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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Why are they called indians?? (Read 8433 times)
Paddy
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #20 - 02/09/06 at 17:16:18
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Paddy wrote on 11/17/05 at 18:20:52:
Re: Why are they called indians??

When in doubt about such matters, I find a generally reliable port-of-call is The Oxford Companion to Chess.

There it is said that the term was was coined in 1924 by Tartakower in his book "Indisch", for the reply 1...Nf6 to 1 d4.

The basis was apparently that one of Cochrane's opponents Moheshunder "the Brahmin" had defended against 1 d4 with 1...Nf6 followed by a king's or queen's fianchetto.



Why doubt this explanation? It's verifiable, unlike all the other speculation and hearsay that has gone on in this thread!
  
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SniperOnG7
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #19 - 02/05/06 at 10:45:15
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Unfortunately the version that i read was along the lines of ErictheRed's...
I think I can find it somewhere in one of my chess books... I'll have a search sometime and come back with a quote.
  
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ErictheRed
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #18 - 12/01/05 at 12:49:40
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Well, anything's better than the Toilet variation....
  
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Strptzr
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #17 - 12/01/05 at 07:58:17
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No, the Orang-Utan, not his bum. So, there's even worse namegivers than good old T.
  
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CraigEvans
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #16 - 12/01/05 at 07:21:44
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I thought they were named Indian defences as the creators came up with the ideas while enjoying a pint and a meal in a curry house?

Grin

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Craig
  
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bckm
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #15 - 11/28/05 at 16:50:45
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Strptzr wrote: Quote:
Well, if Tartakower is to blame, then we should not complain about the name. The man has baptized another opening (one Sokolsky seemed to like) with a 'subhuman' result.


You mean it was Tartakower who named the "
Monkey's Bum
"?  Grin  <nyuk nyuk>

Sorry, couldn't resist...  Cheesy
  
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Strptzr
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #14 - 11/22/05 at 10:52:38
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Well, if Tartakower is to blame, then we should not complain about the name. The man has baptized another opening (one Sokolsky seemed to like) with a 'subhuman' result...
  
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TimS
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #13 - 11/22/05 at 06:38:12
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Surely the reason, as I remember it, is that originally in chess in India, pawns could only move one square forwards so bishops were much more likely to be fianchettoed. It's nothing to do with perceived cultural backwardness - simply to do with origins.
« Last Edit: 11/22/05 at 12:00:19 by TimS »  
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ErictheRed
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #12 - 11/21/05 at 19:49:12
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Well it's very possible that that's the reason Tartakower dubbed them Indian defences; it might be true that he coined the term "Indian," but why?  Perhaps he thought the the openings were backwards...I don't really know, I just remember reading that somewhere or other...
  
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #11 - 11/21/05 at 16:19:28
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Seriously!???

Not in a chess book, I hope...
  
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ErictheRed
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #10 - 11/21/05 at 14:43:24
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I hope I don't offend anyone, but the version I read (I can't remember where now) was that the Indian defences were named that because they developed the pieces first, trying to control with center with pieces first and pawns later. Compared to the classical openings that controlled the center first with pawns and later pieces (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6, 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5, 1.e4 c5, etc.), the Indian openings were "backwards".  This "backwardness" became associated with Indians (American and others) because Indians were considered culturally "backwards" to Western Europeans. 

Of course I don't agree with it, but that's the version I read somewhere.
  
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MNb
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #9 - 11/18/05 at 05:37:25
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The Tarrasch story I have read was already 2nd hand, so Paddy's explanation makes a lot of sense. It also explains how S_F - otherwise very accurate on chess history - mixed up two stories.
  
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Paddy
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #8 - 11/17/05 at 18:20:52
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Re: Why are they called indians??

When in doubt about such matters, I find a generally reliable port-of-call is The Oxford Companion to Chess.

There it is said that the term was was coined in 1924 by Tartakower in his book "Indisch", for the reply 1...Nf6 to 1 d4.

The basis was apparently that one of Cochrane's opponents Moheshunder "the Brahmin" had defended against 1 d4 with 1...Nf6 followed by a king's or queen's fianchetto.
  
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Viking
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #7 - 11/17/05 at 12:44:02
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Bent Larsen in his book "Åbningsspillet i Skak" (dont know if it is available in english) says:

"....The name "indian" was originally a joke by Tartakower, but it became rapidly common..."
  
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Re: Why are they called indians??
Reply #6 - 11/15/05 at 19:57:32
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I've heard the explanation told by Strptzr, while not buying the Tarrasch story.
  
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