A Mating Ritual That Lasts

The dress code is nonexistent. Nor is there a sound system or much of a decor. And the cuisine? Hardly haute. We’re talking coffee, doughnuts, hot dogs and ice cream.

Still, most evenings, night owls gather at Tang’s Donut in Silver Lake, trying out their best moves, looking for that elusive mate.

Checkmate, that is.

While the much-hyped matches between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky have rekindled many people’s interest in chess, at Tang’s, they never lost the faith. Nobody seems to be able to recall how long ago this all got started, but at least for the last four years, players have been showing up almost nightly to wage miniature wars at these tables.

Starting about 6 p.m., you’ll find them swatting their timers in speed matches or ponderously munching glazed doughnuts in untimed games, occasionally fending off that bane of chess competition, the kibitzer. The action continues unabated until about 6 a.m. All are welcome.

“This is my primary chess outlet,” says Mark Larios, a 22-year-old bodyguard, who has just shattered his opponent’s pawn structure and is moving in for the kill. “I work on contract and when I’m not working, I come here about five nights a week, from midnight to 5.”

Larios, who begun seriously playing chess in high school, describes himself as a “decent” player. The entire gamut of skill seems to be represented here. Rank amateurs play alongside tournament champions. And although discreet wagers between players are not unheard of, most of the matches here are played for the love of the game.

“For me, it’s just a place to hang out and meet other chess players,” says Larios’ victim, Fred Kreusch, a musician. Kreusch says he was driving by about a year ago, saw people playing inside and decided to stop in for a game. He’s been coming about five times a week ever since.

Eyeing the board now, he concludes that his position is hopeless against Larios and resigns. “I’m still learning the tricks of the game,” he concedes.

Although neither Larios nor Kreusch have jobs to go to in the morning, this is far from being exclusively the case with chess night owls. The game is notorious for the fanaticism it engenders, and for some working people, coming to this all-night chess-and-doughnut parlor is more important than such creature comforts as peaceful slumber.

“I don’t trust myself to sleep,” says James Hilliard, a letter carrier who fears he’d oversleep on days when he has an early shift. He has been here since 10 p.m. on this recent evening, and will stay until it’s time to go to work at 5 a.m. Hilliard, who also gives private chess lessons, has been playing for 15 years and says he studies chess at least eight hours a day. About once or twice a week, he says, he leaves work, goes home, plays with his children, studies for a few hours and then comes here for the night to iron out the kinks in his game and test some new ideas.

“What can I say?” he says, setting the board up at 3:30 a.m. for yet another match. “I’m an addict.”

Name: Tang’s Donut

Where and When: 4341 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. (213) 662-4805. Games begin nightly at 6 and continue to 6 a.m. The latter part of the week tends to be busier than the earlier part.

Prices: Coffee, 50 cents to 70 cents. Doughnuts start at 40 cents, sandwiches at $2.35.