As a chess player and pianist, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Brian Woods, well-known classical pianist and Director of Classical Music Programming at the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), who recently performed his program “Wanderings” for the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania (SSWPA) Recital Series. I would like to thank the SSWPA for making this interview possible.
    The black and white chess pieces merge with the black and white keys of the piano, orchestras, and music in pianist Brian Woods’ world. An accomplished pianist who performs internationally and has placed highly at several distinguished competitions, Woods is also the Director of Classical Music Programming at the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF). At first glance, it may seem odd that a pianist, who avowedly does not play chess, would end up as the director of a primarily chess-focused museum. For Woods, however, taking this position was a natural move.
    When Woods was young, he performed on stage as part of his theater hobby and realized early on that this background enhanced his communication skills. Therefore, when a job position for the Director of Classical Music Programming opened up at the WCHOF, he was an ideal choice. The museum’s administration realized that these communication skills made him uniquely qualified to showcase the connection between the two similar yet distinct art forms of chess and classical music. He landed the job.
    But still, why would the WCHOF have a complete classical music program when chess is clearly its primary focus? The answer lies in the vision of its main benefactor, Rex Sinquefield. Sinquefield is not only a lover of intense chess tournaments and games, but also the turning pages and flowing sounds of classical music. In fact, Sinquefield is not alone in the chess world for his love of classical music. Many of the world's top grandmasters, including Grandmaster Levon Aronian, who especially loves Shostakovich, are keen listeners as well.
    Chess and music are also intertwined deeply in at least one surprising way. When Woods heard chess Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan state that a player’s move was “Romantic,” it clicked that styles of classical music had their counterparts in chess. Similar to the charged human-emotion based music of the Romantic Era, Romanticism in chess involves the high drama of pursuing the beauty of sacrifices and fast attacks. Woods’ recent performance of his program Wanderings at the WCHOF, which includes all four Chopin Ballades, is the epitome of this strong connection.
    Woods has also noted several other similarities between the two art forms in his time entangled in both worlds. First, chess, like music, requires strong dedication and passion to achieve excellence and mastery, something that greatly impresses Woods every time he observes super-tournaments, such as the Sinquefield Cup, at the St. Louis Chess Club.
    Moreover, both chess and music have constraints and restrictions. Just as piano pieces are limited by the 88 keys and ten fingers, chess games, too, are limited by the rules governing the 32 pieces’ movements on an 8 X 8 board. However, in both cases, the possibilities are virtually infinite. Within set boundaries, there is limitless room for creativity.
    In other words, Woods’ work as the Director of Classical Music Programming at the World Chess Hall of Fame is a perfect match. In his work, Brian creates unique connections between Chess and Music, such as designing an exhibit highlighting a duel between violinist David Oistrakh and composer and pianist Sergei Prokofiev, which transpired over the chess board. Organizing and performing music publicized by Oistrakh and compositions of the ever-eccentric Prokofiev, he connects the tense chess match’s world with one of bright violin and grand piano music.
    Some of the WCHOF Classical Programming exhibits create connections even more direct and striking. A chess board that plays music with each move of a chess game, for example, converts the physical game into a classical composition.
    Woods’ work links the wooden pieces and running clocks of the chess world to the sonorous music world. While piano and chess may be very different in form and concept, their shared philosophy of objectivity meshing with creativity makes them a perfect if unexpected pair, and Woods is the perfect musician to tie them together.