Hidden Chess Boards at Disneyland

I just got back from a couple of days at Disneyland and was surprised to find not one, not two, but three chess boards located amid the attractions.

1) Pirates of the Caribbean. Located in the saloon tableau are two pirate skeletons playing chess. The story goes that the ride designer positioned the pieces so that the two players are locked in a stalemate, which will now last for all eternity.

That's a great detail, but I find it more interesting that this was no casual game. The pirates are using an hourglass as a chess clock!

2) Jungle Cruise. While waiting in the queue you'll notice barrels and cargo, and a chess board with some unique pieces. A little research indicates the pieces have changed periodically. They started with shotgun shells and animal carvings...

...but those were replaced sometime along the way with tusks and feathers...

...but they started to get less and less elaborate...

...and now the metal disks and other odds and ends are hardly distinguishable as stand-ins for chess pieces.

3) Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. This attraction in Galaxy's Edge contains a true-to-life replica of the famed spacecraft, including the area just outside the cockpit where a dejarik board sits. Also known as holochess, it's a game where three-dimensional holographic images of various creatures act out moves and captures.

No working holograms on the ride, but it's a pretty neat spot for photos.

Never one to overlook an opportunity for profit, Disney has created dozens, if not hundreds, of chess sets for sale.

Even with all this chess linkage, it's a bad idea to actually play chess at Disneyland. I tried and got badly beaten. Too many distractions!