A coffeeshop in Bandar Bayan Baru, Penang has become what may be the last remaining Chinese chess gathering spot on the island.
Selera SIM Food and Drink on Jalan Tengah closes its doors to regular customers at 2pm each day. But the chess tables stay. After closing time, Ooi Chee Keong keeps the shop open for a group of players who have been gathering there since the 1990s.
The club goes by the name Under the Big Tree Chess Club, a nod to the spot where they originally gathered before Ooi invited them indoors to shelter from the weather.
Ooi, 42, provides the venue, chess sets, and refreshments at no charge. He has kept this arrangement going for more than a decade. He also funds an annual tournament to draw younger players into the game.
The players span ages 15 to 90. Retirees make up most of the crowd, but business owners, lifeguards, school bus drivers, and hawkers also sit down at the boards.
The club chairman Jack Lee, 47, is a retired electrical and mechanical engineer. He spoke about what makes face-to-face play different from staring at a screen.
“AI has no emotions. Playing chess in a coffee shop allows me to see people who is happy, angry, or tense – that’s where the real thrill is. Sometimes, pushing your opponent into a corner until they get frustrated is incredibly satisfying!” he said.
Lee added that the game reveals character. “The way you play chess reflects your character. Watching how someone reacts when one loses a game or makes a wrong move reveals his temperament and personality.”
The group’s survival matters. Two other historic Chinese chess hubs on the island have already disappeared. The Lebuh Presgrave spot shut permanently after a dispute. The Rifle Range gathering faded as players aged or passed away.
Lee sees a wider problem. “Kids nowadays are all about e-sports and scrolling their phones. But playing chess doesn’t cost much money, and it trains your brainpower and fosters critical thinking.”
For now, Selera SIM remains the last haven for the tradition on Penang Island. The sound of chess pieces striking the board still fills the room each afternoon.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
