happiness through chess

i wrote in my last blog that my brother rudy taught me how to play chess. i vaguely remember at our old house on south andover st a small chess set that he had. i remember moving the pieces on the board not knowing what i was doing. but rudy showed me how the pieces moved and i eventually got it. i must have been around three or four.

i saw an interesting story about a program (storytimechess.com) to teach youngsters how to play chess. it builds the learning around a story about a king married to a queen having eight children and living in a castle being protected my two knights on a horse.

i do not know how the bishop enters the story. did he he marry the king and queen?

brilliant! kids will remember the pieces and how they move because they know the story. when they get older, they will learn the art of war on a 64 square checkered board. perhaps they will learn how to work through anger and disappointment and the rush of saying “checkmate” to end a game.

i love playing chess and would be interested how it could play out as i approach 60 years of age. i am not interested in tournaments. but chess parks interest me. especially the ones with a little fun loving chess trash talking. i would be interested in helping with an elementary or high school chess club. perhaps at the next parish i will serve?

i am always open to learning new games but cribbage, backgammon and chess will always be my old school favorites. chess, in particular, makes me happy