Comments on: Check and mate https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:18:48 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/#comment-52200 ER Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:20:20 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=100624#comment-52200 I was in my late twenties when I finally beat my grandfather (he was about my age now). He said;<em> "OK, you beat me. I was about your age when I finally beat my father. And my father played the great Capablanca (Cuban world chess champion) to a stalemate. Of course, it was an exhibition match where Capablanca was playing simultaneously a hundred other boards. So you can say, technically, you played Capablanca to a draw. But don't let it go to your head."</em> I was in my late twenties when I finally beat my grandfather (he was about my age now).

He said; “OK, you beat me. I was about your age when I finally beat my father. And my father played the great Capablanca (Cuban world chess champion) to a stalemate. Of course, it was an exhibition match where Capablanca was playing simultaneously a hundred other boards. So you can say, technically, you played Capablanca to a draw. But don’t let it go to your head.”

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/#comment-52199 ER Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:11:12 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=100624#comment-52199 Three dudes, A, B and C, three boards, each guy is playing two games, one white(w), one black (b). wAb wBb wCb where A and C are playing each other. And we never got confused (except we always lost track of whose turn it was to keep the bong lit). Three dudes, A, B and C, three boards, each guy is playing two games, one white(w), one black (b).

wAb wBb wCb

where A and C are playing each other.

And we never got confused (except we always lost track of whose turn it was to keep the bong lit).

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/#comment-52196 podrock Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:16:21 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=100624#comment-52196 Decades ago, I used to belong to a bowling team. Super competitive and I sucked. But I found I did better when I didn't care. My best games were when I tried to get splits, just for laughs. Yeah, might have been the Longbottom leaf. Decades ago, I used to belong to a bowling team. Super competitive and I sucked. But I found I did better when I didn’t care. My best games were when I tried to get splits, just for laughs.

Yeah, might have been the Longbottom leaf.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/#comment-52195 podrock Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:11:39 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=100624#comment-52195 She could be in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning, and shout out her moves. Didn't even have to see the board. She could be in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning, and shout out her moves. Didn’t even have to see the board.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2023/08/22/check-and-mate/#comment-52194 ER Tue, 22 Aug 2023 20:43:56 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=100624#comment-52194 I used to be a fanatical chess player. I played constantly, and studied the game obsessively . Eventually I came across in third place in the University of South Florida chess tournament, defeating scores of other players. Then one day, I just lost interest in competition. I didn't stop enjoying the game, and I didn't stop playing it, I just lost interest in winning. I don't know if it was because I became more mature, or because of some internal physical or mental change. But winning just didn't seem to matter any more. I continued playing for many years, but I played strictly for fun. Maybe I just lost my competitive streak. I gave up on road racing as well. I still enjoyed driving fast, but beating the other guy just didn't matter all that much anymore. About that time I got into sailing, and even though I loved the sport and participated every opportunity I got, I never developed a taste for sailboat racing. Sailing was all about the triangle of sailor-boat-ocean. I didn't need anyone else. Some of my friends noticed this, and wondered if maybe smoking weed had something to do with it. I still enjoyed the activity, I worked hard to improve my skills, I just lost the need to win, the competitive aspect. Who knows? Maybe women are just as good as men at chess, they just are mentally (or physiologically) less addicted to winning. I used to be a fanatical chess player. I played constantly, and studied the game obsessively . Eventually I came across in third place in the University of South Florida chess tournament, defeating scores of other players.

Then one day, I just lost interest in competition. I didn’t stop enjoying the game, and I didn’t stop playing it, I just lost interest in winning. I don’t know if it was because I became more mature, or because of some internal physical or mental change. But winning just didn’t seem to matter any more. I continued playing for many years, but I played strictly for fun.

Maybe I just lost my competitive streak. I gave up on road racing as well. I still enjoyed driving fast, but beating the other guy just didn’t matter all that much anymore. About that time I got into sailing, and even though I loved the sport and participated every opportunity I got, I never developed a taste for sailboat racing. Sailing was all about the triangle of sailor-boat-ocean. I didn’t need anyone else.

Some of my friends noticed this, and wondered if maybe smoking weed had something to do with it. I still enjoyed the activity, I worked hard to improve my skills, I just lost the need to win, the competitive aspect.

Who knows? Maybe women are just as good as men at chess, they just are mentally (or physiologically) less addicted to winning.

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