play it on the computer because no one else will play with me.
Hahaha! I like to play chess as well.
LegolasXXXXX
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Post Re: Chess!
on: August 14, 2012 09:11
Quote from Beren_Onehand on August 14, 2012, 15:26
I like (and sometimes love) chess. It's really fun. Unfortunately I really only get to play it on the computer because no one else will play with me.


that stinks beren...i only can play it with one other rl person, a friend of mine. None of my family will play with me

However, there is a thing called Facebook, on which there is an app where you can play chess against other ppl around the world. You could try that sometime maybe. GL

CHECKMATE
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 15, 2012 01:50
I used to play chess a lot then I learnt Go. I much prefer it but no-one else plays it. Tolkien never describes any games in Middle Earth but I expect there were some. The high and mighty would have a chess-like game but without the bishops of course, and the ordinary folk might play some sort of pebble game like owari or mankala.
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LegolasXXXXX
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 15, 2012 09:59
Quote from tarcolan on August 15, 2012, 11:50
I used to play chess a lot then I learnt Go. I much prefer it but no-one else plays it. Tolkien never describes any games in Middle Earth but I expect there were some. The high and mighty would have a chess-like game but without the bishops of course, and the ordinary folk might play some sort of pebble game like owari or mankala.


Yeah, I thought that there may have been something along the lines of chess to pass the time...I mean, the Elves had all the time in the world lol
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
Nrogara
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 22, 2012 08:24
I wonder what they would replace the bishops with? Oliphonts?

Whether the people of Middle earth played chess or not, I don't know, but I DO know that the ACTORS of middle earth did! I can't remember where I found them before, (and perhaps they no longer exist, since the changes) but there USED to be caption contests, and one of the photos they used was one of Sean Bean and one of the hobbits playing chess.
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tarcolan
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 22, 2012 10:57
I think the castles would be oliphaunts, like in Indian sets. Maybe in Gondor the Stewards would be the bishops?
The animation team had the Black Gate trolls playing chess as a test shot. Not so dumb after all.
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LegolasXXXXX
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: August 23, 2012 04:51
LoL, that's cool tarc.
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
Beren_Onehand
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: October 24, 2012 04:57
I wonder, they used chess a lot in the old days to develop strategy, what did they use in Middle Earth?
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Legolas23
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: November 17, 2012 08:44
I think it could be a possibility. In the first movie when Bilbo is writing his story and telling the stroy of the Shire, it shows two Hobbit men playing chess. But, i am not certain.
tarcolan
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: November 18, 2012 01:07
It's not chess, more like draughts. The board doesn't seem to have squares and lots of pieces are stacked up. Fascinating. Knowing Weta they probably invented a playable game.
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Legolas23
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: November 18, 2012 05:55
Good point! It seems like a sort of Hobbity game to me? Anybody else too?
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: January 14, 2013 07:56
Chess sounds possible. But I'd also think that some of the games that used to be played in the Middle Ages/Dark Ages could be played in Middle Earth. But I'm not that sure (I haven't researched it yet).
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
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LegolasXXXXX
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: January 23, 2013 01:59
Yeah lastiel, I haven't done that much research either...on the account of me being more into the weapons, clothing, and geography of Middle-Earth
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: January 23, 2013 05:24
Yup! Right now I'm more concerned about learning more about the weapons, clothing, and living supplies rather than some of the games. Eventually I'll look into games, just not yet.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
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Legolas23
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Post Re: Chess! Was it in Middle-Earth?
on: January 23, 2013 07:48
same here
tarcolan
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on: August 11, 2013 03:44
I just found a bit in ROTK where Pippin is thinking about being a pawn on the wrong chessboard. It might be a translation from another game played in Middle Earth but obviously some sort of board game.
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findemaxam48
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on: August 20, 2013 02:03
Thanks for your above post, tarcolan! In the book, I presume

I played chess maybe twice 7 years ago.
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LegolasXXXXX
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on: September 17, 2013 06:57
Yes, but Tolkien had a way of integrating regular things we find in our world into LOTR. Maybe its the same thing tarcolan.
Lindarielwen, I hope that wherever you are it is incredible and filled with all the things that you love. Looking forward to our next meeting.
tarcolan
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on: September 17, 2013 08:05
I don't think it was deliberate LX. Many real-world artifacts leeched into the Secondary World and I could list them here. He wasn't bothered about such inconsistencies, as he stated in some letter or other which I'll dig out if you insist. I would imagine that it's almost impossible to create such a huge reality without this happening. Picnics for orcs? Check it out in TT:Uruk-Hai.

However I'm pretty certain that such a game would have existed in Middle Earth, if not so specific. Pieces in places on a playing field would seem to be a universal concept. I said I preferred the game of Go because it is an abstraction of this concept, so would be applicable in Middle Earth as in this world. One rule- if you're surrounded you're a prisoner. At the end of the game they get swapped. Nice and polite and tidy, very Gondorian.
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