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32

Holochess Table

Location: Corellia

Date: 10 BBY

When Lando Calrissian owned the Millennium Falcon, he took care to make the freighter feel more like a luxury cruiser. His primary objective was gambling his way to a fortune, so the tools of his trade were accoutrements other owners might have thought were taking up precious cargo space, like a holochess table. For Lando, holochess was a form of mental exercise, allowing him to sharpen his wits. When guests boarded his ship and sat down for a game, he had the perfect opportunity to study their tells and assess if he should engage them in a friendly or financially beneficial match.

The popular game of holochess can be found in homes and starships across the galaxy. It dates back to well before the Republic civil war and has outlasted the Empire, the First Order, and the Final Order. Holochess is both intellectual and brutish, requiring keen strategy to win, yet relying on the often-violent movements of game pieces resembling real and mythological creatures. Even in a friendly game, the holographic combat can get quite fierce, as the Kintan strider, ghhhk, molator, houjix, k’lor’slug, Mantellian savrip, monnok, bulbous, scrimp and ng’ok face off in simulated battle. This table once displayed 10 characters, but the holo displays for bulbous and scrimp are no longer functional.

Gameplay helped scoundrels and outlaws maintain the intellectual acuity to cope with their dangerous lifestyles. The tiny, monstrous gladiators also provided a safe way to settle disputes without resorting to violence. However, not every species could easily separate the game from real life—which is why it is generally accepted that if playing holochess with a Wookiee, it is always best to let the Wookiee win.

Top to bottom: Kintan strider, Mantellian savrip, and molator holochess pieces.