My Newfound Interest For Chess

"This place is still the same as it was when I was a student," I thought to myself as I was walking down the street of Beckenham village in South London. I was on a walk to retrace my first steps as a student in London for nostalgia's sake, and it did bring back some memories, but I snapped out of it when I came to a sudden realisation.

"How come I still don't know how to play chess?" I wasn't particularly interested in the game when I was younger, but it started growing on me in my 20s. So why didn't I make time to learn the basics and maybe join a chess club?

Too Slow and Boring, I can't Be Bothered

As far as I can remember, chess has always been part of my life; my father and brothers were chess players. I wouldn't call them grandmasters, but they were pretty decent players, especially my father, and very passionate about the game.

My father was an avid reader, and I got my love for books and films from him, especially crime novels. He was also a James Bond fan; he had the entire VHS collection at the time, so it made sense for him to be interested in chess since it is a game of strategy and sacrifice.

He tried to teach me the basics when I was around 10 but I wasn't ready for chess; I thought it was too slow and boring. It took ages to move the pieces, and the idea of sacrificing a piece to move forward didn't sit well with me. I just didn't have the patience to play chess, so I turned to other games such as Scrabble.

An Evolving Mindset and Chess

As a child, I was against the idea of sacrifice, but over the years, I came to realise that sacrifices are inevitable in life. Sometimes, you have to let go of things or people you care about to move forward, and this is coming from personal experience.

Chess is a game of life and I wish I understood it sooner, it teaches you some important life lessons. You can't achieve anything in life without a plan or strategy. It's also good to know when to retreat or give up on something and make the most of your time.

I'm not one to make a move without a plan. I think carefully before making a decision, taking into account the consequences, and aim to get things done on the first try to make the most of my time. And I'm not even a chess player yet.

"In life, as in chess, forethought wins." Charles Buxton


A Pawn's Bold Move

After learning the basics for a couple of weeks, I went to my first game at my local library. It was a pretty bold move for my first game, and I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that I still have a long way to go, and people were very supportive. 

It gave me the confidence to go back for another game, and it was also an opportunity for me to learn from others. I wish I had learned chess when I was younger but it isn't too late for me to get into it to grow as a player and person. Life is good when you're bold and step out of your comfort zone.

It wasn't part of the plan to learn chess in my 40s, but I made it happen, and I'll keep going as I'm sure good things will happen on this journey…

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