Do South-East Asians play chess?

I use that as an unbiased source. If you ask any Filipino or Malaysian, Indonesian they will answer SE Asia.  Are you American? What nationality are you? How come you know more than the Locals about SE Asian nations and if we play chess, billiards or pool for your pleasure? Please introduce your nationality.

Bong I recently took a trip to some SE Asian countries to discover if there is a market for promoting chess and particularly chess.com in these countries.

Although I had the blessing of Eric, the site owner, I had to pay for everything myself.

He failed to provide me with free TShirts for the locals but did promise me a diamond membership if I could write a full report on my findings, which I am doing here.

As stated I found only two chess players after a 23 days intensive search covering several hundred miles and a large number of towns and two cities.

I am from New York but distance myself from the average geographically ignorant American as I take a keen interest in the cultures, languages, traditions and actual location of people from other countries.

Would you ask other people if Philippines is SE Asian nation? You based on your Map. OK I will play your game. Is Russia a European nation or Asian nation? 

Most people would answer that the Philippines is SE Asian, just like most people once answered that the sun revolves around the earth or that the earth is flat based on what they were told rather than the actual evidence.

If I was from the Philippines I would be highly upset at being called SE Asian when my country was clearly not south. I would not feel comfortable being thrown into a general group of countries for the sake of convenience  

As far as Russia goes it is of course an anomaly because it is so big.

Clearly it is a Eurasian country with one part being Northern European another section northern middle eastern and then one part north eastern.

Which is of course why some Russians look more European and others more Eastern.

Proof is in the Putin. 

Oh bunny, you just had to, didn't you!

Let's set aside Russia And Philippines, Efren , pool. Let's talk about Indonesians playing chess. There are only four according to you. Including the 5 ft 10 inch Indonesian, that's 5. How do you explain this article? Bogus?

https://chessbase.in/news/jacob-aagaard-in-asia-part-iii

I actually said there are two players but may be as many as four, which could of course then include the giant Indonesian but shortly after another guy from SE Asia clearly stated that it was impossible for the tall guy to play chess.

Maybe he knows him.

I will criticize and pull apart the article once I have read it, but I already doubt any article written by a guy who posts photos of food and taxi rides in a chess article

how does one even resist?

Your thread isn't objected by Indonesians. Other than the 5 ft 10 Indonesian, nobody is posting to refute your claims. Whatever! Nice chatting with you!

OK, I have read the article and here is my summary:

A GM goes on a tour playing chess in various places. It is probably the first time in years he has left his parent’s basement so he is super exited about seeing new things and making human contact.

Everything seems bigger to him than it actually is.

For all his claims the photo evidence suggests a hand full of chess enthusiasts,most photos show 4-5 people. He had some good food and got a free shirt.

The end.

Note that a few  drivers in Indonesia seem to like chess, I can also claim they play chess in the streets and make it sound like you see it everywhere when in fact very few people do and only because they bored out of their skulls.

Ducky you ask an asinine Q. Only a through and through blatant, racist bigot would ask such a foolish Q. Back off and try to understand why most find your Q obnoxious & offensive.

Actually you are the first to indicate that you find it offensive , mainly because you are one of those people obsessed with trying to see everything that moves a racist, which is ironic coming from Brit.

Why must the messenger always be crucified ,like it is my fault SE Asian don’t play chess?

Ok boomer

Outstanding, hilarious thread.  Despite the clueless "OK Boomer" comment above.

Keep up the good work, EVERYONE.

Makes me want to take a Polynesian Chess Cruise to Hawaii.  LOL. 

Well, I believe this concludes my exhaustive report on the topic.

The thoroughness of it is of course proven by the fact that nobody disagreed, except one guy, basically a miracle for this site.

Now to see if Eric will keep his word and give me that diamond membership

wait, no pics?  the millennials won't believe you then!