What do you think of a Western Chess Anime?

As the title says. In before, I asked why there's no Western Chess anime at the moment, and that's because Japan is using their equivalent, Shogi. I know only one Shogi anime so far, and that's Shion No Ou.

But then, I think Shogi and Western Chess are underused events for sports anime. I mean, come on, we already have basketball (in many different flavors), baseball, football, American football, and tennis, but not games like chess?

My idea for a Western Chess anime is this:

• Book Dumb but Street Smart MC who gets invited by the chess club captain after seeing his potential for Western Chess.
• Said captain is on his way to becoming one of the very few chess Grand Masters in Japan (he's basically Tezuka if he was into chess instead of tennis).
• The vice-captain who is an avid fan of classical literature and views every chess match as a re-enactment of certain ancient battles.
• Some members of the team and their opponents play with the Smart People Play Chess trope (geniuses, Blood Knights, unassuming individuals, etc.)
• Non-players may include academically smart students who actually suck at chess.
• The objective is to show that chess is not limited only to academically smart people, but that even the Book Dumb can become awesome at chess with the proper training and motivation.

So, what do you think?

edited 12th Nov '12 9:04:26 PM by judasmartel

Even though chess isn't a common theme for an anime, it still seems cliche...like most Gaming and Sports Anime & Manga.

It could certainly be just as good as any other in the genre.

(The history buff character sounds funny and informative.)

edited 12th Nov '12 9:15:37 PM by Ruise

Cliche, huh? But since almost everything has already been done before...

Code Geass anyone?

@judas - Yes, but cliches are immediately recognizable, and it is really hard to make an original (as in, refreshing enough to make is distinguishable and interesting) gaming/sports work.

Except that it's not a middle/high school tournament like most Gaming and Sports Anime & Manga.

edited 12th Nov '12 9:35:19 PM by judasmartel

Maybe if it took place in college or *gasp* post-graduation.

Like salary-men in a large corporation competing with people from different sections/districts during their coffee breaks.

Or astronauts playing chess IN SPACE, possibly against aliens as an alternative to violent conflict.

Or people of different ages and backgrounds and various other hobbies meet at a certain park and form an Odd Friendship + Intergenerational Friendship over their love of chess.

edited 13th Nov '12 11:59:46 AM by Ruise

If all else fails, throw fistfights in.

While it is an interesting concept, I'm not too sure. I think the main reason Gaming and Sports Anime & Manga continues to be interesting to watch is the way the writers make each match different in some way. That's why they give each duelist different decks or each tennis player different technique specializations. It's how manga keeps each fight/game from becoming repetitive. I'm not sure how you can do the same for chess.

edited 14th Nov '12 7:31:04 PM by PsychoFreaX

Hmm... Different chess players prefer different openings and strategies. For example, one player likes to open with Nimzo-Indian and prefers a highly offensive strategy, another prefers to open with a King's Opening, counter any opening with Sicilian Defense, and a very defensive strategy, and even another one likes to confuse his opponents with his unpredictable tactics.

Of course, if I wanted to write a perfect chess player, I would rather save him for last, akin to a Final Boss.

Thinking about this way too much—

Our hero is a Book Dumb type who's really good at pattern recognition and thinking multiple moves ahead, which he demonstrates in some other hobby. Chess club captain recognizes this and asks Hero to stop by the chess club.

There's a demonstration game, which is the only one that's depicted in full, to establish the basic rules, how the pieces move, and a couple of the important tricks like en passant and castling.

Afterwards, stories concentrate on opening gambits, the mid-game and the end-game, with side tours into chess problems, gambling, and fairy chess. Winding up with the inevitable Tournament Arc.

Members of the Chess Club inlude (can be either female or male):

_low level_

The psyche-out artist: Not actually very good at chess, but great at annoying or distracting opponents with their words, annoying sounds, gestures, etc. If female, wears a tight, low-cut top. Tries to goad opponents into making mistakes and immediately capitalizing on them. Lesson learned—how to tune out distractions and concentrate on the game.

The reckless one: This character looks like the stereotypical nerd / book smart person who'd be good at chess, and has in fact memorized all the rules and can do Combat Commentator like nobody's business. But this person is highly impatient and never thinks more than a move or two ahead, making short-term gains only to lose in the long run. Lesson learned—thinking ahead.

_mid-level_

Mighty Glacier: This player has an excellent defensive game, but thinks very slowly—he's seldom mated, but loses timed matches by running out the clock. Lesson learned—how to break defenses.

Glass Cannon: By contrast, a speedy player with a strong offensive style. Unlike the reckless player, he thinks ahead, but is vulnerable defensively. Lesson learned—how to defend.

The Mario: The chess club captain, who's not the best at any given aspect of the game, but pretty good at everything. He or she is actually The Chessmaster outside the game, expert at figuring out people and what they need to do to succeed or improve. Lesson learned—synthesizing everything you've learned so far.

_high level_

Ivory Tower: The chess club champion, something of a prodigy. Weakness is that chess is basically their whole life, not good at interacting with people outside the game, can be a bit of a prick. Tends towards classic gambits and perhaps a bit too predictable in strategy. Lesson learned—live a little.

Fairy Castle: About as good at chess as Ivory Tower, but gets easily bored. Known for unpredictable strategies and trying new gambits that don't always work out. Likes fairy chess just to do something different. Lesson learned—there's always more to learn.

_outside club_

Dirty Cheater: Always plays for money, is like the psych-out player but better at the actual game. Cheats. Lesson learned: spotting cheating.

One thing I noticed in quintessential games for geniuses like Chess or Quiz Bowl is that there's not much dramatic Game-Breaking Injury to speak of, just that one or more key player can't attend the contest due to some personal problem or sickness he acquired prior to the contest.

There's no such as thing as game-related injury in games like Western Chess, save perhaps for things like being a victim of a nuclear tesuji from Go, but I don't know if somebody has actually pulled it off in an official Western Chess match.

edited 17th Nov '12 9:53:39 PM by judasmartel

I just picked this one back up as I am thinking whether or not use Real Life chess players and matches as inspiration for the matches in the story.

That said, does Bobby Fischer or someone else make a good inspiration for a Book Dumb but Street Smart protagonist who may or may not be Brilliant, but Lazy but is just that good at pattern recognition that he got invited by the chess club captain to join the group?

Because short of being unconscious or conscious but delirious there's nothing that can stop them. Given that in stuff like matches against computers like Deep Blue they can have a helper actually move the pieces I'm sure something similar could work for a player with a severe physical impediment. (Whether tournament rules would allow it might be a different story).

If Japan managed to make Go, Shougi and Mahjong look epic, I don't see why they couldn't with western Chess. Considering the pieces are shaped like military elements, it would be easy to make striking visual metaphors, for example.

Imagine if someone like Stephen Hawking plays chess like that.

I imagine something like Saki, though the moves should be possible to pull off in real life, or at least based on a real-life high-level chess match.

I mentioned before that one of the characters in this story is a history buff who can formulate chess strategies based on ancient battles.

edited 9th Oct '16 6:48:22 AM by judasmartel

It must be as over-dramatic as Death Note. Sweeping reaches and tense zoom-ins on chess pieces, evil smirks, everything.

Yes, but the moves should at least be possible to pull off in real life chess.