Cosplay Chess
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Chess is back and better than ever at Anime Boston 2012! Cosplay Chess is a cosplay gameshow event in which a giant chess-board is set up on stage and convention attendees in costume serve as the pieces, moving, fighting and dying live on stage at the direction of two chess masters. Events in Chess are usually a combination of improvisation with some pre-scripted events, with a different balance every year between the spontaneous and the pre-planned.
The theme for this year's Cosplay Chess will be: Good vs Evil!
That's right, an epic showdown between the forces of Good and Evil. Blood-thirsty vampires will face off against magical schoolgirls! Insane ego-maniacal tyrants vs. chivalrous knights! Black Mages vs. White Mages! Monsters vs. mecha pilots! Homonculi vs. alchemists! And Team Sit-In-The-Corner-And-Sulk (SITCAS) will be there for it all... sulking, of course.
Cosplay Chess is also part of the Cosplot, aka. Continuing Cosplay Plotline! This is an overarching storyline which ties together events at the Dating Game, Catch the Barrel, the Masquerade, Chess and other parts of the con. This year's cosplot will also be Good vs. Evil. For more information see the Cosplot page.
How to Participate:
The participants in the chess match are chosen from among the convention attendees. No knowledge of how to play chess is required - your movements will be directed by the two chess players. If you are interested in participating, you must submit an online application form along with a sample photo of yourself in your costume. Registration for Chess is not first-come first-serve like the Masquerade and Formal Hall Costume Contest. Instead, all applications will be reviewed at the same time after the application cut-off date and the participants will be selected based on the appropriateness and popularity of the characters and the quality of the costumes. Be certain to read the Chess Rules before you submit your application. This year's application deadline is March 6, 2012..
Note: the odds are getting slimmer: Every year Chess becomes more popular and we have more and more applications. Last year we had over 200 applications to an event which can only use 32 pieces and a couple dozen special characters. This year we are expecting even more applications. That means that the odds of getting into the event are lower than ever, and we expect at least 75% of applicants not to be selected. We apologize in advance to those who won't make it in this year and hope that you'll enjoy watching. This also means that we have had to abandon our past rule that those who participate as special attacks one year get priority to be on the board the next year, since with so many specials this would mean no one else could ever be on the board. To make sure the event is still entertaining for the audience, priority in selection will go to the costumes that fit the theme and events best regardless of who has played what in previous years. We will, however, maintain our rule that the same person cannot be a piece on the board with the same costume twice in a row.
What kinds of characters get picked?
Priority is given to popular and easily-recognized characters, since the match is more fun for the audience if they know who the characters are. Priority will also be given to characters who fit the "Good vs. Evil" theme, so try to pick a character who fits the ideals of that side. In some cases, especially when casting the King and Queen pairs, priority is given to pairs or small groups from the same series. You may apply with more than one costume, in which case we will select the most appropriate one. The more costumes you include on your application, the more likely you are to be accepted.
Special Attacks and Special Event Characters:
In addition to the thirty-two pieces on the board, Cosplay Chess also has Special Attacks and Special Event Characters. A Special Attack is a cosplayer who is not a piece, but is summoned onto the stage by another piece. Past special attacks have included Yuna (Final Fantsy X-2) summoning Rikku and Paine, Kaworu (Kenshin) summoning Kenshin, and Sasuke (Naruto) using the Edo Tensei Reincarnation In An Impure World Forbidden Jutsu to summon Alfonse Elric's real body (Fullmetal Alchemist) as a zombie to use it to attack Al's brother Ed. If you have a character who you think would make a good special attack, or if you have a second person willing to cosplay as an appropriate special attack for your character, you can apply as a special attack - see our Chess Rules and online application form. Special Event Characters are similar to Special Attack Characters but come on for a variety of reasons besides just combat. Last year many ninjas, pirates, shinigami, alchemists and other characters made brief appearances as Special Events to spice up the game. If you apply and there is not room for you to be a piece on the board, you may be invited to participate as a Special Event Character instead.
Application details:
Individuals participating in other cosplay events at the convention this year may also apply to Cosplay Chess. You may use the same costume for Chess which you wear in the Masquerade or Formal Hall Costume Contest but if two people apply as the same character and one of them is also in the Masquerade, priority will go to the other. You may apply to both Cosplay Chess and the Anime Dating Game with the same costume, but it will usually only be selected for one event. When you apply, you must submit a link to a photo of yourself in your costume. A front view and a back view are preferable and must include all props that will be used on stage, a picture of you without the costume, of the costume without you in it, or a screencap or manga image from the series is not acceptable. Applications are not first-come first-serve so if you don't have a photo yet, wait to apply until you have one rather than submitting an incomplete application. There is room on the application form for four costumes to be submitted - if you wish to submit more than four costumes, there is a space for you to note additional costumes.
IMPORTANT: This event will take place on Sunday so if you apply, you must make certain that you will not have to leave the convention early!
MANDATORY REHEARSAL! In addition to the Sunday time, there will be a mandatory preparatory rehearsal for all participants, held Saturday morning. You must attend this meeting to participate - if you miss it you will be removed from the game and replaced. Details about the time and location of the rehearsal will be distributed as soon as possible. You will not be required to be in costume for the rehearsal, you simply need to be there.
Group applications:
We are no longer accepting group applications for Chess. If you want to apply as a group, simply have all members fill out separate applications, then write a note in your application forms saying you are a group and include the names of other group members. There is a blank in the form for this.
To apply for Cosplay Chess, please fill out the Cosplay Chess form.
Remember, the application cutoff for Cosplay Chess is March 6, 2012.
Note: Minors applying must submit a participation permission form signed by a parent or guardian. The permission form can be found here.