Looptopia:
Chess After Midnight!? (60 images)
On May 11-12th Mayor Daley held a massive event called Looptopia, located downtown at the cultural center. This epic event was “America’s first all-night cultural and artistic celebration” which was scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM on May 11th to sunrise of May 12th . Incorporated in the events was a chess tournament scheduled to begin at 2:00AM on the 12th. Who would come to play chess at such a late hour? It appeared that much of Chicago came either equipped with coffee or youthfulness, and were willing to overcome the early morning struggles to have fun.
Hundreds of people all ages and ethnic backgrounds came to play chess to enhance the overall fun spirited ambience of Looptopia. Chess is not only a game, but considered a universal art and sport of the mind. There were enough boards set up for approximately eighty people, but this was insufficient as these boards remained full throughout the morning. The potential of chess was unmatched by any other event, but needed more space! Many came to play a chess game with a friend, or a recent acquaintance. Meanwhile, the die hard chess players stayed for the whole event to play in the chess tournament which started at 2:00 AM. The tournament had a free entry and thematic chess prizes were awarded such as a chess computer, clocks, books, and medals.
The Renaissance Knights Foundation was responsible for organizing the extravagant free chess tournament and for the multiple prizes awarded. As a whole, the players were extremely appreciative, and some expounded on their admiration for the multitude of difficulties chess presents. One gentleman reflected on the moment, “I’ve played chess my whole life, and still do not understand the complexities of the game!”. Nevertheless, there were no complaints, and nothing but praise for the organizers of the Renaissance Knights Foundation. The (k) night could be summarized best by an older fellow named Jimmy who came in sixth place, “I wish there were more events such as these, and I never won a medal before!”.
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