World Animal Day doesn’t go by unnoticed at the Chessmen Museum. This year director Ridder Dijkshoorn chose to put the playful Snoopy chess game in the spotlight. He tells us why he is so charmed by the colorful pieces of this chess set.

spiritueel met paardenRidder: “The fourth of October is World Animal Day, a day that cannot go by unnoticed. Even if it were just because I am member of, and vote for, the Party for Animals. Also I publish the quarterly magazine Spiritual with horses. But which animal or animals do I talk about? Everyone knows that there are four horses in a chess game, but that’s the only link between horses and the chess games at the museum.”

The ‘Spiritual with Horses’ magazine, published by Ridaire publishers

“We talked about the dogs vs. cats chess game on a previous World Animal Day. We have also told you the history of the English National Trust chess game, with its impressive domestic birds, and the chess game of the wild animals of Blijdorp Zoo. ‘Why don’t you write about the Snoopy chess game?’, suggested Marjolein Overmeer, the writer of the majority of the articles about the museum’s chess games. Well yes, why not Snoopy, the faithful quadruped that plays an important part in the Peanuts comics. In Dutch the title was translated to ‘Tiny Tots’ but the comic is better known as Charley Brown. It used to be a very well-known comic, but now you have to look for it in secondhand and antiquarian bookshops.”

snoopy and CB“Snoopy spends most of his time on the roof of his doghouse, where his ‘indolence’ leads to profound insights. Charley Brown plays a neurotic supporting role. He comes to the conclusion that even his fears suffer from anxiety. His favorite position is walking around with his head down, like depressed people do, ‘because if I keep my head up it just doesn’t feel as good’.”

“Charley learns some harsh, but sometimes also wise lessons from self-proclaimed psychiatrist Lucy, a girl from the neighborhood. Her consultation hours take place in a stall on the street with a sign on it that says The doctor is in. The lessons learnt by Charley sometimes help Linus, Lucy’s brother, who has a hard time because of his sister’s dominant behavior. When Linus decides to go out into the world with just a knapsack on his back, Charley reminds him of the fact that the nights can be pretty cold when you’re sleeping outside. Linus reaches a realistic conclusion: ‘So, you can’t fight City hall?’”

“Want to know more about the adventures of these Tiny Tots? Grab every chance you get to buy one of their comics before this piece of cultural heritage disappears into oblivion. And come and visit the Chessmen Museum to see them in 3D. And now, following the example of the wise dog Snoopy, there are now clever cats making their appearance in the current comics. Snoopy has set an example.

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The Snoopy chess game

By Ridder Dijkshoorn