Chess WITH THE KNIGHT
IT has been a bad week for young people in the media, with numerous articles and images about their antisocial behaviour and involvement in rising crime and violence.
Having worked in some challenging schools for 29 years, I am well aware of the capacity of most children to behave in a wide range of unacceptable ways (mostly just irritating) on occasions, and I would be astonished if any parent or teacher would disagree with this. Thankfully, the vast majority find interests and activities and, very importantly, role models to help them transition to a more constructive way of life. One of them is by playing chess.
Chess is a brilliant game and the best place to play it is in chess clubs. Firstly, there is the nature of the game itself. Yes, it is a combative war game, but with very strict rules. All of the fighting takes place on the board and doesn’t infect the players. The accepted manners of the combatants require them to play quietly, and in a disciplined way. Many juniors, when they take an opponent’s piece, use expressions like ‘kill’ or ‘eat,’ and are gently educated to use the word ‘capture’ instead. Captured pieces live to fight another game! Banging the pieces down, bashing the clock and knocking pieces off the board with another a piece are all initially commonplace among juniors, but very soon get replaced with calmer, more controlled actions. Exuberance and enthusiasm are good qualities and are encouraged; rudeness, and behaviour which detracts from other people’s games, are discouraged. In league team matches, the choice of colours is predetermined by the league rules regarding board order. In club matches it is frequently decided by one player picking up one white piece and one black piece and shuffling them for his/her opponent to choose a hand. This is usually followed by a shake of hands and then Black starting White’s clock. In competitive matches it is unusual for any conversation to occur. In friendly matches it is normal for some comments to pass between the players. Everyone, from time to time, makes terrible blunders. Some players more often than others. In friendly games, often the error can be reversed to avoid the game being ruined. At the end of the games, one player gets checkmated, or more often resigns. The players shake hands and then often replay and discuss parts of the game. The emphasis is always on helping people improve and never on gloating.
Winning a game, especially in a league match, is exciting and brings a sense of achievement. But publicly, at least, this is measured. There are the same rivalries between some chess clubs as exist between, say, Newcastle and Sunderland in football, but not with the same degree of animosity. So despite the essence of the game being a battle, there are no casualties. Yes, your self-esteem can be dented a bit and losing a game can provoke feelings of frustration, but no one feels threatened.
Secondly, there is the impact of the game on players. Regular chess players are commonly thoughtful and generous with their ideas and skills. They are mentally strong people with good values. They know how to resolve disagreements diplomatically. They understand and generally accept organisation. When they disagree with the organisation, they usually know how to challenge it in a calm and controlled way, and, if required, compromise a bit. Some countries have recognised the power of chess by making it a mandatory school subject. Increasingly, schools in this country, seem to be aware of the possibilities, and are looking to set up or expand existing chess clubs. As usual, funding is an issue. Sponsorship from private and public organisations would be a great help. But things are looking up. In this area, most chess clubs are expanding and significant numbers of young people are getting involved.
This week’s three puzzles are to do with getting a big gain from an investment.