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About five years ago, I was heavily into chess. I had been playing chess for many years prior to that, but I think that was about the peak of "my chess game". I would rent chess books and video documentaries on it from the library to hone my game, and I did in the process get much better. Even when I was a kid I was good at the game, but as I grew older I just became beastly at it, studying it only sealed the deal. I even considered joining a chess team in high school, but I didn't want to have too many extracurricular activities getting in the way of studies. I just really wanted to pass to get out and move on to bigger and better things. Anyway, I guess it was after high school that I fell out of chess because no one seemed to share the interest I had.
Anyway,
The other night my two friends and myself decided to go to my local cigar shop for some cigars. My friend just returned from a tour in Afghanistan so I decided to buy him one. Anyway, while I was getting the cigars, they were in the back room playing chess. When I came to them I was shocked that they were into the game when I didn't think any of my friends were. (This is so cool). However, even though my chess-eye was rusty I was still seeing two and sometimes, though not as much as it used to be, three moves ahead. So I couldn't help myself. I was telling either friend after they played their move, "You should have..." (haha, I know I'm a jerk, but I was just excited I guess). Finally after one of my friends won, the gauntlet was thrown, and he challenged me. I was a tad nervous cause now I had to put my money were my mouth was and if I lost I'd look like a fool.
So then we started playing, I gave him first move. And immediately from there I gained my confidence again. I started dominating the board with two, to rarely, (need to hone this again), three step ahead attacks, pronged attacks, and the like. I started put him in check within less than five minutes and check mate in about ten. It wasn't all one sided though, my friends a pretty sharp guy so he had me from time to time.
Anyway,
I'm getting my chess game on again, like picking up a musical instrument again. I'm going to dust off my old chess board and bring it to my friends house every Saturday before Deadlands, (a D&D game set in the west), so we can throw down and play again. And now that I'm getting back into school, I think I will pick up a "Chess Club/Team" activity. I think it's good for me and will make me enjoy my school experience much more. Plus I may get some really nice pointers on how to improve my game.
I thought I'd share this on Misc. Chat because it's something positive, a recent joy that came into my life again, and thought I'd get some feedback. Any chess lovers/players out there?
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Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception. How many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of 'Green'?
-Stan Brakhage
Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception. How many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of 'Green'?
-Stan Brakhage
