The Squares of the City

Author’s Note

The persons, places, and events described in The Squares of the City are, of course, entirely imaginary.

The techniques whereby the human “chessmen” are described as having been moved are — regrettably — not entirely imaginary. Certainly they do not exist today as they are pictured here. Nonetheless, they are foreshadowed in the methods of present-day advertising, which are being more and more often applied to politics, and history is full of what one might call nonprofessional application of tricks like the Big Lie and guilt by association which in the hands of accomplished and determined men have served to direct and control the thoughts and actions of large’ populations.

The game of chess itself is not imaginary at all. It is Steinitz-Tchigorin (Havana) 1892, precisely as recorded in the Penguin handbook The Game of Chess by H. Golombek. Every move of the game has a counterpart in the action of the story, with the partial exception that castling is implied and not overt. The individuals who correspond to the “pieces” have powers roughly commensurate with those of the pawns and officers they represent.

Naturally, since none of the “pieces” are aware that they are being “moved,” including the narrator Boyd Hakluyt, many events not directly equivalent to the moves of the game are recorded in the story. But the moves are all there, in their correct order and — so far as possible — in precise correspondence with their effect on the original game. That is to say, support of one piece by another on its own side, threatening of one or more pieces by a piece on the other side, indirect threats and the actual taking of pieces, are all as closely represented as possible in the development of the action.

The game is three moves short as played in the story, owing to the failure of Maria Posador to kill Boyd Hakluyt and Hakluyt’s discovery of the truth. As originally continued, Black resigned on move 38.

For the benefit of the curious reader, I append a table of the “pieces” involved in the game, with a note — where applicable — of their ultimate fate.

White:

QR Bishop Cruz

QKt Luis Arrio

QB Judge Romero

Q Alejandro Mayor

QBP Estrelita Jaliscos

QKtPDr. Alonzo Ruiz

QBP Nicky Caldwell

QP Andres Lucas

K Juan Sebastian Vados

KP Mario Guerrero

KB Donald Angers

KBP Seixas

KKt Boyd Hakluyt

KKtPIsabela Cortes

KR Professor Cortes

KRP Enrique Rioco

Black:

QR General Molinas

QKt Maria Posador

QB Jose Dalban

Q Cristoforo Mendoza

K Esteban Diaz

KB Felipe Mendoza

KKt Miguel Dominguez

KR Tomas O’Rourke (el Jefe)

QRP Fernando Sigueiras

QKtP Fats Brown

QBP Pedro Murieta

QP Sam Francis

KP Juan Tezol

KBP Guyiran

KKtP Castaldo

KRP Gonzales

Taken in the course of play — White

QKt (Luis Arrio) denounced to police by Pedro Murieta for killing Felipe Mendoza in a duel.

QB (Judge Romero) removed from office for incompetence at instigation of Miguel Dominguez.

Q (Alejandro Mayor) burned to death in television station following threats by Jose Dalban.

QRP (Estrelita Jaliscos) killed in fall from window in apartment belonging to Fats Brown.

QBP (Nicky Caldwell) suffered mental breakdown following exposure of his false charges against Pedro Murieta.

QP (Andres Lucas) imprisoned on charges of complicity in blackmailing of Fats Brown brought by Miguel Dominguez.

KP (Mario Guerrero) killed by Sam Francis for insulting the color of his skin.

Taken in the course of play — Black

QB (Jose Dalban) bankrupted and driven to suicide by Luis Arrio.

Q (Cristoforo Mendoza) jailed for contempt by Judge Romero following the closing of his newspaper Tiempo.

KB (Felipe Mendoza) killed in duel with Luis Arrio.

QRP (Fernando Sigueiras) jailed after moving peasant family into Angers’ apartment.

QKtP (Fats Brown) shot by Angers when under suspicion of murdering Estrelita Jaliscos.

QP (Sam Francis) said to have committed suicide in jail while awaiting trial for murder of Mario Guerrero.

KP (Juan Tezol) jailed by Judge Romero for nonpayment of fine.