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Chess All Over the Place, Part 1
© Peter Marlow. Chess games in Sochi. 1981

Chess All Over the Place, Part 1

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RoaringPawn
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CHESS PHOTOGRAPHY FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Chess has always been an inspiration for all branches of arts and culture. Here is the first part of a photographic review of our art, chess.

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UNITED STATES. Ferdinando Scianna (1943-, Italian). Florida, Miami, Little Havana

Ferdinando Scianna USA. Florida, Miami, Little Havana ©Ferdinando Scianna

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SOVIET UNION/RUSSIA. Henri Cartier-Bresson(1908-2004, French). Near Moscow. 1954

(Bresson was a master of candid photography; pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed the art as capturing a decisive moment)
© Henri Cartier-Bresson

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SOUTH AFRICA. Christopher Steele-Perkins (1947-, British). Johannesburg. New arrivals at prison. 1995

(Chris is best known for his depiction of Africa, Afghanistan, England, and Japan; particular interest in urban issues, including poverty)

Chris Steele-Perkins SOUTH AFRICA. Johannesburg. New arrivals at prison. 1995 © Chris Steele-Perkins

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JORDAN. Stuart Franklin (1956-, British). Al Ramtha. 2013. Dr Ben Gupta helps patients at the Al Ramtha government hospital. One is Malik (15) who lost a leg in an explosion. Ben plays check with Malik

Stuart Franklin Jordan. 2013. Al Ramtha. © Stuart Franklin

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KYRGYZSTAN. Jean Gaumy (1948-, French). Chess players in the amusement park of Osh, 2012 (Gaumy has been awarded the title Peintre de la Marine by the French Minister of Defense)

Jean Gaumy KYRGYZSTAN. October 2012. Chess players in the amusement park of Osh. © Jean Gaumy

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MEXICO. Larry Towell (1953-, Canadian). Tenosique. 2015. Shelter 72, a Catholic shelter for migrants on the dangerous journey to the US border

Larry Towell MEXICO. Tenosique. 2015. Shelter 72, a Catholic shelter for migrants on the dangerous journey to the US border. © Larry Towell

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GREAT BRITAIN. Martin Parr (1952-, British). Lacock Abbey, 1989. 150 Years of Photography celebrations.

Martin Parr GB. England. Lacock Abbey. 150 Years of Photography celebrations. 1989

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SPAIN. Gerda Taro (1010-1937, German). Cordoba Front, 1937. Members of the Chapaiev Battalion play chess near Penarroya (Taro, was a war photographer active during the Spanish Civil War; the first woman photojournalist to have died while covering the frontline in a war; the companion and professional partner of Robert Capa)Gerda Taro International Center of Photography SPAIN. Cordoba Front. June, 1937. Members of the Chapaiev Battalion play chess near Penarroya. © Gerda Taro/Magnum

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ALBANIA. Martin Parr. Saranda. Sports and Social club. 1990

Martin Parr ALBANIA. Saranda. Sports and Social club. 1990 © Martin Parr/Magnum

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EAST GERMANY. Rene Burri (1933-2014, Swiss). East Berlin, Trade Fair

Rene Burri Trade Fair in East Berlin © Rene Burri

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IRAN. Attar Abbas (1944-2018, Iranian). Men play chess in a teahouse. Tehran, Darvazh Ghar, 1979

© A. Abbas

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 FRANCE. Richard Kalvar (1944-, American). Chess players, Paris, Luxembourg Gardens, 2004

© Richard Kalvar

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ITALY. Ian Berry (1934-, British). Men playing chess outside a cafe, Rome, 2013 (they put up umbrellas when it rains rather than stop the games)

© Ian Berry



CUBA. Susan Meiselas (1948-, American). Chess club in Camaguey, 1977

© Susan Meiselas

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Further reading, erm watching:

my Best American chess photography