A possibly politically incorrect joke about New Yorkers and the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (also called the “Twin Towers”) is:
 
Q: Why can’t New Yorkers play chess?
A: They’re missing two towers.
 
The “rook” chess piece is also sometimes called a “tower.” Jokes about the 9/11 tragedy, however, are usually inappropriate.
 
A chess joke (“the Muslim was well on the way to victory after taking the American’s two towers”) was cited on the newsgroup alt.humor on September 18, 2001. “Hey Mr Bush : Wanna play chess?? - No thank you, I’ve lost my two towers” was cited on Twitter on November 30, 2009.
 
“Why did 10 die?”/“Because he was in the middle of 9/11” is another joke about 9/11.
 
 
Wikipedia: Rook (chess)
A rook (♖ ♜ borrowed from Persian رخ rokh, Sanskrit रथ ratha, “chariot”) is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Formerly the piece was called the tower, marquess, rector, and comes (Sunnucks 1970). The term castle is considered informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned.
           
Google Groups: alt.humor
An American and a Muslim play chess…
Thinkit
9/18/01
...who wins?  Neither…a plane runs into their building, the Pentagon.  Although the Muslim was well on the way to victory after taking the American’s two towers.
 
Google Groups: comp.lang.java.programmer
How to download and install Emacs
Galen Boyer
7/15/02
On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) wrote:
> In article ,
> Galen Boyer

wrote:
>
>> my government should be able to tell your government what to do
>> and if you decide not to sell us what we need, well, you know what
>> happens then.
>
> Yes we know very well what happens when USA is using that attitude.
> People start hating USA, terrorists start attacking and George W.
> Bush will lose all his chess games bacause he is missing two towers.
> Btw, I was on World Trade Center last monday.
 
Twitter
Chistes
‏@ElCuentadientes
#Jokes Hey Mr Bush : Wanna play chess?? - No thank you, I’ve lost my two towers
8:50 PM - 30 Nov 2009
 
Twitter
Skye Suicide
‏@skyesuicide
Why the americans never win in the chess?
Because he lost the two towers. - Huahuahuahuahaubrbr?
5:11 PM - 22 Jul 2011
 
Twitter
Ivan Bezdenezhnykh
‏@bezdec
@koffboy Americans cann’t play chess any more. They’ve lost two towers.
8:20 AM - 23 Aug 2011
 
reddit
Why can’t Americans play chess ?
submitted September 18, 2015 o by InjustBiker
Because they are missing two towers.
 
reddit
How come Americans never play chess?
submitted October 20, 2015 by nickmariostories
Because they are missing two towers.
 
9gag
sebdelaroche 12 points · 22 Dec
Why don’t New Yorkers play chess anymore? They’re missing two towers.
 
reddit
Why can’t New Yorkers play chess?
submitted May 5, 2016 by hardpencils
They’re short 2 towers.