Venue: Open FIDE Rated Chess Tournament
Time: 9:30 AM
Timers pressed. Game began.
My opponent was a little girl, not more than 10 years old. And when the game started I noticed that she had a wrong placement of king and queen (Or something like that, I don’t remember exactly). I thought, “Oh..this innocent kid, poor girl, why should I make her in trouble” I told her to correct it and the game restarted.
After sometime, she called the arbiter. Did I make any mistake? My eyes scanned the entire board..no, nothing is wrong.. then what’s wrong with her..I thought.
The timer was placed on my left side, so I was moving pieces with my left hand to meet the law of pressing the timer with the same hand which made move. And as a poke-yoke, I kept a pen in my right hand too and was writing the moves in the notepad. The cautious me, no..;)
The little girl assumed that I was playing with right hand, as it is the normal way. And when she noticed that I was pressing the timer with left hand, a bulb lighted in her head. Anyway, it didn’t take much time to make it clear for her as the arbiter was the real witness to shield me.
Another 10 or 15 moves over. I did a short castling. Again she stood up.. I scanned my board..the cycle repeated, found nothing wrong. The arbiter came and at once she said that I moved into check. Castling is only forbidden when an opponent’s piece controls a square that the king has to cross. Thanks God, I am saved this time, too. She might have got mistaken by the rules.
After a few more moves, she called the arbiter again. My heartbeats started to increase. And this time, she had a complaint about the table, that it’s not steady.. Anyway the arbiter solved this problem too…the match continued..
Please don’t ask me who win or lose the match, I give full credit to that little girl as she gave me an alternative insight to her generation.
I’ve played some opponents in championships who had dirty tricks up their sleeve (like they would ask their friends to come and stand behind me to watch the game from right behind me and try to create pressure during zeitnot) but I did not think that applied to little girls. Surely is a different generation…
yaa.. it was a different experience for me.. infact even after the game, i was thinking in favor of the child. i thought like, it wont be justifiable if i talk against her since herself being a little girl…but there were many who shared similar experience.. may be they are the smarter generation.
I don’t think it is a smart thing to use something out of the game to try to win the game. Chess is a noble art and must be won on its own merit
true.. but seems the world is tuning them in such a direction…the world including, everyone of us..
there was no grouping based on age..since being chess game
It was joke 🙂 🙂
any why dont, while I am just nearing 11 😉
Yes this is better answer 🙂 🙂
ha ha.. i really enjoyed your reply, a kind of advice wearing the shoe of someone in 70’s..lolz…
true that the arbiter might have got tired, as she didnt end even after three calls.. i just stopped writing with the initial three..
Lol don’t make me feel that old. I am 21.
Clever indeed.. and to do it in a way that in end you still thinking of her as
ha ha..in a dilemma now.. who is more innocent..;)
He he he…
Perhaps the lesson has something to do with naivety! Deception can come in many guises; little girls not excluded. You strike me as a beautiful soul. Some beautiful souls like to think the best of all people, when the opposite can also be true; even in little girls! Acceptance can be a wonderful key!
Getting down from my soap-box now….. 😉 😉
Really enjoyed your story… 🙂
thanks carolyn. true that.. just need to accept the reality…infact still i doubt who lost the sportsman spirit..
The heroes of the world generally expect more of themselves….
Hi… share with us the insight!!
shhhhhhhhh
You reminded me of the last time, almost years back i played chess with a kid who’s no more :’) Almost a tutor and in a year a student as the kid’s moves and mind so perfect that i lagged behind since then i left the game, almost out of my mind.
oh….
extra curricular activities…of course it will be a fun time to be with kids.
Yeah! Actually i love bieng with kids and this week we will be bringing them to planetarium.Fun with studies.
oh.. who are ‘we’ ?
All I can say is I wish I could play chess. The way you described it makes it one of the best sports to engage the mind in . 🙂
true that it is one of the best games to engage your mind..in fact i was a kind of addicted to it earlier.. a little bit relieved now
WOW! I admire you even more. You play hardcore chess. It is now officially on my bucket list of to do’s
Daisy.. it is really good that you have it in your to-do list.. I am sure you will take it up.. thumbs up
Hmmmm…surprise, surprise..generation gap, perhaps
may be the generation gap…and even after hearing similar experience from many other players during that day, i was suspicious on my own sportsman spirit..
hmmmmm….
Bottom line you had an amazing experience! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
true that..and above all, she was a wonderful player
hnefatafl.. i donno about it…
and regarding a match: why not.. I am ready to win..lolz…
absolutely.. it’s a game enhancing focus…
oh.. it’s such a nice thing prashant.. really proud of you..
wish you too a great time at planetarium on week ends..share the experiences..
Thanks,definately will share 🙂
I guess this is one of your best experience!!!
ha ha.. absolutely right
Beautiful commentary of game !
ha ha…who knows whether she had another version for this story..
Thank God I haven’t yet played chess with a ten year old girl. I’m going to take this post as a warning and steer clear of those little rascals. 😛
ha ha…
may be i need to promote guess works with some awards
ha ha.. let your confidence drive you