Chess is a popular game of skill and intellect. In Punjab, the Punjabis have modified the game to incorporate their love of good whiskey and rum.
Modify chess
Playing chess is popular all over the world. It is an ancient game and mention of this game is found in the Mahabharata, which was written around 5000 BC. The Greeks also played chess and by all accounts it was a popular game.
The game hasn’t changed much in the last 7000 years, except for the addition of a few rules and regulations. The game was long the preserve of royalty and the elite, but is now played by one and all.
The game is played on a chess board and consists of a total of 32 pieces known as soldiers and knights. He also has a king and queen and the game is to make a plan to checkmate the king. Anyone who checkmates the king is the winner.
I have been playing chess for years. Before I used to play as a child with my maternal grandfather. However, the game has received a welcome twist from the Punjabis. They are robust people with a penchant for the good life, including good whiskey. The chessboard has been transformed by some robust and energetic Punjab people with various shades of Scotch whiskey replacing traditional players on a chessboard.
Play punjabi-style chess
On my visit to my village in Punjab near Hoshiarpur, I usually play this “Whiskey Chess” as it is popularly called. The players on the chessboard are replaced by delicate glasses containing Scotch whiskey. pawns or soldiers are replaced by glasses containing ordinary whiskey such as 100 Pipers, Vat 69, Old Smuggler or similar brands.
Warriors like Knights and Horse and Castle are represented by glasses containing good whiskey like Johnny Walker Black Label, Chivas Regal, etc. The king and queen have glasses filled with a peg of rare whiskey like Royal Salute.
The game is played in the normal way with the exception that when either player beats an opponent, they have a chance to swallow the Scottish peg. The winner who checkmates the king receives the rare whiskey. It is a wonderful game and not for anyone with a weak disposition. I’ll say it’s a real macho game and the host will also stock up on an endless supply of chicken and beef kabobs.
It is a lot of fun and you have to play it to get a taste of “Punjabi Chess”. For my part, I love it and every time I go to my village in Punjab in Hoshiarpur I propose to play Punjabi Chess with my friends. I don’t think even Omar Khayyam can improve THIS!