T.C., whose given name is Ambakisye Osayaba, learned to play chess at the age of seven when he received a book about it for his birthday. A local librarian helped him learn the rules and later, sponsored him in tournaments. 

For the last 10 years, T.C. has sat in Union Square Park offering chess lessons and matches to passersby. He takes a small donation in exchange for a session. You can find him almost every day, sitting at his chess table under the same tree. He is contagiously friendly with a mischievous smile, and always has a story to share. He has a number of loyal students that have played with him for years. They come for the chess, but they stay for T.C. 

He is somewhat of a New York City celebrity, having served as the subject of multiple articles and video pieces. He knows a lot of people — from high-powered attorneys to fashion moguls.

As the colder weather approaches, T.C. intends to continue playing and teaching chess in the park. So next time you’re out walking, keep an eye out for T.C. He’s always ready to meet someone new and explain the difference between a knight and rook. 

Passers-by stop and watch a game of chess in Union Square Park on November 15, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

When playing timed games, T.C. sets the clock to five minutes, altough he averages a much faster win-time. November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

With smoke in hand, T.C. considers his next move on the board. Union Square Park, November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

T.C. breaks a bill for his opponent. It is $10 donation to play for five minutes. November 15, 2020, Union Square Park. New York City. Photo by Tori Luecking

A long-time student of T.C. sits and watches his teacher play in Union Square Park on November 20, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

The chess tables in Union Square Park stand next to vendors selling handmade crafts. November 20, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

In colder weather T.C. bundles up and mans his chess table in Union Square Park in winter gear. November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

T.C. answers a phone call from his wife between chess matches in Union Square Park on November 29, 2020. Photo by Tori Luecking

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Hundreds protested the killing of Botham Shem Jean, the black man who was shot to death in his apartment by a Dallas police officer. But the protestors who gathered last night at Union Square Park were also enraged over the racism and police brutality that continue to make life hard for African Americans.

“Any time I interact with police, I’m always grateful I walk away alive,” said protester, Isaiah DuPree, 24 Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Black men aged 15–34 are between nine and 16 times more likely to be killed by police than other people according to several studies.

Protestor, Shaniqua Pippen, 33, of Flatbush, Brooklyn and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation,  holds up a sign that says “Racism is the Disease.”Photo by Julia Lee

Shaniqua Pippen, 33, of Flatbush, Brooklyn and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation,  said she showed up to protest police brutality, white supremacy, and capitalism.

“Even just hearing about people being murdered who look like me has an impact on both my psyche and my ability to relate to people in the world,” Pippen said. “And then I’ve also been personally impacted. I have brothers who have been harassed and one is currently serving a  100 year sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.”

Off duty police officer, Amber Guyger, 26,  shot  Jean on Sept, 6th. The killing has sparked protests nationwide.

“This woman literally walked into this man’s house and shot him,” Pippen said “And she’s still free amongst the population of people. Meanwhile my brother who doesn’t hurt anyone, he just wouldn’t tell on his friend, he’s being held in a maximum security prison as if he’s the most dangerous person to society and he really isn’t.”

Guyger was charged with manslaughter, but activists believe she should be charged with murder. They marched on the day before Jean’s 27th birthday.

“It’s really important for me to be out here,” Pippen said. “If people are not out on the streets, we are just going to continue to get killed and if people are not actually researching and learning about the state and learning about what this country really stands for, then it’s only going to keep getting worse and worse and worse.”

The protestors marched, chanting and carried signs. Hundreds of police officers followed the crowd.

“If we don’t get no justice, they don’t get no peace,” the crowd chanted.

“Sometimes you feel like there’s no point in showing up, but at the same time, there’s no point in giving up either,” said Jason Little, 40, of the Upper East Side. “So persistence, just keep showing up, keep showing up. Continue to put a face on the movement.”

The march ended at Madison Square Park  on 23rd Street, where the protesters held hands in a large circle. The march organizers NYC Shut it Down, made announcements for everyone to stay involved and show up to their weekly meetings and events.

Jessie Jones, 29, of Harlem marched to protest  police brutality and the unjust killing of Botham Shem Jean. Photo by Julia Lee

“Life is precious and now it’s not there,” said Jessie Jones, 29, of Harlem, referring to the death of Jean. “He doesn’t get to wake up and breathe like we do right now. That’s the saddest thing about this world and real reality of what’s going on.”

Jones, a teacher and father of children with disabilities, said he needs to stand up for them  to have a chance in the world.

“It could have been me,” Jones said.  

The post Protesters march for Botham Shem Jean and against racism appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Alex Kiton, 26, watches as his tutees attempt to approach and chat with women in Union Square. A professional pick-up artist employed by an international company, Kiton regularly leads practical pick-up lessons in public places like bars, bookstores, and parks. Photo by Jordyn Taylor

It was an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in early March, and a group of around 10 strangers—all men—had gathered outside the Whole Foods Market in Union Square. Around 3:45 p.m. they spotted the man they were waiting to see, gliding toward them in sunglasses and a leather jacket: Alexander Kiton—the man who would teach them how to pick up women.

After some brief introductions (some of the men were new to Kiton’s Sunday class; others had been before), Kiton led the group across the street to the tiered plaza at the heart of Union Square. It was time for pick-up practice.

“Girl in the headphones, that’s you,” Kiton said, pointing to one of his pupils. “Girl with the bandana, that’s you,” he said, pointing to another. Then they took off towards their targets.

Kiton, 26, is a full-time financier by day; by night and on weekends, he’s a professional dating coach—a real-life “Hitch”  out of the 2005 film. After years of personal practice, Kiton developed his own unique strategy for picking up women—one he says is better than anything you’ll find in today’s popular pick-up literature. From one-on-one and group sessions to YouTube podcasts, Kiton is now determined to share his romantic tactics with the bachelors of America and beyond.

It all started in Kiton’s school days. Surprisingly, despite being smart, having friends, and playing varsity sports, the dating coach’s love life was frustratingly lacking.

“I had all these things that I thought would make me attractive and I still didn’t get any girls,” Kiton said. And that puts a guy in a really difficult situation. Because it’s one thing when you’re like, ‘Why am I not getting any girls?’ And then other guys, they look at you and they’re like, I bet that guy gets a lot of girls. And as a guy, [and] a lacrosse player, you can never admit that. So you’re almost living this lie.”

The summer he was 21, Kiton took a girl out to dinner, where they ran into one of his friends, Bill. By the end of the night, after the group had gone out to drinks together, it was Bill—not Kiton—who ended up scoring future dates with the girl.

Though the betrayal was painful, it would also provide fuel for Kiton’s future success.

Soon after, Kiton found out that Bill had learned his moves by reading a popular dating how-to book.

“I was like, ‘I’m going to go buy this book and be better than him’,” Kiton said.

The book in question was Neil Strauss’s bestseller, “The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists.”  The book flew off the shelves when it was released in 2005.

“Almost every guy you know has read it, I guarantee it,” said Kiton.

Complete with recommended pick-up lines and bodily gestures, “The Game” lays out a step-by-step guide for men to snag a hook-up.

But the artificiality of Strauss’s proscribed tactics weren’t working for Kiton, who had recently moved to England to study at the London School of Economics.

“I went out and tried this [stuff], and got even less results,” Kiton said.

Looking back on his failed attempts at picking up the London ladies, Kiton now understands where he went wrong, and why “The Game” wasn’t earning him any playing time.

“[Men ask] the questions, ‘How do I become attractive to a girl?’ ‘How do I become interesting to a girl?’ And then, ‘What do I say in order to get a girl to like me?’ [But] no matter how well we are able to answer those questions, we’re never going to get good results. Because those questions are leading us to being inauthentic, and not being real.”

Leaving “The Game” behind, Kiton started applying his new-and-improved strategy to his pick-ups—both personally, and professionally. In 2008, his unique, effective tactics landed him a job with PUATraining,  a self-described “international seduction training company” that pairs professional pick-up artists—called “trainers”—with single men looking to find romantic partners. Kiton worked as a “trainer” in England, Denmark and Texas before ultimately settling in New York’s East Village, where he fits in PUATraining around his 80-hour-per-week day job.

Sometimes, he’ll take a client for practical training at a bar, where he’ll sit in the corner and observe their attempts at talking to women. Other times, he’ll fit a client with a hidden camera, send him off toward a female target, and then analyze the video with the client once he’s returned. On some weekends Kiton will give lectures, or he’ll lead free group classes in Union Square. His mantra is always clear: don’t plan out the “perfect” opening line or the “coolest” conversation topic—just be yourself.

Some clients, like David Rothblatt, 35, of Nassau County—who has read “The Game” “50 to 100 times in the past 7 years”—question Kiton’s strategy.

“The real Alexander is cool,” said Rothblatt, who has attended Kiton’s Union Square classes three or four times. “[But] what if I’m a tall, smelly pimply kid with glasses? I’ve been trying to attract women in New York City and Long Island for 6, 7 years, and they go for guys who look a certain way and make them feel a certain way.”

Still, Rothblatt acknowledged that Kiton is a talented pick-up artist, and that the Union Square classes have been helpful to him.

“I got phone numbers,” Rothblatt said in regards to one of the classes he attended. “I feel good around [Kiton]. He’s a positive guy, he doesn’t B.S. you. He doesn’t sugar coat it. He’s a good guy, but he’s direct. I respect that.”

Kiton may have his skeptics, but there’s no doubt that his strategies are winning over the women.

“A bunch of people got married,” Kiton said of his clients. “I’ve been told I changed people’s lives all the time. It’s very cool.”

The post Alexander Kiton: Pick up artist appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

With spring having approached earlier than expected, Union Square park has been flooded with lots of people taking extended breaks from work and school.

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