Isn't Chess Wonderful?

[Paul Ashton]

A league match I was involved in earlier this week featured a primary school age player against a 93 year old. After the game they analysed together and the eight decades between them ceased to exist. A magical moment. Does any other human endeavour make the age gap so unimportant?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"A magical moment."

Yes - Danny Gormally commented in ECF magazine that he was playing someone about 30 years younger than him. I reflected I have played several opponents in the last year about 60 years younger than me (and mainly higher-rated than me!)

Over to Roger...

[Neil Graham]

Last week in the Nottinghamshire League, Ashfield 3 played West Nottingham 3.

The total combined ages of the West Nottingham side was less than every player in the Ashfield team.

[MJMcCready]

Texas hold em poker?

[Joey Stewart]

Another thing I do really like about chess is how it transcends the language barrier, generally regarded as an unpenetrable restriction to human progress. No matter what country you are from, what language, dialect, slang, acronyms etc you use to communicate the language of chess is always the same and allow us to have a form of conversation with anybody and still have both sides understand.

[MJMcCready]

Yes, even though most who play chess are rubbish at it.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Yes, even though most who play chess are rubbish at it.

Though that is arguably part of its wonderfulness.

[Neil_Hickman]

Another thing I do really like about chess is how it transcends the language barrier,

Many years ago, Phil Roe of Bedford told with relish the story of his young daughter reading a chess book, presumably printed in figurine notation (and following the variations in her head). A suitably impressed neighbour commented on this.
"Yes" she replied, adding, after an immaculately timed pause, "It's in Russian"

[Angus French]

Part of what I like about chess is that it brings different people together. Different ages, genders, ethnicities, well off and not so well off...

[Neil_Hickman]

Yes, even though most who play chess are rubbish at it.

Though that is arguably part of its wonderfulness.

Thank you for that. After my most recent outing in the Norfolk League, I require a lot of persuasion that (a) there is anything remotely wonderful about chess (b) playing chess is in any way preferable to doing the crossword or reading a good book.
You may have contributed to that persuasion

[MJMcCready]

Apologies for the atempt at satire.