Check Please

Fans of Benno de Grote have come to expect a lot more than meets the eye inside his hand made laser cut puzzles. His designs have always been complex, and in fact he has actually begun to make his puzzles easier, understanding there is only so much pleasure in being tortured by an impossibly hard challenge. His wonderful Chess Box is a good example of how he scaled back on an idea that would have been tremendously difficult. He hasn’t entirely given up on his original idea, but the Chess Box presents a perfect balance of a great challenge that is very hard to solve but achievable, and includes a wonderful sequential discovery twist.

From Benno: “I’m not sure why, but I’ve always liked the idea of using buttons for puzzle boxes. The problem for a button is that if you push it in, there has to be some way to get it back out. Because of this I decided to make the button go all the way through the box, and come out on the other side. this way you could push it back from the other side of the box. At first I wanted to use 3 buttons on each side of the box, but while designing I realised that the box would become far more complicated than was reasonable.” Benno wisely decided to create the simpler version, and it is a testament to his skill and puzzling mind how much he packs into it nonetheless. He even added little hints to the box, which is very much appreciated.

Benno also wanted to tackle another puzzling problem he noted about his boxes, that resetting or closing the box can be tedious after a long and winding solve. In the chess box he adds a clever and mysterious twist of inspiration which spurs the solver on in hopes of discovering the final secret at the very end. It may be a psychological trick but it’s very effective and satisfying. Benno is also clearly a Harry Potter fan, as there is a reference to the final book in that series deep inside the chess box. He has created an elegant enigma contained within a lovely looking chess themed box which should appeal to anyone who likes a good challenge and layered secrets. He still has plans for the more complex box someday, which sounds impossible to solve. In the meantime he is working on an acrylic version, where the internal moves can be seen and better understood, for a different twist on the solving experience.

To toast the chess box I’m raising my glass in an idiosyncratic manner that chess aficionados will easily recognize. I’m actually sliding my cocktail glass to the side a few squares, until lo and behold a rook suddenly jumps over it to the other side. Now I feel that my glass is well protected. The cocktail was created by Thomas Waugh of Death and Company in 2009 to highlight Knappogue Castle’s 12 year old Irish whiskey. The whiskey is named after a 15th century Irish castle which was restored back to its grandeur in modern times and serves as the backdrop to the oldest commercially available Irish whiskey on the planet, the Knappogue 1951, which is aged in sherry casks for 36 years.

I wouldn’t advocate using the 1951 in a cocktail, but the 12 year is just right. Knappogue translates from Gaelic to “hill of the kiss” so don’t blame me if you suddenly feel romantic after imbibing this one. It’s a perfect whiskey sour for the fall weather which features apple juice as a sweetener, along with some acacia honey syrup. It’s reminiscent of the Gold Rush cocktail but adds the apple twist. I imagine it would be equally delicious with apple cider, and heated up on a crisp evening. And I don’t imagine I’ll be imagining that for long. Cheers!

Castle to Castle by Thomas Waugh

1 ½ oz Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

1 ½ oz Fuji apple juice

¾ oz lemon

½ oz acacia honey syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a basil sprig and lemon peel chess king.

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