The spiritual leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA – aka The Genius, aka Gary Eldridge Grice – has also become well-known as an expert chess player. One who will, on occasion, even play against fans while on tour.
He plays for the love of the game, having never competed professionally or gained a ranking. It is simply an important and guiding presence in his life.
“It’s so much a part of my daily routine,” he told the Dallas Observer back in June. “I play chess every day, I play individuals from my clan – when we do meet up. I study openings, games, everything.”
GZA’s fascination is all there on the public record. The Clan’s 1993 debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), features a track called ‘Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’’, and GZA himself released a chess-themed album, Grandmasters, in 2005.
In recent years he’s hosted Chessboxing with GZA, a show on Vans’ Channel 66 platform that featured not only music, but discussions on metaphysics and live chess matches with celebrity guests.
“Everything is based on mathematics,” GZA explained to the Dallas Observer. “Chess is a calculation of movements. It’s just questions and answers, really. ‘The opening’ is defined by a response. White moves first, but depending on how black answers, it defines the opening.”
And GZA’s love of chess even extended to Netflix’s 2020 board game blockbuster, The Queen’s Gambit. He actually played a match with writer/director, Scott Frank.
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“I think it’s a great show and it opens the idea to many individuals who aren’t really thinking about it,” he said. “Since the release of the show, the sales of chess boards have risen 400%. I just think it’s a great story.”
In 2014 a writer from Vice documented competing in a chess game prior to a festival appearance. The main man is not to be messed with…
“All of a sudden, I spied an easy checkmate. If I moved my queen to the seventh rank, I could checkmate GZA in two moves. Time slowed down. I became conscious of how fast my heart was beating. I looked at GZA. He was studying the board. Could it be? I moved my queen.
“Boom. He took the queen off the board and replaced it with one of his knights. I hadn’t seen the knight protecting that space. I had blundered, bad. The spectators gasped. A rookie mistake. I threw up my hands.
“GZA sat back. ‘Whole different game now, isn’t it?’ he said, and chuckled.”
It’s not yet confirmed whether GZA will be playing chess games with fans on his Australian visit in April, but one thing’s for certain if he does – don’t go gambling your queen.
The Soul Rebels with GZA, Big Freedia and Talib Kweli
Wednesday, April 5th 2023
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday, April 6th 2023
Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Thursday 6th – Monday, April 10th 2023
Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Saturday, April 8th 2023
Bluesfest, Melbourne, VIC
TICKETS ON SALE NOW:
Australian Shows:
https://www.bluesfesttouring.com.au/artist/soul-rebels-friends-robert-glasper
Bluesfest Byron Bay
https://www.bluesfest.com.au/tickets/
Bluesfest Melbourne
https://bluesfestmelbourne.com.au/
