When I finally managed to slip into an opening, I guessed that at heart of this scene was the age old man vs. machine saga played out here in 2009 at this quaint little park in Chinatown. It appeared that the opponent on the right, strumming his playing pieces, was using that mini laptop to chart every move he and his opponent on the left made. The gentleman on the left on the other hand, just used his brains, and at times gave the crowd animated comments on his strategy, while his opponent remained pretty much silent throughout.
Not knowing the game it's hard for me to say who was winning and by how much. Originally I thought the opponent on the left had to make a big comeback because I didn't see a lot of his men on the board, but it turned out several of his pieces were blocked from my view, and when I reviewed my shots later, by the number of remaining pieces, the battle seemed very even throughout. The crowd certainly seemed to remain transfixed throughout this match between this jovial fellow and his quiet studious opponent, seeking an advantage through technology.
Tatiana (travelways)
on November 22, 2011another good one - look at those faces...!