There we were! (Where?- Dallas May 2013 k-8 US National chess Tournament).
3.5 days of chess in Dallas last year during May.
Once again playing chess - yes from my 2 year old who bought an orange Queen key chain and kept next to every available king in every board that he could find and yell 'checkmate' to the dispair of most kids who were getting ready to play for next couple of minutes to hours!
I always wonder when a game starts to myself when will my son finish the game?
If he finished early win or lose he didn't play a good game. I expect him to play for at-least 30 min and he did play for closer to an hour!
Bobby fisher mentions about what he calls 'Best Move'. If you play the best move every time you will play the best game.
If the other kids wins in that board at that time, the other kid was better and at least you put up a fight!.
I learnt quite a few things about chess games
Blitz - speed chess. Each player got 5 minutes to play and in total 10mintues game. Move to the other side and play the other color. So 2 games with same kid makes one round. So 6 rounds =12 games.
Kids were having fun. From 5-9 pm it became tiring.
Lessons from Blitz:
1. You can win using chess pieces or by using time(you must be fast enough to make the 'right move'.
2. By making your opponent lose time - making them think by playing your best move .
3. Sometimes Kids cried - these kids didn't want to lose like the rest of us. But some kids were bouncing back quick. we can always learn from kids not to be sad after losing. They know to treat these as games and move on. Losing one game out of 12 doesn't carry forward the loss unless you carry the 'sadness' with you along . Just like in life , in chess - a loss is temporary and specific as long as you treat it that way. If you see a loss or a setback as a starting point of series of failure you have the ability to make them true!. Next time when your child loses let them know that this loss will have nothing to do with the next game or next tournament and it is temporary setback.(Easier said than done!)
"Real chess" -
This is the not so fast chess games - the one where kids could use all tricks available.
Here are some I gathered
1. Using fools mate and cheap chess tactics and tricks can be applied to win fast!.
4 moves 5 minutes both are kids are out! What happened? One kid knew some 4 step strategy to finish the game.
This is not considered good as the winner didn't show respect for the game and neither the loser.
It is said that Bobby Fischer wont sign autograph to anyone who didn't play chess and worse yet - he might even sign their books but not anyone who played bad!
You better to good or don't play at all to get Bobby Fischer's autographs was his message.
2. Using time - In one grand master Game Mikhail Tal vs. Bobby Fischer , Tal took 10 minutes to move the e4 pawn as white. That 10 minutes was used by Tal to look,re look and do everything to irritate Bobby Fischer. For Grand Masters and Novice time is a critical weapon. When you know your next move and when you resist the urge to move and try to find the better 'best' move it brings the best out of office. Easily said than done!
3. Using rating - Some kids will say - Your rating is only 400 I will beat you. This helps the kid boost their morale and the enthusiasm of the other kid . As a tactics it works well for the kid with the higher rating to demoralize even before the game starts .
Your kid needs to be reminded that he/she has to beat this kid and may more to improve their ratings and it is the game that will determine the rating and not rating that will determine the game.
4. Using Grade - Kids from a higher grade have a mental maturity and an advantage to tell the 'little' kids that they are - little. A 1st Grade kid who can beat a 5th grader gets offended when the 5th Grader says play your best game my little 1st grader!.
5. Using Size - Once my wife mentioned that a 7th Grader who was playing my 1st Grader was looking like a real Houson Astros baseball player as opposed to a kid wearing a Houston Astros T-shirt. Size matters!
Some kids look naive and petite. Don't underestimate or overestimate based on size.
6. Using words - Some kids use foul language, bad words and non polite words. Some kids use kind words - "Please don't take my Queen!" . Sometimes kids ask questions like - "What should I play next?" or "can you play this move?" . In either case - harsh or pleasing words can affect the outcome.
7. Using body language - RLS - restless leg syndrome, moving hands over pieces, throwing pieces away or on the board - anything can be out there when you face an opponent. Be friendly with the person on and off the board. Don't get carried away with body languages.
8. Using speed - when you are ready and the opponent is not. If the opponent has figured 5 moves and you didnt - you need to watch out.
Remember once you find a best move in chess you have to wait to find a - better move. This is something you need to remember all the time! Speed doesnt win the game not even in Blitz
9. Laughing or smiling or blushing - and make it appear as a win . At time kids smile or blush to appear more confident than they really are!. Even if one kid has the winning change the other one can use laughing as a means to demoralize the other kid.
10. Calling on Authority to complaint against your opponent - This is practiced more often than you can realize. Most of the time little kids and adults are afraid of authority. When one kid calls the authority and complains it is natural for the other kid to feel nervous and has to defend. Now instead of chess you are negotiating your actions "I didn't touch that piece". "He moved the piece back and re-moved"
You can use all the lessons above for most sports and real life - corporate and personal.
Play well - win or lose be gracious to your self and the other person.
It's just a game.
Keep Playing
Siva
3.5 days of chess in Dallas last year during May.
I always wonder when a game starts to myself when will my son finish the game?
If he finished early win or lose he didn't play a good game. I expect him to play for at-least 30 min and he did play for closer to an hour!
Bobby fisher mentions about what he calls 'Best Move'. If you play the best move every time you will play the best game.
If the other kids wins in that board at that time, the other kid was better and at least you put up a fight!.
I learnt quite a few things about chess games
Blitz - speed chess. Each player got 5 minutes to play and in total 10mintues game. Move to the other side and play the other color. So 2 games with same kid makes one round. So 6 rounds =12 games.
Kids were having fun. From 5-9 pm it became tiring.
Lessons from Blitz:
1. You can win using chess pieces or by using time(you must be fast enough to make the 'right move'.
2. By making your opponent lose time - making them think by playing your best move .
3. Sometimes Kids cried - these kids didn't want to lose like the rest of us. But some kids were bouncing back quick. we can always learn from kids not to be sad after losing. They know to treat these as games and move on. Losing one game out of 12 doesn't carry forward the loss unless you carry the 'sadness' with you along . Just like in life , in chess - a loss is temporary and specific as long as you treat it that way. If you see a loss or a setback as a starting point of series of failure you have the ability to make them true!. Next time when your child loses let them know that this loss will have nothing to do with the next game or next tournament and it is temporary setback.(Easier said than done!)
"Real chess" -
This is the not so fast chess games - the one where kids could use all tricks available.
Here are some I gathered
1. Using fools mate and cheap chess tactics and tricks can be applied to win fast!.
4 moves 5 minutes both are kids are out! What happened? One kid knew some 4 step strategy to finish the game.
This is not considered good as the winner didn't show respect for the game and neither the loser.
It is said that Bobby Fischer wont sign autograph to anyone who didn't play chess and worse yet - he might even sign their books but not anyone who played bad!
You better to good or don't play at all to get Bobby Fischer's autographs was his message.
2. Using time - In one grand master Game Mikhail Tal vs. Bobby Fischer , Tal took 10 minutes to move the e4 pawn as white. That 10 minutes was used by Tal to look,re look and do everything to irritate Bobby Fischer. For Grand Masters and Novice time is a critical weapon. When you know your next move and when you resist the urge to move and try to find the better 'best' move it brings the best out of office. Easily said than done!
3. Using rating - Some kids will say - Your rating is only 400 I will beat you. This helps the kid boost their morale and the enthusiasm of the other kid . As a tactics it works well for the kid with the higher rating to demoralize even before the game starts .
Your kid needs to be reminded that he/she has to beat this kid and may more to improve their ratings and it is the game that will determine the rating and not rating that will determine the game.
4. Using Grade - Kids from a higher grade have a mental maturity and an advantage to tell the 'little' kids that they are - little. A 1st Grade kid who can beat a 5th grader gets offended when the 5th Grader says play your best game my little 1st grader!.
5. Using Size - Once my wife mentioned that a 7th Grader who was playing my 1st Grader was looking like a real Houson Astros baseball player as opposed to a kid wearing a Houston Astros T-shirt. Size matters!
Some kids look naive and petite. Don't underestimate or overestimate based on size.
6. Using words - Some kids use foul language, bad words and non polite words. Some kids use kind words - "Please don't take my Queen!" . Sometimes kids ask questions like - "What should I play next?" or "can you play this move?" . In either case - harsh or pleasing words can affect the outcome.
7. Using body language - RLS - restless leg syndrome, moving hands over pieces, throwing pieces away or on the board - anything can be out there when you face an opponent. Be friendly with the person on and off the board. Don't get carried away with body languages.
8. Using speed - when you are ready and the opponent is not. If the opponent has figured 5 moves and you didnt - you need to watch out.
Remember once you find a best move in chess you have to wait to find a - better move. This is something you need to remember all the time! Speed doesnt win the game not even in Blitz
9. Laughing or smiling or blushing - and make it appear as a win . At time kids smile or blush to appear more confident than they really are!. Even if one kid has the winning change the other one can use laughing as a means to demoralize the other kid.
10. Calling on Authority to complaint against your opponent - This is practiced more often than you can realize. Most of the time little kids and adults are afraid of authority. When one kid calls the authority and complains it is natural for the other kid to feel nervous and has to defend. Now instead of chess you are negotiating your actions "I didn't touch that piece". "He moved the piece back and re-moved"
You can use all the lessons above for most sports and real life - corporate and personal.
Play well - win or lose be gracious to your self and the other person.
It's just a game.
Keep Playing
Siva
No comments:
Post a Comment