For some time I have intended to write a post on the chess scene in Dupont Circle, a park in the Northwest section of Washington, DC. Unfortunately, I don't have time to do it justice this afternoon, but I want to direct the collective attention of the Agora to a piece in today's Washington Post Magazine on Tom Murphy, arguably the King of Dupont Circle. Cash from both my wallet and Billy Joe's wallet has found its way into Tom's. He is a hustler, but above that he is a teacher. The story from the Washington Post Magazine is also about the intoxicating way that chess, like art and music, can capture a man's soul.I know Tom Murphy, and consider him a friend. This article is relatively fair, but it does not fully do justice to his sparkling brilliance, his civility, his character, or his abiding integrity. Also, the author makes it a story about "what could have been", but if you really know Tom Murphy, it's hard to escape the notion that it's not quite too late, that his story is really one of "what could be."
Click here for the Washington Post Magazine write up. There is also a short video interview with Tom that will give you a glimpse into the special world of Dupont Circle's Chess University. Also, check out the coverage (and other content) at The Chess Drum.
I hope you'll take the time to read Tom's story. Tom is a colorful genius, and rather than post at length about him here and now, I'm going to selfishly make the 2 block walk to the circle, tell Tom I liked the article, play a few games with him, and more likely than not, lose ten dollars.
Awesome, awesome article - thanks for sharing. What did Tom say about the article? Do you have any interesting stories about him?
Chess is such a great game. I picked it up during high school, played pretty intensely for 2 years, and then pretty much stopped when my skills plateaued - definitely a regret of mine.
You can always pick it back up again. Several of us play on a site called Game Knot.
Tom was in a battle today with an Asian guy who was probably an expert, it looked like Tom got the better of him over the course of the day. I think he may have been a little unhappy that the article almost makes him sound like a cautionary tale, but he didn't really let on that way, one of the other players said that he thought the writer might have done some selective editing, but that was mostly just speculation. I took some pictures at the circle today that I might post later on, including some of Tom and his opponent today. He seemed sharp today, and he had a big crowd around him most of the day, probably in part to the spike in city-wide fame that corresponds with today's story in the Washington Post Magazine.
Tom has great chess banter, if he's playing someone great he's usually quiet, but if he knows he's stronger, or if he gets a big edge he tells you about it.
When he says check, he says "a-check-one-tyeeeme" or "check-um" a lot of the time, he likes to say "i'm just giving people jobs" as he develops, when he is tying up a closed pawn structure he says "lockum" and he has lots of other similar quirks. He often lights a cigarette and spouts profound life advice, and he's got a contagious smile and laugh.
He often gives people time odds to rope them into a game, this seems like more of an edge than it really is, since if you have 5 minutes and he has 2, he is thinking on your 5 minutes too, just focusing on what your most likely moves are. A player like Tom can probably play all of his moves against a player who is say 1600 and below, in 1:40 without much threat of losing.
He was in good spirits today, but too embattled for me to get a game in with him, which was likely good for my wallet.
I also saw "the black knight" one of the other fixtures of dupont circle chess, i'll likely write a post on him in the near future, he has a hell of a story. I asked him if i could interview him sometime and write about him, and he was absolutely willing. Knight is one of my teachers, so is Tom, but not as much as Knight.
Chess is a great equalizer, the thing is, people assume "bums" cant play. Some of these guys are MIGHTY over the 64 squares, and it allows us a chance to make friends where we normally wouldn't because there is a way to interact equally and develop mutual respect. A way I once put it, in my games with Knight, none of the advantages I've had in my life could buy me an extra move.
Unlikely friendships are formed between street people, hustlers, alcoholics, drug addicts, and doctors, lawyers, diplomats, professors, lobbyists, computer programmers, and scientists.
Today I played with a paralegal, an economist, an army officer who works at the pentagon, a private in the army who was home on leave, a bum who sleeps at the park, a security guard, and a retired factory worker.
One of my favorite chess quotes is, "chess yields us, when we need them most, companions in our loneliness"
I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the game, the park, or any of my friends from the park.
Thanks for reading
Billy Joe Mills played several games with Tom when he was visiting me recently, Billy, is there anything you'd like to add about playing "totofish" haha
Oh, Evan, if you want more info on gameknot, let us know.
I played Tom earlier this summer. When I read the article, I was surprised to find that his USCF rating was "only" 2092. As the article mentions, 2092 is a very good rating, but he played very strong blitz against me - much better than most 2100 players I've played. I was quite impressed.
The article describes some of the tactics he uses to try to hustle some extra money from people, like the $5 fee to observe his game. I got to experience one of these hustles!
Tom was watching me play, and just before my opponent was about to quit, he made sure to compliment my play. He then sat down to play me. He did not offer to play for money. After he beat me, he then claimed we were playing for $5/game because "that's what you were playing with the other guy."
However, as the article mentioned, he does have integrity, and when I called him on it and mentioned that he was freerolling me and could've just been silent if he lost, he agreed and didn't try to collect the $5. It didn't matter in the end, as after a long series of games, he eventually won my money anyway :)
I also second all of augur's comments about chess being an equalizer and a way to meet some interesting people.
Thanks to TheTodd for the story. I've been playing chess pretty much my entire life, and I'm a competent player, but TheTodd outclasses me by at least a few levels, watching him play is really an experience.
When he says Tom is better than 2092, that's all the evidence I need to know it's true. Todd represented Illinois with a polite but ruthless thrashing of pretty much everyone else he came up against over the boards (including a few particularly bloody massacres against me). I hope you make a return visit soon my friend.
I traveled around the country this summer and one of my stops was in D.C. One of the highlights of that stop, which was not in any of my tourist guides, was playing chess and joshin' around with all of the characters at DuPont Circle. Murphy was the first person I ever played against at DuPont, little did I know at that time that he was more than just another hustler, we was the best of the hustlers. He was drunk as hell and had been playing all day, but he beat me in three straight games.
But there was one game where I sacrificed my bishop for two of his pawns that protected his king-side castle. It surprised him a bit because I figured that the only way to beat him was to do something unorthodox. I ran out of time but we played the game out and I ended up beating him, but I'll never know whether he let me win to keep me playing and paying or whether it was a genuine win.
I wish Tom, or Toto Fish as he introduced himself to me, the best of luck in getting his Masters degree from DuPoint University.
One of the guys quoted in the Post story runs a chess blog, called the chess drum. He explains that some of the quotes weren't all that accurate, if you're interested, check out his comments here:
http://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/?p=99
Augur,
The Chess Drum is actually a 6000-page website with a blog attached to it. The blog has only been up a few months... the main site has been up for six years.
There are so many stories like his, but it is heart-warming that he gets so much joy and satisfaction from chess. There are people with millions who don't have such joy and passion.
Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum
http://www.thechessdrum.net/
Thanks for the clarification, I'll spend some more time looking at the site
I am so happy that this article and video came out. For once the true pain of being a chess player has been told.
I first met tom at the Atlantic Open in 1998. I was unable to really focus in the tournament because of what I experienced playing him. In the inner world of chess adepts there is a belief in somthing akin to telepathy and belive me Tom has made contact.
Years later we met at the World Open in the good old days of the Adams Mark in Philadelphia. The first day I went home minus $40 dollars after a six hour session, but I learned a deep lesson about Zen and Chess. Tom was sober and I believe he was succsessful in an Alchool Treatment like Alchoholics Anonymous. He was using an AA coin as the marker. And he was surrouned by such peace and serenity you could feel it. The next day I bombed out of the tournament and returned to the skittles room for another battle. We played for over twenty four hours straight and he came out plus one. In a state of trance on the second day I began to have rapid eye movments of chess variations, somthing the became somthing of a skill and curse. I also learned how to play from my heart, with all my heart and for that I thank him. Tom is a very strong blitz player, one of the best I have ever encoutered, his love for the game is infectous. Later in the tournament I was to finish around fourth place in the blitz tournament--winning ten+ games in a row after losing the first match !
His real strength, as he will tell you, is postional/strategic chess; his weakness of course is tactics.
I wish him the best in over coming the lines of force both over the board and off it.
Carl Boor
2007 Ohio Champion.
Dear Carl:
Thanks for the wonderfully thoughtful and insightful comments.
Seems like everyone here has a tom murphy story. I'd like to fastforward-I've been helping tom lately and with his permission created a yahoo account for him-tommurphy111@yahoo.com, created both myspace and facebook accounts under the name tom murphy. I've encouraged him to write a blog and he is eager to do so.
Tom did tell me that he had played at the Arlington Chess Club the other night, held his own against IM's and GM's and is gearing up to play in tournaments to increase his rating.
I have been taking lessons from Tom and I can tell you that my regular opponents have commented on how tougher/better player I have become and all credit is due to Tom.
Brill
brill22314@gmail.com