Trivia Time: Chess Edition

[Johnny Unusual]

Welcome to our last trivia of 2021! It's been a rough year so maybe we need to clear our heads with a simple game. Or rather a game with simple rules and countless variations. A game of depth, psychology and logic. I'm talking...

Yes, chess, the greatest two-player boardgame. Except maybe go. Or shogi. or Guess Who. And in honor of that, all our questions are the pieces, including obscure pieces that they stopped using forever ago.

1. Pawns – Questions about pawnbrokers
2. Rooks – Questions about corvids
3. Bishops – Questions about people named Bishop
4. Knights – Questions about orders of chivalry
5. The Queen – Questions about Elizabeth II
6. The King – Questions about Elvis Presley
7. The Courier – Questions about UPS
8. The Mann – Questions about Michael Mann
9. The Jester – Questions about types of jokes

Round 1

1. Which banking dynasty’s family crest became the common symbol for pawnbroking?
2. What kind of mechanical signal made for humans have Japanese crows learned to read in order to open walnuts?
3. For what trilogy ending film did Bishop Briggs record the song “Never Tear Us Apart?”
4. What is the more commonly used name for the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon?
5. Though her birthday is celebrated in May or June, what month is her actual birthday, which was not chosen as a celebration month for being “too cold”?
6. What was the name of Elvis’ mansion, called so because it was once a church?
7. In the company UPS… what does UPS stand for?
8. Which film caused Michael Mann to sue William Friedkin for plagiarism, as Mann felt it was a rip off of Miami Vice (which he was showrunner on)?
9. Which kind of joke is characterized by an extremely long-winded anecdote characterized by extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents and terminated by an anticlimax?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Answers for round 1
1. Which banking dynasty’s family crest became the common symbol for pawnbroking? The House of Medici
2. What kind of mechanical signal made for humans have Japanese crows learned to read in order to open walnuts? Traffic lights
3. For what trilogy ending film did Bishop Briggs record the song “Never Tear Us Apart?” Fifty Shades Freed
4. What is the more commonly used name for the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon? The Knights Templar
5. Though her birthday is celebrated in May or June, what month is her actual birthday, which was not chosen as a celebration month for being “too cold”? April
6. What was the name of Elvis’ mansion, called so because it was once a church? Graceland
7. In the company UPS… what does UPS stand for? United Parcel Service
8. Which film caused Michael Mann to sue William Friedkin for plagiarism, as Mann felt it was a rip off of Miami Vice (which he was showrunner on)? To Live and Die in LA
9. Which kind of joke is characterized by an extremely long-winded anecdote characterized by extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents and terminated by an anticlimax? A shaggy dog story.

Kirin - 6 Points
Capt. Blasto - 2 Points.

Onto the next round.

Round 2
1. What colour of books do pawnbrokers use to help in assessing value?
2. If a raven’s friend loses a fight, what does the raven generally do?
3. What “informal” group of entertainers what Joey Bishop a part of?
4. Which Emperor and conqueror founded the Legion of Honour?
5. Elizabeth owns two “Dorgis”, which were crossbreed between her Corgis and a Duschund named Pipkin. Which famous princess owned Pipkin?
6. What actress did Elvis always send flowers to when she opened a show in Las Vegas?
7. For what reason was brown chosen as the company (and vehicles’) color when the company founder wanted yellow?
8. Which adaptation of a James Fenimore Cooper novel earned Mann his first Oscar?
9. In the children’s show “Yo! Gabba Gabba”, which type of joke do comedian-actors Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer share?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Sorry. It's been a week but I finally have a little time for this...

1. What colour of books do pawnbrokers use to help in assessing value? Blue
2. If a raven’s friend loses a fight, what does the raven generally do? Comforts the loser. Turns out ravens are very empathetic and social (but also hold grudges)
3. What “informal” group of entertainers what Joey Bishop a part of? The Rat Pack
4. Which Emperor and conqueror founded the Legion of Honour? Napoleon
5. Elizabeth owns two “Dorgis”, which were crossbreed between her Corgis and a Duschund named Pipkin. Which famous princess owned Pipkin? Princess Margaret
6. What actress did Elvis always send flowers to when she opened a show in Las Vegas? Ann-Margaret
7. For what reason was yellow chosen as the company (and vehicles’) color when the company founder wanted yellow? It’s much easier to keep clean
8. Which adaptation of a James Fenimore Cooper novel earned Mann his first Oscar? The Last of the Mohicans
9. In the children’s show “Yo! Gabba Gabba”, which type of joke do comedian-actors Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer share? Knock Knock Jokes.

Spoiler: Of the day

Rascally Badger - 7 Points
Capt. Blasto - 7 Points

1. Which king pawned his jewels in 1338 to fund the war with France?
2. What is an effective defense for crops against magpies, running contrary to popular belief?
3. What vitamin found in almonds, hazelnuts and salmon was discovered by Katharine Bishop?
4. The Order of Malta’s villa on the Aventine hill features a what is considered to be the world’s most famous keyhole. What famous building does it allow you to see?
5. In which decade did the Queen send her first e-mail?
6. What was the name of Elvis’ talent manager, known for his outsized personality and unethical practices?
7. What kind of turns are UPS agents in North America specifically encouraged not to do?
8. Mann’s film Manhunter was the big screen debut of which popular literary character?
9. What joke template often credited to Yakov Smirnoff has it’s earliest known example is in the Cole Porter musical “Leave it to me”?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Here's the answers to Round 3
1. Which king pawned his jewels in 1338 to fund the war with France? Edward III
2. What is an effective defense for crops against magpies, running contrary to popular belief? Shiny objects. In fact, they are generally scared of them.
3. What vitamin found in almonds, hazelnuts and salmon was discovered by Katharine Bishop? Vitamin E
4. The Order of Malta’s villa on the Aventine hill features a what is considered to be the world’s most famous keyhole. What famous building does it allow you to see? St. Peter’s Basilica
5. In which decade did the Queen send her first e-mail? The 70s. Specifically 1976.
6. What was the name of Elvis’ talent manager, known for his outsized personality and unethical practices? Colonel Tom Parker
7. What kind of turns are UPS agents in North America specifically encouraged not to do? Left turns. To make sure you are always moving with traffic.
8. Mann’s film Manhunter was the big screen debut of which popular literary character? Hannibal Lecter
9. What joke template often credited to Yakov Smirnoff has it’s earliest known example is in the Cole Porter musical “Leave it to me”? Russian Reversal/In Soviet Russia…

Capt. Blasto - 9 Points
Rascally Badger - 7 Points

Round 4

1. What kind of loan allows you to pawn the ownership of a vehicle?
2. Which is the smallest member of the corvid family?
3. Which Oscar and Grammy award winning actor and singer was born Eric Marlon Bishop?
4. Which order, the senior most in the British honours system, has the motto "Shame on him who thinks evil of it” (in French)?
5. When Elizabeth signs her name, she signs it Elizabeth R. What does the R stand for?
6. In what martial art did Elvis have a black belt?
7. On May 26, 2017, a federal judge ordered UPS to pay nearly $247 million for illegally transporting large amounts of what untaxed good into New York?
8. Which of Mann’s crime films was a reworking of an earlier TV pilot he made called “LA Takedown”?
9. Which joke cycle focused on a celebrity began as “Vin Diesel facts” before switching to a more kitschy action star?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Here's the last of the answers

1. What kind of loan allows you to pawn the ownership of a vehicle? Title loan
2. Which is the smallest member of the corvid family? The Jackdaw
3. Which Oscar and Grammy award winning actor and singer was born Eric Marlon Bishop? Jamie Foxx
4. Which order, the senior most in the British honours system, has the motto "Shame on him who thinks evil of it” (in French)? The Order of the Garter
5. When Elizabeth signs her name, she signs it Elizabeth R. What does the R stand for? Regina (queen in latin)
6. In what martial art did Elvis have a black belt? Karate
7. On May 26, 2017, a federal judge ordered UPS to pay nearly $247 million for illegally transporting large amounts of what untaxed good into New York? Cigarettes
8. Which of Mann’s crime films was a reworking of an earlier TV pilot he made called “LA Takedown”? Heat
9. Which joke cycle focused on a celebrity began as “Vin Diesel facts” before switching to a more kitschy action star? Chuck Norris facts

Capt. Blasto - 13 Points
Rascally Badger - 7 Points

No shock, only two people took part and only one submitted answers every round. Nonetheless, congrats, Blasto.

 

[CaptBlasto]

It's a shame that people weren't able to participate this round, but understandable. Hopefully people come back for the next round!

 

[Rascally Badger]

Yeah, sorry I was not able to really participate. It was a busy month.

 

[Kirin]

I had six points from the first round! But yeah, holidays got in the way.