Ⅸ-Chess and Christmas! ''Play chess with me,'' said the Snowman.

Merry Christmas! Hello all readers!

The photograph you have just seen depicts a real event on Christmas Day 1914, along the Western Front during Christmas 1914 during World War I. A week before Christmas, soldiers from the opposing sides, Germany and Britain, crossed the trenches to exchange greetings and chat. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, soldiers from both sides groped their way into the fighting zone, sat down together, and exchanged food and souvenirs. They exchanged prisoners, sang Christmas carols before parting ways. They also played friendly football matches, creating the most lasting impression of the truce.

Maybe today they are friends from different countries but maybe tomorrow they will be enemies. Even so, somewhere on the fierce battlefield, there is still a lonely thing called the warmth of Christmas. If there were no war, those soldiers could be friends.

The true story has also been adapted into many films inspired by World War I and the Christmas season of 1914 at the battlefield.
I always want this Earth to have no more war, white doves flying and everyone being friends with each other!

Now I'm going to talk about chess and Christmas!
Chess and Christmas may not have anything to do with each other, but that doesn't stop things from going the opposite way.

Scenes from the Christmas pantomimes:"King Chess"-1865.

The picture you just saw is a scene from the Christmas pantomimes at Surrey Theater: "King Chess" - giving check to the Queen, 1865. London stage production of...a new pantomime, written by "Three Jolly Dogs." It is entitled "Harlequin King Chess; or, Tom the Piper's Son and See-saw Margery Daw." Mr. Henry Thompson, as Simple Simon, and Miss Esther Jacobs, as Tom, are exceedingly good representatives of these parts. The drama, of course, includes a grand ballet, and in this Mdlle. Rosier acquitted herself as a graceful and vigorous dancer...The house...was crowded from the very beginning of the evening; and the new Surrey bids fair to excel the character of the old'.

Enter a fantastical world of fun and magic with this charming print, "King Chess - Giving Check to the Queen", from the 1865 Christmas pantomime. This delightful scene captures the pivotal moment when King Chess tenderly hands over his checkmate to his queen, bringing about a dramatic and stylish endgame. This illustration is just one highlight of the Surrey Theatre production, which has been praised for its superb acting, magnificent ballet and vivid storytelling. The talented cast includes Mr Henry Thompson as Simple Simon and Miss Esther Jacobs as Tom - their performances are superb! As you gaze upon this classic print, imagine yourself transported to a bygone era, where the magic of Christmas pantomime brought joy to audiences young and old. With its rich history and charming characters, “King Chess” is sure to capture your imagination and leave you feeling merry and bright.

Christmas at Hogwarts.

In the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. While Harry and Ron enjoy a game of wizard chess, as Hermione and the other students of Hogwarts prepare to travel home for the Christmas holidays. The movie shows us the students busily preparing their belongings and equipment for the holidays, while Ron and Harry leisurely sit together and play a game of Wizard Chess.

Wizarding Chess differs from the usual way of capturing pieces in that the captured pieces are broken right on the board, while Hermione called the game ''scary''.

One second you see Harry's Knight intact, the next you see it: It's been completely destroyed by Ron's Queen.

The next scene in the movie shows us the three of them, Harry, Ron and Hermione, on their way to find the stone called the Sorcerer's Stone. I'm not sure but I guess ''because they didn't want to go home and sleep and make a wish on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa to bring presents'' but instead went to find the Sorcerer's Stone on Christmas Eve. As a result, they were thrown into a giant game of wizard's chess, in which they had to play the roles of three chess pieces: Rook, Bishop, Knight. They had to win to move on.

What a Christmas night 😱 for them!

Lithuania. Vilnius. Christmas tree 2019. 

In Lithuania, Vilnius is the largest city and the capital of Lithuania. The city is home to the government of Lithuania as well as the Vilnius Municipality.
In the 2019 Christmas season, Vilnius is expected by international visitors to be the most beautiful Christmas tree in Europe.
The tree here is not simply a normal Christmas tree, so this tree must be very tall? Very beautiful? Very colorful?
All of the above criteria are met for all that the Christmas tree in Vilnius is. What's more special is that this Christmas tree is inspired by a Queen in chess.

The Christmas tree is decorated to represent a giant Queen, not only that, but also surrounded by Pawns, Rooks, Bishops and Knights, all decorated and lit by lights...
I guess the chairman of this Christmas tree project must be really into chess to come up with such a unique idea.

This unique idea from Christmas tree has attracted the attention of international tourists during Christmas 2019.

Christmas 1929.

''Hungarian chess player sent out as a Christmas greeting card to his wide circle of friends the score of the Muzio Gambit which he won from Chigorin in the Vienna Gambit tournament of 1903.''

The game he specially sent to his friends on Christmas Day 1929 was played with the Muzio Gambit opening.

Muzio Gambit: In chess, the Muzio Gambit, sometimes called the Polerio Gambit, is an opening line in the King's Gambit in which White sacrifices a knight for a large lead in development and attacking chances. It begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5
2. f4 exf4
3. Nf3 g5
4. Bc4 g4
5. 0-0

Christmas Puzzle.

• Pal Benko, Christmas Tree Puzzles 2010 :  ''White to play and mate in two''

• Pal Benko, 2015 : ''White to play and mate in five. Not a simple problem – try to work out the solution by yourself.''

End

Okay, now it's Christmas, go to sleep and make a meaningful wish! Santa Claus will definitely come to your house to give you gifts.
The gift that I give everyone on Christmas this year is this article. It may not be good or complete yet but it's okay, I will try harder.
Thank you for reading, have a Merry Christmas!
And don't forget to watch the movie ''Home Alone'', the movie of this boy! Very good.

Goodbye and see you again.