Check Mate?

I came across these two engrossed chess players outside a cafe on the edge of a street market in Tel Aviv.

It struck me that the unavoidable synergy of them playing the colour pieces they were, was both delightful and arresting.

Here were two men, from clearly very different ethnic backgrounds, comfortable in each other’s company (there were periodic smiles of acknowledgement as one or other moved their piece), enjoying a shared challenge (and possibly a break from the rigours of shopping, if they’re anything like most of the men in my life) and apparently unaware of and unconcerned about their differences.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was more of this in the world.Of course, I could be overthinking a simple, visually eye-catching moment, but just saying….