{"id":892,"date":"2008-10-13T13:25:56","date_gmt":"2008-10-13T13:25:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coreyshead.com\/blog\/?p=892"},"modified":"2013-06-12T11:22:42","modified_gmt":"2013-06-12T18:22:42","slug":"chess-anyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coreyshead.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/13\/chess-anyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Chess, anyone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Y’ever love something that, because of your inability with it, you should hate or, at best, claim indifference to?<\/p>\n

That’s me, to a ‘t’, with chess.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I remember the last time I actually played someone (a good 7 years ago, if a day). After a reasonably stable, classic opening, my game became so perplexing to this more accomplished player that he assumed I had some plan, some devious and heretofore unseen strategy, that would, at the last moment, reveal itself just when he thought he had me.<\/p>\n

Much to the contrary, his checkmate went off without a hitch and was barely contested (the truth is, I hadn’t seen it coming).<\/p>\n

The problem is quite simple, really. I’ve yet to develop the ability to see far enough ahead to plan an effective offense or defense. I try, I honestly try, but my mind just can’t seem to do it. Also, I have the spatial abilities of a one-eyed woodchuck. It’s pathetic to the point of embarrassing – but I don’t really care. I still love the game.<\/p>\n

Chess is about intricacy. It’s about patience. It’s about challenge and concentration. All of which make it seriously perplexing that I enjoy the game as much as I do, because if you offered to engage me in anything that required all of the above that wasn’t chess, I’d tell you to go suck eggs.<\/p>\n

I don’t enjoy logic puzzles or math, and have similar success with them – so why am I so enamored of chess?<\/p>\n

Much of the attraction for me, to be sure, is the rich history of the game: its storied past is reflected in game pieces and play that reflect our own storied past.<\/p>\n

Also, I am fascinated by the aesthetic of the board and pieces themselves. The look and feel of a good set gets my gaming juices flowing and, seeing one of my games in progress, awaiting my return, fills me with a contentment not unlike that of having completed a phase of an art project. It doesn’t hurt that I was raised by a carpenter and thus love wood craft (the big, inlaid board I play on was made by my dad and I prefer wooden, Staunton style pieces).<\/p>\n

Further, I’ve always loved games but, for the most part, have fared rather badly at those that take more than luck and a little thought to win. It has only been within the last ten years or so that I’ve begun to understand why I have such problems with most strategy games, how this deficit is reflected in my daily life, and how to combat it.<\/p>\n

Recent life changes have driven me back to chess.<\/p>\n

Having the time and solitude to concentrate on the game again is one factor but also the mental exercise that the game entails brings me a sense of inner peace that meditation, exercise, and shooting at people from atop a tower with a high-powered rifle doesn’t do for me.<\/p>\n

Consequently, I try to play a few turns or more against an electronic board over breakfast during the week, and have taken to solving problems both online<\/a> and in a book, with the recent outcome of my finally beating the lowest setting on the chessboard -Huzzah!- but playing a computer isn’t as good as playing a real person.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, my schedule is such that I can’t really put aside the kind of time one would need for a full, face-to-face game – so how about you?<\/p>\n

I can read and write chess notation with some degree of success so, if anyone out there would like to engage in a little virtual chess match …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Y’ever love something that, because of your inability with it, you should hate or, at best, claim indifference to? 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