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Should we really be encouraging children to play chess?

Not only is it terribly violent it is rather anti-american. The monarchy, church and knights all in charge capturing and crushing the pawns to gain territory, not to mention that it pitches black against white.

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Which part of that is anti-american?

*sweeps palm over head

Whoooosh

I think he meant it was very american ;p

I think there is an american version where a beige democrat side face a grey republican side and they both discuss the issues sensibly before devolving all power to the individual pawns

Mutters to self: I can't believe I'm explaining jokes on the Internet.. sigh

Unless ojbyrne was being ironing, as in, what about dictatorial rule is un-American?

ironing? Yes, that was it, I was ironing. For, like, the first time in 15 years.

... I'm going to go ahead and pretend that was intentional... yeah I totally meant to write ironing, not ironic...

Personally it never even occurred to me to read that far into chess, so i honestly doubt a child would do it either, to me its just a game and probably an educational one.

Well since, in it's modern form, it's a Persian (ie Iranian) invention and was intended as a battle field simulation for training young warriors - I suppose playing it makes you a suspected terrorist.

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