This has been on my list for some time and has been something my husband has been keen for me to learn. We picked up a 5-in-1 wooden board game set a few weeks ago, and a cold and cloudy Sunday afternoon seemed like the perfect time to break it out and become a chess master.
There’s a reason today’s title isn’t learnt chess and that’s because my husband already tried to teach me the game, about 15 years ago. I remember precious little from this lesson, and it probably says a lot that when he asked me yesterday what the aim of the game was, I had no idea. Unlike my husband, I never played chess when I was younger, my family preferred the much easier to understand, draughts (checkers).
This time around I was a diligent student and wrote notes on all the pieces, and the moves they can make – I also finally understood the aim of the game! We only had time to play for an hour (we had an online family pirate party to prepare for – a story for another day), and to my surprise, I managed to make the game last nearly the full length. My husband won, obviously, but I found it really interesting to try and think several moves ahead, and anticipate his moves.
Now that I’m fairly certain I understand it, I’ll definitely be playing chess again, much to my husband’s delight. It’s still freezing here, so I envision some cosy nights, playing chess, with a warm cup of tea in my future.
New Day, New Thing 