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An anecdote. In Calcutta a half century back, a Purser in the Indian
Merchant Navy awaiting sailing,I asked for someone to play me chess in a
Chowringhee caff.Anything can be accomplished in India if only you will
wait so presently a barechested old Hindu in a ragged
loincloth,barefoot,was trundled in to play me.
I began with my fundamental condition,"If you touch a piece you must
move it.!" This elicited a chuckle from the watchers who were gathering
to see fair play,or so I thought.
In exquisite Oxford English he accepted the condition thanked me and we
started to play.A respectful crowd around our table seemed to be
directing its respect to the old fogey not to me.I resolved on a dashing
victory.My opponent shewed an annoying habit of hardly looking at the
board and conversing with the spectators in Hindi. "Just wait,mate," I
threatened him silently.
But after about ten moves the bitter fact was forced upon one who had
once beaten Top Board of Shri Lanka that he was going to get a
thrashing.Surveying the array of rebellious pieces impotently I burst
out,"But you are a master!"
There came a shout of laughter from those around the table.Someone said
to me very gently, since face must be preserved, "Huzoor,this is Dr
Jeelani,Grandmaster of India."
For the rest of my stay in port I sat at the learned doctor's feet,
often playing chess and resigning after a typical ten or twenty
moves,feeling I had run into a brick wall.. In his matter of fact way he
described taking a doctorate in Civil Law from Harvard and a doctorate
in Philosophy from Cambridge,the world's two top academic degrees. "Did
nothing much with them. Indian law isn't American law and as for western
philosophy ompared to ours," he shrugged his shoulders."Then I came home
and took on the Times of India. which I edited for very many years. Gave
me a tiny powerbase; let me get prime ministers elected." He was
smiling."Or not."
At the gangplank on the day of sailing he bade me farewell."I have
nothing to give you of substance,Artingstoll..As you know, once retired
we give away all our property and wander like this until death." He was
lookiing down at his ragged loincloth. A thought seemed to strike
him,"But I can give you a piece of advice ,if that's acceptable?"
It most certainly was. Turning away he began walking off , stopped.,over
his shoulder,"Never take the knight's pawn,old man." He disappeared
into my history.
And I never did.
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