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Our Blog-Friends“Only Miller.”
Really. At five-thirty this afternoon, I joined a motley crew of Savannah characters as Chris Miller (mustache and all) dedicated a gigantic outdoor chess board - pieces included - to the City of Savannah.
The “chess board” sits just south of the Forsyth Park fountain, using 64 hand-painted (by Chris) squares as its base. NICE.
Public “art”, for the public good. Papa Landry would be proud.
This is cool & important for several reasons.
First of all, it’s just weird and unique. Lots of places have chessboards in parks, etc (which by itself is cool and hopefully something this may lead to), but not that many places have chess boards ON parks. It’s also - gasp - public art. The kind that you interact with, literally.
And at the end of the day, it’s just a neat example of a smart attraction (tourist or otherwise), and an education-level-agnostic (yea, you heard me) one at that. The dude that sells palm-frond roses? He was OWNING the board. Whooping everyone. It was great.
I also think it’s a case of leading by example. It’s one thing to squawk about “Savannah doesn’t have so-and-so compared to X-burg or Y-ville”, but it’s another to actually try and do something about it, however small (or publicized). Call me a fanboy, but I say kudos.
At any rate, I say we screw the elections and just let the politicians duke it out like men (or women) on the chess board.
Want to play? Miller is “leaving his card” next to the board for people to call if they feel like a game. At a moments notice he’ll bike out the Chess Trailer (he actually has a little green trailer that carries the pieces) and let you have a go. (We’ll see how long that lasts before he hires an intern or suckers one of us into volunteering.)
23 Responses to “Whoa. There is a gigantic life-sized chess board in Forsyth Park.”
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This is just amazing! What a wonderful gift for Savannah…and just in time for some touristy friends of mine to pay a visit…
Very cool. Hopefully nobody steals the pieces.
What a cool idea! Had I not been haggling with an inept pair of washer/dryer deliverymen, I would have been there. Heard rumors that a mustached Miller was painting in the park this past weekend - what an awesome project!
I know, I absolutely love it. It’s classic.
The green color on the checkerboard is not coincidental by the way. He took a leaf off one of the oak trees down to Home Depot at got them to match it.
“Savannah Oak Green” apparently. :)
I love it!!!! What a gift, the pieces are beautiful too! Gotta love him! Thanks Chris!
I have been so into lawn games this spring/summer (think cornhole, bocce, croquet), this is just the icing on the cake. Amazing.
My wife and I walked by the chess board two nights ago on one of our regular jaunts in the park, and we stopped to marvel and hypothesize. I suggested to her that we get some gigantic fuzzy, plush pieces. Who knew someone would actually do something like that.
Plush would be great, though, because you could throw them at your opponent. “Your knight just got OWNED!” or “FINE! Take my king if you really want him that badly.”
LUCAS! You missed it! I played the second game of the day. I wish I could have stayed longer. That palm-frond guy wouldn’t be so smug today.
So far, I’m undefeated in Giant-Plastic-Outdoor-Pieces Chess.
Best,
Mr. P.
Chris Miller is amazing! He gives the community life and hope. Nice touch picking green paint to match the oak tree leaf.
Chris’s best and most significant contribution was his study at the Creative Coast that quantified the explosion in minimum wage jobs (tourism hospitality industry) while we lost thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs.
Chris knows the truth and isn’t afraid to speak it.
Wonderful Chris! It was truly wonderful to see people playing and others stopping by and watching and talking and being a community. You have done a beautiful thing Chris..a beautiful thing.
At Christmas, over at the Mansion, there maybe a propensity for one to see chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
Love it !
Mr. Parx, I was just about to send the link to this article to you when my wife happened to look a little more closely at the pictures! We might have to give Chris a call one of these days and enjoy some evening History-of-the-World-Part-I giant chess.
The large pieces will also prevent a Bobby-Fisher-esque disparity between Savannah chess cultures. Speed chess on this board would be exhausting and nearly impossible.
I’m all for it. I’ve been needing some exercise. Who else is in for some giant speed chess? I’ll bring the chess-clock.
Best,
Mr. P.
That’s it folks! Miller for President!
Murray - chess nuts boasting in an open foyer - HAHAHAHA! Brilliant!
Murray - great one! that’s one creative mind you have there.
Just came back from seeing it. Chris Miller has planted yet another flower in Savannah’s cap! Thank you, Chris!
Aw shucks…..just trying to keep things interesting :-)
It the perfect example of a quick, easy to do, low cost idea that can change how we view ourselves and how we are viewed by others. It adds another proof point that Savannah is both pretty AND smart.
I like it because it is:
- elegant in its simplicity
- inexpensive in cost
- quick to execute
- easy to maintain
- widespread in appeal
- socially bonding
- far reaching in impact
As Robert (Bobby) Stewart, founder of Kings Knight Chess Club put it so succinctly:
“Playing chess helps kids realize that there is a solution for every problem, teaches them how to focus their energy and attention, how to think things through, how to plan, how to recover, how to lose gracefully, how to win with humility and how to persevere.”
I want this to challenge Savannah leadership to find ways and support those social entrepreneurs that by their energy and actions, make Savannah better and more a more “lovable” city in a hundred little ways.
I also want this to challenge Savannah residents to find ways to direct their energy and focus their passions in a hundred little ways that make Savannah better.
At a time when our social, political & business leadership structures have difficulty delivering the level “lovability” improvements we need to keep pace with our other city peers, remember this one small example, that leverages the passion of single person in a way that positively impacts thousands of others.
Savannah, this board is for you!
Your move….
“There is a solution to every problem,” a man after my own geeky heart! :)
It’s a some paint on a sidewalk and some plastic chess pieces, yet it ignites passion and enthusiasm.
If a chess board and $1000 (or so) can get people so excited, just think what a targeted approach and some real resources can do. Luckily we’re in a position to find out…
My 7 yr. old son and I went on Saturday. What started out as doing something “dumb” with mom turned out to be rather inspirational as the moment we arrived back home, he pulled out the chess board and started teaching one of his neighborhood friends how to play.
I talked to Chris about what a fantastic idea this is/was. I envision a future of complete sidewalks of chess boards and a chess festival in the park. Job Well Done Chris Miller!!
I’m sorry, sir, but this is not the place to discuss strange bunk lays! Those types of web-situates belong elsewhere.
PoliteButSternbye.