Chess is a popular game of skill and intellect. In Punjab, Punjabis have modified the game to incorporate their love of good whiskey and rum.
Modifying Chess
Playing chess is popular all over the world. It is an ancient game and the mention of this game is found in the Mahabharata which was written around 5000 BC. The Greeks also played chess and by all accounts it was a popular game.
The game hasn’t changed much in the last 7,000 years, except for the addition of a few rules and regulations. For a long time, the game was exclusive to royalty and the elite, but now it is played by everyone and everyone.
The game is played on a chessboard and consists of a total of 32 pieces known as soldiers and knights. It also has a king and a queen and the game is to make a plan to checkmate the king. Whoever checkmates the king is the winner.
I have been playing chess for a long time. Before I used to play as a child with my maternal grandfather. However, the Punjabis have brought a welcome twist to the game. They are robust people with a predilection for the good life, including good whiskey. The chess board has been transformed by some stout and energetic people from Punjab with various shades of Scotch replacing the traditional players on a chess board.
Play chess Punjabi style
On my visit to my village in Punjab near Hoshiarpur, I often play this “Whisky Chess” as it is popularly called. The players on the chessboard are replaced by delicate glasses containing Scotch whisky. the pawns or soldiers are replaced by glasses containing ordinary Scotch such as 100 Pipers, Vat 69, Old Smuggler, or similar brands.
Warriors like Knights and Horse and Castle are represented by glasses that hold good whiskey like Johnny Walker Black Label, Chivas Regal, etc. The King and Queen have glasses filled with a peg of rare Scotch whiskey like Royal Salute.
The game is played in the normal way, with the exception that when a player beats an opponent, they have a chance to swallow the Scotch Peg. The winner who checkmates the king receives the rare Scotch whiskey. It’s a wonderful game and not for someone with a weak disposition. I will say that it is a real macho game and the host will also keep himself stocked with an endless supply of chicken and beef kebabs.
It is a lot of fun and you have to play it to get a taste of “Punjabi Chess”. For my part, I love it and whenever I go to my Punjab village of Hoshiarpur, I make it a point to play Punjabi Chess with my friends. I don’t think even Omar Khayyam can improve THIS!