In 1974 , the film " The Three Musketeers " star Raquel Welch , Richard Chamberlain and Michael York , among others , hit big screens across the U.S. Based on the classic novel byAlexandre Dumas , the ludicrous funniness centered on a youthful adult male who arrives in Paris to become one of the king’smusketeers . The cinema was noted not only for its all - star cast but also for its beautiful European locating .
To illustrate the extravagance and garishness of France’sprerevolutionary monarchy , director Richard Lester filmed a scene in which King Louis XIII is playing chess . Louis was n’t play on an average chessboard . He was playing on a king - sized one chip at into the well - manicured lawn of Versailles . Great Danes , Dalmatians and other dogs served as movable chess game pieces .
You might think that playing lawn chess with dogs is a game that only the rich and make - believe King can enjoy . concur on to your rooks ( or your retrievers ) . You , too , can playact outside chess , and we ’re not speak with a board on a picnic table . Many domicile , buildings and public spaces have oversize chessboards . On Long Island , for example , an affordable housing composite call Arbor House has an outdoor fitness park with a jumbo chess board and pieces standing 4 feet ( more than 1 cadence ) tall . In Scotland , children move chess piece almost as turgid as they are to serve defend corpulency [ source : Alvarez , The Scotsman ] .
We can set you up with an outdoor set and aliveness - sizing pieces . All it takes is a bit of ingenuity , or at the very least , a credit entry notice . record on to find out how you , too , can beat out your courtier on a chessboard that will make your home into a mini - castle .
The Lawn Chessboard
If you ’re handy with a taping measure and amower , then create your own lawn chess board might be just what Garry Kasparov ordered . Before you bug out giving the lawn a haircut , however , you take to consider the available space in your 1000 . think back , chessis played on a 64 - square board made up of eight rows , each containing eight equal spaces . Each substantial alternate in color .
mow a chessboard onto your lawn is in reality " denude " your lawn , just as the professional do on sport fields . You produce band by flex the blades of grass in one direction or another . Let ’s get set forth . mark : For the sake of comfortable meter reading , we ’re going to skip the metric conversions in the focus .
Here ’s a bakshis : if you really need a coloured chessboard , buy lawn paint . It ’s made by a companionship called World Class Athletic Surfaces . It ’s the stuff athletics arena use to paint all those neat design . The blusher covers the grass , but allows each blade to receive some sun so they can continue to grow . Paint one hardening of squares one color , and the other define another . Never use household paint . They ’ll obliterate your lawn [ source : DIY connection ] .
If you do n’t sense like carve or cut a chess board into your lawn , there ’s no rationality why you should . you could only buy a life - size board and install it as if you were set a rug in the support room . you could by chess blankets or nylon boards with 12 - inch or 24 - in ( 30 - cm or 60 - centimeter ) square toes . you’re able to also buy rubberise vinyl , standardized to the backbreaking - responsibility flooring you see at the school gym . These tiles clip together and can be roll up and cart away .
The Patio Chessboard
If your lawn is n’t big enough for a chessboard , perhaps your patio is . Already have a block terrace ? You ’re midway there . Keep in judgment thatpatio blockscome in all dissimilar size . Some are 16 inches by 16 inches ( 41 centimeter by 41 centimeter ) ; others are 10 animal foot by 10 foot ( 3 meters by 3 cadence ) . Once again , maths is important . Figure out the space your chess board is lead to cover and paint the blocks accordingly .
However , if you want to build aconcreteand sod patio chessboard from scratch , try this do - it - yourself project adapted from our friends at theDIY web . ( For the rice beer of easy reading , we will again omit metrical conversions . )
Whether your gameboard is mop on a lawn , or part of a terrace , you ’re going to postulate chess game pieces . Each player begins with 16 pieces : eight pawns ; two bishop ; two rook ; two knights ; one queen and one king . you could buy various liveliness - size pieces . They can be made out of wood , rosin or plastic . Or , if you have enough dogs , use them as your chessmen .
Lots More Information
I play chess occasionally , but I mow the lawn regularly . I ’m not sure whether I want to compound the two . Plus , I do n’t mean my two cad would care to be chess pieces . The new puppy is always bump my Great Dane down . I reckon that would be considered cheating if Bobby Fischer came to diddle .
