Chess

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

In my younger years, I studied and played chess often.  When I was a young soldier (an E-4) I was my battalion's chess champion.  Defeated a 1LT in the finals.

Later in life, other side interests took over, like bird hunting, CAS, miniature wargaming. 

Now in my later years I don't actively play chess.  Thanks to the internet, I so enjoy the millions of chess games by the masters, both old and new.   I drag out one of my nice chess sets and replay these great games.

In my old age, I still have the joy of one of the most beautiful of games--chess.

 

 

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[Michigan Slim]

Both my kids were in chess club in school. It was a big day the first time my little boy beat me.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Capablanca, held both the checker and chess championship for several years.  His father was an officer in the Cuban Army and Capablanca would watch his father play chess against other officers.  One day, the 5-year-old boy asked his father if he could play him.  Capablanca's father offered to show how the pieces moved.  The boy declined and in the boy's very first game, the boy beat his father!

 

 

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[watab kid]

used to play chess - still have the set around here somewhere - but not in decades now 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

My son beat me when he was ten.   

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Well, shoot!  Now I'll have to see where my chess set ended up and see if can remember anything about the game.  I wasn't very good to begin with, but I enjoyed it way back when.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Russians are taught two thing in first grade, cursive writing and chess.

[El CupAJoe]

One of the many things my grandfather taught me at a young age was how to play chess.  I loved that game as a kid and adolescent.  I only ever went to one official competition, where I took third or something because I performed badly being not used to using a timing clock and throwing away moves.  My favorite variation is something we called Siamese Chess, it's a four player team game with two boards.  Each team consists of one person playing black and one person playing white sitting side by side across from the other team.  As you take your opponents pieces, you hand them to your partner.  on their turn, they have the option to place one of the captured pieces on the board instead of taking a normal move.  Two placement rules, you cannot place a piece on the board that puts the king in check, and you cannot place a pawn on the 8th row.  If you advance a pawn to the 8th row, you have to borrow back a piece from your partner.  Winning team is the first team to achieve checkmate on one of the boards.  We never used clocks, but stalling for pieces was definitely discouraged and would usually result in the opposing team member on the opposite board likewise holding moves until the poor old soul could be coaxed into making another move.  It was a great game to even out player skill because a new player could be paired with an experienced player and it was a fun race to see if the experienced player could win fast enough to keep his teammate from losing.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

My high school chess team had a T-shirt that said, "We know all the mating positions."  I'm not sure the advisor was aware of the double entendre.  

[J-BAR #18287]

Dad learned to play while in the Army in Europe during WWII.  He started teaching me to play when I was about 7.  I trapped and captured his Queen in a game when I was 9.  Really pissed him off. I did not win that game, but it was a while before he wanted to play again.

[Taquila Tab, Sass #25048]

I was a pretty good chess player back in the day.  In 6th grade I beat our high school's champion.  When I got to high school I did pretty well and even beat our state's 3rd highest rated player.  But I haven't played competively for 40 years.  Oddly enough, I absolutely sucked at checkers and Connect Four and still do.

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

I play chess online whenever I am relaxing (I'm Black):

 

 

After looking extensively, I found the set I would like to be able to afford: Throne of Kings Chess Set:

 

 

 

 

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

3 hours ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

I play chess online whenever I am relaxing (I'm Black):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh...  I'd say Black has the advantage.   Maybe the next move for black is:  ...BxN?

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

1 hour ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

Uh...  I'd say Black has the advantage.   Maybe the next move for black is:  ...BxN?

 

Birdgun,

      It was White's move which was followed by my taking his Knight.

 

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

1 hour ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

 

Birdgun,

      It was White's move which was followed by my taking his Knight.

 

I suspect rather than ...QxN, I'd have taken the obvious, ...NxQ with mate but a few moves away.   I also see mating combinations with ...QxN, but either way White should have resigned long ago.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

7 hours ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

After looking extensively, I found the set I would like to be able to afford: Throne of Kings Chess Set:

 

 

 

 

Here the one I'd like to be able to afford.    Only $12,995.  And that's just for the mammoth ivory pieces.  The board is extra for another $4,995.   That's all.

https://www.houseofstaunton.com/mammoth-ivory-collector-chess-pieces

https://www.houseofstaunton.com/signature-contemporary-chessboard-red-amboyna-birds-eye-maple-2-5-squares-20918.html