About: Satou Dosso

Programme d’activités jan-juin 2020

Combined offer – “The Joker”, the museums’ bistro, and the Museum offer you a brunch followed by a guided tour of the permanent exhibition every Sunday.

Brunch is served as of 11 am at the “Joker” – the bistro of the museum. At 2 pm, a special guided tour of the permanent exhibition is organised for the guests*.

Adults: CHF 50.-

Children up to 12 years: CHF 25.-

Reserve today: directly at the ‘Joker’ under 021 558 86 83 or by email : jokerlatour@gmail.com

* The entry voucher gives access the same day, to the Museum and to the free guided tour OR to a free admission to the Museum during 6 months following the date of the brunch.

It is not possible to follow the guided tour without participating in the brunch.

Learn more

Programme d’animations dans la ville de La Tour-de-Peilz.

Le 15 décembre au Musée du Jeu, on vous propose un après-midi jeux et un spectacle de magie. Plus d’infos

Le 1^er octobre dernier, une nouvelle gérance a pris en main le Joker-le bistrot du musée. À sa tête, Anthony Simonian, 27 ans, diplômé de l’École hôtelière et mention en sommellerie en France. Il se présente :

« Après mes études je suis parti travailler à Londres en tant que sommelier, et j’ai ouvert mon premier restaurant a mon retour en région parisienne, début 2016.

Au Joker, nous proposons une carte de style brasserie avec que des produits maisons : foie gras, filet de bœuf, burger, filet de perche etc. Une cuisine et une présentation raffiné, élaboré par notre chef Zoltan Mathus, qui nous vient d’Hongrie. Ce dernier a appris le métier de cuisinier à Bordeaux (France), mais aussi en Corse et pour finir en Suisse dans plusieurs établissements renommés.

Nous proposons une carte des vins de plus de 50 références, allant de CHF 21.- à CHF 180.- avec des vins renommés (Marie Thérèse Chappaz, château pontet Canet etc.).

Retrouvez aussi chaque jour une formule de midi à CHF 21.-, des fondues moité-moité, un menu enfant à CHF 14.- et des glaces, paninis, gaufres et tartes a toutes heures ! »

En octobre 2014, des spécialistes du jeu se sont réunis au Musée Suisse du Jeu pour participer au colloque Jeux et multiculturalité dans l’Antiquité gréco-romaine organisé en collaboration avec l’Université de Fribourg. Le dossier thématique qui en a découlé a été publié dans la revue Archimède n° 6, 2019.

Ce dossier ouvre plusieurs pistes de recherche sur les enjeux identitaires, réels ou imaginaires de la culture ludique antique dans la longue durée, de l’Égypte pharaonique à la fin de l’Antiquité.

Par Véronique Dasen, professeure en archéologie classique à l’Université de Fribourg, et Ulrich Schädler, directeur du Musée Suisse du Jeu.

Introduction du dossier

Revue Archimède n° 6, 2019

François André Danican Philidor is one of the first chess players to earn the title of world champion. He is known for his maxim “pawns are the soul of chess” and for his best-selling book Analysis of Chess.

Born in 1726, this Frenchman of Scottish origin is a musician like many members of his family. At the age of ten, he was part of the choir of the Royal Chapel of Versailles and this is when he discovered chess.

Philidor arrives in Paris around 1740. He earns his living thanks to music, but does not forget his passion for chess. The Regence café, a famous meeting place for players of the time, quickly became his headquarters.

At the age of 18, already one of the best players, he tries the game blindly (without looking at the board, mentally retaining the game), first against an opponent, then in two simultaneous games which he wins. During his lifetime, he will face the best players of the time in France, England and Holland.

In 1748, Philidor wrote one of the greatest classics of chess literature, the Chess Analysis, which was a huge success. His work was translated into several languages ​​and reissued several times.  Still today, he is seen as the first theoretician of chess.

Despite his success, his variable income does not allow him to support his family. He therefore makes many trips between France and England to run the London Chess Club against payment.

Blocked in England during the French Revolution, he died there in 1795.

References:

Sergio Boffa, François André Danican Philidor, La culture échiquéenne en France et en Engleterre au XVIII siècle.

Larousse du jeu d’échecs, 1977

Photos :

Wikipedia

Musée Suisse du Jeu

Chess and IT

First research on the adaptation of computer chess began to take shape in the 1960s. It was Mikhail Botvinnik, the world champion of his time, who decided to withdraw from the championships to devote himself to the development of the computer program called Kaïssa. The first intermachine world championship took place in Stockholm in 1974 and the programme Kaïssa was the winner.

During the 1980s, the phenomenon intensifies. It is at this time that appear the first machines that play autonomously chess, the “electronic chessboards”. The improvement of computers in the mid-1980s allowed more and more programmers to develop more and more effective programs. Players’ interest is growing and investments in the computer chess industry are fast following. Software is becoming more precise and product diversification is growing.

The “Staunton” pieces

In 1849, Nathaniel Cook patented the design of standard chess pieces as we know them today. A set of recognizable, elegant and solid pieces are produced by John Jaques, brother-in-law of world chess champion Howard Staunton. At the first production in 1849, Jaques asked Staunton for permission to name the pieces by name and to use his autograph on the box. This allows him to use the reputation of the champion to sell this new set. “Staunton” pieces become the international standard.

© Swiss Museum of Games Collection
Staunton coins, late 19th century.