It has been years since I played chess. My dad and I used to play regularly. I was never particularly any good at it but I did like playing with dad. We had some good games and occasionally I won, but I always believed he allowed it when I did, thinking maybe he was afraid I'd quit playing if he didn't. I don't suppose that was really it, though, as he and I played checkers and backgammon a lot together too. My first husband liked chess quite a lot. It was the only game he ever wanted to play with me for very long. He was extremely competitive and once I won at something that was it. No more playing that game for us. Anyway, he wrangled a chess game out of everyone who ever darkened our door every time they did. I don't think he ever lost a game, mainly due to his uncanny ability to either bore the pants off his opponents or distract them mercilessly with inane conversation. People sometimes lost to him early on just to get away and to be able to do something else, I believe. I know I did. I'm surprised I remembered who Bobby Fischer was, but I guess it stuck in my mind because I made the connection when you mentioned him, Richard. If your brother played with Fischer even when he was "just another city park player" I imagine your brother turned out to be pretty good. Which means you probably did, too. Especially since you've kept it up.
My brother turned out to be a multi millionaire, but unfortunately, he also became somewhat of a hermit. Me???? Just poor but happy!
Oh, I meant I imagined you and your brother both probably turned out to be better than average chess players. I'm glad you're happy, though, poor or not; and I hope the rich hermit is as well. And did you mean that you would enjoy playing chess with someone like my first husband with his "uncanny ability to either bore the pants off his opponents or distract them mercilessly with inane conversation"? Or, was it that he sounds like someone whose company you would likely enjoy? He had his moments, that's for sure. He could be a lot of fun to be around so long as you weren't doing anything that brought out his extremely competitive nature. One couple we knew talked us into playing tennis (doubles) one time. It lasted about twenty minutes and everyone but Kevin was ready to quit as it seemed he'd confused the game with dodgeball. And a not very friendly game of dodgeball at that. But he did have his moments. He loved nature and hiking, which was what we most enjoyed together from the time we first met. During those times he was quite mellow.
I just enjoy unique people! I know that many people take chess very seriously but if your husband tried to throw me off with useless banter, I'd just have another sip of Johnny Walker Black!
The two of you might well have sipped and bantered together all night then. He was unique, for sure. I make it sound like he's dead, don't I? He's alive and well. Happy too, I hope.
I hope the chess players here would pardon me because I declare that chess is a boring game. When I was in high school, my brother taught me the basics of chess and he was trying to get me into it. At first, I was amused particularly with the movement of the knight or horse but eventually, boredom beat me in the game. Sometimes I really marvel at chess players for the patience. Imagine, playing one hour of the board game and pressuring yourself to think of the best move. It's very stressful and I think it's a game for geniuses only. By the way, my husband is not very good in chess but he used to play blindfold chess. That means he could play without the board, by just remembering the moves made by his opponent and by himself. He is proud to have a photographic memory and he said there is a master of blindfold chess who plays the game with several players. I think the name is Najdorf, not sure.
I used to play a lot of chess but lately my interest has just dropped. Also not having a lot of people to play with makes me sad. Do you know any chess associations in the US by chance?