Welcome to Mid-Afternoon Map, our exclusive members-only newsletter that provides a cartographic perspective on current events, geopolitics, and history from the Caucasus to the Carolinas. Subscribers can look forward to interesting takes on good maps and bad maps, beautiful maps and ugly ones — and bizarre maps whenever possible.***Anti-Western ideology and geopolitical necessity may be the main factors uniting the Russian and Iranian regimes. But there’s also an unexpected preference for backgammon.Vladimir Putin, of course, is regularly described as a chess master, deftly outmaneuvering his checkers-playing opponents in op-ed after op-ed. Putin, for his part, has leaned into the image, staging public appearances with high-profile chess players. It turns out, however, that there’s no public record of him actually playing chess, much less being particularly skilled at it. Instead, a quick internet search turns up a picture of Putin leaning over a cheap backgammon board, clearly intent on whatever move he is making or explaining.Russian President Vladimir Putin takes on his soldiers. Image via Chicago Point.Iran’s first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, was more explicit in his preference for backgammon. Initially, the ayatollah went so far as to forbid chess after the Iranian revolution (although apparently he relented after being convinced it could be played without gambling). Crucially, Khomeini believed that backgammon was a superior board game: Relying on dice, it served as a constant reminder of God’s sovereignty in human affairs.Suffice it to say, a bit of the ayatollah’s theocratic zeal would be welcome among Washington foreign policy editors. The first step would be a ban on Putin-as-chess-master metaphors. The next would be to abolish gratuitous chess visuals.A Google chess search.Click on any article about strategy or geopolitics and you’re all too likely to see a stock-image photo montage of chess pieces awkwardly scattered across a map of the world. I have nothing
Members-Only Content
This article is reserved for War on the Rocks members. Join our community to unlock exclusive insights and analysis.
Welcome to Mid-Afternoon Map, our exclusive members-only newsletter that provides a cartographic perspective on current events, geopolitics, and history from the Caucasus to the Carolinas. Subscribers can look forward to interesting takes on good maps and bad maps, beautiful maps and ugly ones — and bizarre maps whenever possible.***Anti-Western ideology and geopolitical necessity may be the main factors uniting the Russian and Iranian regimes. But there’s also an unexpected preference for backgammon.Vladimir Putin, of course, is regularly described as a chess master, deftly outmaneuvering his checkers-playing opponents in op-ed after op-ed. Putin, for his part, has leaned into the image, staging public
