Chess, Bergman and Sandomierz.

I have just returned from Sandomierz, where I took part in the VII Polish Clergy Chess Championship. Various dioceses were represented, from the diocese of Przemyśl to the dioceses of Koszlin - Kołobrzeg. There was even a missionary from Brazil, a member of the Marian Order, who told me about the interesting life of the Brazilian grandmaster Mecking. This outstanding chess player, who suffered from a serious illness which resulted in muscle atrophy, was miraculously healed during charismatic prayers. Under the influence of this event he become a theologian.

A few years ago I wrote in this forum about analogies between chess and spirituality. This time I just want to mention that while preparing for this clergy chess tournament I went to the „Illusion” cinema in Warsaw to see Bergman’s famous film „The Seventh Seal. ” The protagonist of this cinematic masterpiece, Knight Antonius Block, is returning home from a Crusade, weary from his 10-years wandering and bothered by the question of whether God exists. He meets Death on his way and the Knight suggests they play a game of chess. Not just to avoid his life’s end by winning the game but, above all, to hear from Death the answer to the question of the existence of God and eternal life. Eventually the Knight loses the game and Death does not answer the Knight’s question.

„The Seventh Seal” is indeed impressive. Unfortunately, however, I cannot fully join the chorus of those who admire this film. Why? Well, because of chess. As a chess player I easily picked up chess inconsistencies in Bergman’s film. First, there is no continuation of the chess game in subsequent scenes. Rather, the Knight and Death make disconnected movements that indicate a failure to understand the royal game. Second, at some point the Knight performs „a chessboard movement, ” pretending to accidentally scatter the chess pieces. Such an action ill suits the Knight and, besides, Death could easily recreate from memory the situation on the chessboard. And third, and it hurts me the most, the game’s end proves the Knight has no idea about chess. He gets a mate, but claims he has not seen it. While amateurs may play like that, the film’s protagonists are two excellent players who struggle for life. Couldn’t directors alluding to a chess game in their films benefit from the assistance of serious chess players? This is not the first film in which a game of chess is presented in a completely unrealistic manner.

For spiritual enlightenment I took the book „Bobby Fischer Goes to War” to Sandomierz. It is a fascinating story about a brilliant American chess player who in 1972 became world champion, defeating Boris Spassky and thus dethroning the Soviet school of chess. Fischer’s duel with Spassky is legendary and was hailed as the game of all time. It is noteworthy that Fischer’s second was William Lombardy, not only an excellent chess player but also a Catholic priest, probably the most famous chess player among the clergy since Ruy Lopez, who lived in the sixteenth century in Spain. Today, much is said about the great role of psychology and psychologists in sport. However, Fischer’s thoughts about psychology and sport were made clear when he said „I do not believe in psychology, I believe in good moves. ”

Participants in the VII Polish Clergy Chess Championship enjoyed the hospitality of the Sandomierz Seminary. The seminary has a long history, this year being the seminary’s one hundred eighty-ninth academic year. Housed in a former Benedictine convent, one of the side altars in the seminary church has a picture of St. Benedict and an inscription underneath, which is very intriguing: „Privileges from the Lord Himself granted to our father Benedict with these words: The order set by you shall exist until the end of the world.... ” No! Even Dominicans do not have such a promise. There is also a series of over 30 pictures illustrating the life of St. Stanisław Kostka in the corridors of the seminary. They were made with great care by an itinerant painter. And, so no one could have any doubt as to what each image shows, they all have inscriptions. One of the inscriptions reads: „St. Stanisław faints among invited guests when dirty and indecent talk occurs. ” I doubt if this kind of hagiography actually supports the Saint’s glory. Stanisław Kostka was a strong young man, with his feet planted firmly on the ground. His decision to join the Jesuits, made against his father’s and his whole family’s wishes, and then his long journey to Rome, required fortitude. And by the way, I am curious to know whether Stanisław Kostka played chess.

Competition at the chessboard in Sandomierz was fierce and the ninth, and last, round was decisive. The undersigned eventually took second place. The winner was Fr. Stanisław Bąk from the Diocese of Przemyśl. The championship would have probably been more exciting if a Dominican had taken part. A match between a Dominican and a Jesuit would have been the highlight of the tournament. It would have reminded all present of the times when Dominican Bańeza and Jesuit Molina argued about the relationship between divine grace and human freedom.

Fr. Dariusz Kowalczyk SJ