What could go wrong, you ask. This.
Me, stupid me, thinking it would be a happy challenge to take my
tiny little chess set to Kalamazoo Farmer’s Mkt., sit at one of the picnic
tables and play a game against myself, record it on my little clipboard using
something difficult and new to me, algebraic chess notation. Yep, if I don’t
screw up the move notation, I can play the game ahead and try to study where I again,
again, again, made stupid moves so of course checkmate happens. And maybe some
young folks would see me playing, and consider there’s more to the world than
their cell phone? Yeah, LOL.
I thought about this idea of playing there a lot. Considered
what could go wrong. Thought I’d considered possible screw-ups. Ha Ha! You
funny, bitch!
So, there I am last Saturday, finally found a picnic table with
some shade, pulled out my tiny little chess set, one I’ve had for 52 years,
bought it for $5 at San Francisco Chinatown, the pieces are plastic with bottom
peg, the board is a tiny wooden box that opens to be the board (about 5 in. x 5
in.) with holes in each square for the pegged pieces. I love this tiny chess
set, yes I do. I used it to play all the Fischer/Spassky games of 1972 from a
little paperback book that had all the games in 20th century chess
notation, yes I did, all while preg and in a very tough situation. That chess
game each evening helped me get through.
Same little chess set, off we go to Farmer’s Mkt. I’m there,
game in progress, I try try try to do the algebraic notation, I try. Some folks
joined the big table, curious, we chatted up chess and I suggested they check
the film Queen of Katwe, that’s where I noticed something different in the chess games
we see in the film, check it - - along the side of the board are letters of the
alphabet and along the edge are #’s. Curious, I googled googled googled to
learn about 21st century algebraic chess notation, and so I record my games,
old babe trying to use the last brain cell.
What could go wrong?
This.
New folks sitting near me, elder folks probably my age, chat
chat chat, he goes to get some whatever food/drink, comes back, and in a NY
minute there is ice water all over the table and all coming right at my chess
game. For one part of one second I thought to try to save my clipboard with the
notations, then instantly realized the water was flooding my chess set. Ice on
my lap, water in the chess set, WTF?
In the midst of that, other strangers, sitting across from me,
the woman instantly started making excuses for the guy who spilled the big
glass of ice water on my stuff. Of course the guy didn’t mean to do it, of
course. But of course I’m realizing water is in the tiny pegs of a very old
wooden (cheap glue too) board. Lots of napkins quickly got most of the water on
the table, my clipboard got a tiny bit of water, no damage there, but my
concern to consider this might be the end of this tiny wonderful chess set
rattled me. And the other stranger, a woman, trying to blah blah blah “your
little wood thing probably needs water”
- - can I kill her? The guy and his wife were very sorry for the
accident, she’s wiping ice cubes off my lap, and inside I’m so pissed at
myself, DAMN it, why didn’t I see this coming? Whatever made me think my chess
set would be a happy curiosity to folks wandering the market? Yeah, it was, but
suddenly I was the most unhappy person at the market. Packed my stuff and
headed home.
I’ll keep to Plan A, Sunday afternoon is my chess date with
myself, add a glass of Bailey’s Irish Creame, and try to learn how to record my
game. Good news - - I queened a pawn and have it recorded! Sometimes something
goes right.
PS
PS. Confess: just before the ice water thing, I was sitting
there looking at the game in progress, again a crappy mid-game AGAIN, kc, this
is how you play, bring out the big stuff before the little stuff comes in to
play. (But But it’s soooooo fun to see a powerful move early just for the fun
of it! My brain only considers next two, maybe three moves ahead ~) Then, move
15, I’m realizing this clear truth right in front of me, this is another shit
game lost by a fool to another fool who should have gone in for the kill sooner…
when the big kids call a draw if the maybe likely winner just wants to stop
now. This game, here at KFM, May 2024, was finally letting me see my lameness. Then ICE WATER!!!!!!!!
Sunday - - - Think I’ll reset the pieces and play a Fischer/Spassky,
maybe #3?
No comments:
Post a Comment