#Names of chess pieces in german free

The Drueke Company, a renowned American manufacturer of games, began production of pocket games, including chess. Philanthropic efforts to create connections with civilian life were complemented by the activities of corporations of the era. As part of their aid work, many of these organizations made gift kits for outgoing soldiers and those in hospitals, some of which included simple pocket chess sets stamped with the groups’ names. The USO coordinated the recreation and aid efforts of six organizations: the Jewish Welfare Board, National Catholic Community Service, the National Travelers Aid Association, Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). In 1941, the United Services Organization (USO) was formed in response to a call by President Franklin D. He even composed a poem about the experience, lamenting that after spending so much time and care in creating the set, the Red Cross sent Christmas care parcels with numerous sets.Įfforts to aid in recreation for troops also extended to camps in the United States and the European and Pacific Theaters. Army Air Forces, carved his own chess set. At Stalag IIIB, the June 25, 1943, issue of the camp’s newsletter, titled POW-WOW, advertised a chess and checker tournament as a means of staving off becoming “Stalag-happy.” While captive at Stalag Luft I, 1st Lt. In some camps, POWs organized their own chess tournaments as a means of passing time. Upon learning that the favorite gifts of British POWs were chess and mahjong sets, she purchased a number of packages to send to them. James’s Palace, where the Red Cross’ Prisoner of War Department assembled parcels for captive troops. In November 1942, the New York Times reported that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited St. Like other games and sports in POW camps, chess proved a means of fighting boredom and depression and provided a distraction from the fear and monotony of prison life. In 1942, the list of materials that could be mailed was greatly expanded, with baseball and softball equipment added to the list of permitted sporting goods. Concerned not only with the physical well being of captured troops, but also their mental and emotional needs, the Red Cross’ original list of items that could be sent to POWs of European Axis powers included food, clothing, and toiletries as well as recreational items like books, footballs, playing cards, and chess and checkers sets.

#Names of chess pieces in german free

In an August 7, 1940, New York Times article, the Red Cross announced that relatives of POWs in European camps could send packages to them free of charge. The International Committee of the Red Cross acted to enforce these regulations by inspecting POW camps to evaluate adherence to these standards, keeping records of the locations of POWs, and facilitating the exchange of letters and packages between POWs and their families. Among these articles was a stipulation that when possible, “belligerents shall encourage intellectual diversions and sports organized by POWs.” These included rules about camp conditions, the rights of prisoners, and medical treatment. In 1929, the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War established new regulations that aimed to ensure humane treatment of prisoners of war. Chess played just one role in the larger aid efforts undertaken by American citizens, who according to a 1946 report of the President’s War Relief Committee, would ultimately donate over $1 billion to war charities between 19. On View: JJanuary 17, 2016Ĭhess often played a part in philanthropic efforts that aimed to assist members of the military, whether in the United States, on the front, held in prisoner of war camps, or convalescing in hospitals. Battle on the Board: Chess during World War II provides insight into how a game modeled upon battle can provide a sense of home and community as well as demonstrating the dramatic changes the war brought to the game. Though chess is often perceived as a game of war, it also serves as a means of passing long hours or as an aid in recuperation for members of the military.