Ladies and Gentlemen. Introducing The New … MGM Chess Title!

First I was a chess player. Then I became a mom. The two could not co-exist together because both require an enormous amount of time, effort, dedication and sacrifice. Add on sleepless nights and exhaustion, and chess stands no chance in a young mom’s life. Or, maybe even in a life of a mom at all.

Looking at the chess players all over the globe, one can see that at least 80% are men. But who carried them in her tummy for 9 longs months? Who nursed them and comforted their every whim? Who taught them to walk, talk and to be a human? Who put her career and interests on hold to raise them? In most cases, it was their mom. 

The sacrifices a mom goes through once she becomes a mom are massive. Let’s take chess as an example (although it’s true for other hobbies and interests). A mom is faced with a constant struggle of choice: child or chess? Of course, one can argue that by choosing chess, say for an hour, a mom choses herself as she plays for her own joy, but this joy is often short-lived. It is also usually accompanied by guilt. And once the guilt creeps in … often within seconds, the joy dissipates and chess mom is back to being the child’s mom:

 -“Why are you playing chess, when you haven’t figured out how to get your baby to sleep through the night. Read a book on that instead!” Or,

 -“Why are you playing chess, when you could be researching early years development and how to properly raise and stimulate your child?” Or,

 “Why are you playing chess? You haven’t showered for 2 days, and haven’t been to the gym for months, for goodness sake!” Or this one:

 -“Why are you playing chess with a ‘mommy-brain’? Get some zzzleep!!”

 Yes. ‘Proper’ chess stands no chance in a young mom’s life. For even if none of the above apply to her, her game is still at high risk of being interrupted by:

 “Mommy - wipe my bum!”, or

“Mommy – I got a booger”, or

“Mommy – where is my sock?”

Or worse even, her little toddler/child will run-up to the computer screen and before she could even react – will touch her chess pieces, making a random, accidental, horrible move. Resign, click!

But wait a minute – can’t she lock herself in the bathroom for a quick online blitz game? Surely, no one will storm in there! … Yes, she can – but all the banging and screaming that would come with that won’t keep her focused for too long.

-“Mommy, I need to go poo, now! Let me in!”

-“Just wait, I’m playing chess!”

-Brief silence … “In the bathroom? … Ok, I guess I’ll just have to go in my pants…”

-“Hold it in there, I’m out!” Mom quickly resigns the game, even if she was winning it…

Is the above true for dads? Let’s see. A man conveniently reproduces outside his body. He is generally quite helpless when a newborn needs nursing and comforting. Traditionally speaking, he’s got a job that he is devoted to, for he is often the one who continues to be a provider for the family (when the mom is on maternity leave). And if it is the mom who is the breadwinner, which is quite common these days, well then don’t even think about chess! Breadwinner moms are lucky if they can have a proper shower once in a while.

You see, it’s nearly impossible to be a good mother and someone who is devoted to her own interests, at least in the early years of child’s life. But this story often doesn’t just stop at the early years. It continues into the teenage years (with new worries) and maybe even into early twenties of her child’s life. Perhaps then, a mother can take some time to wind down. But in many cases, before she knows – boom! She’s a grandmother. And the story repeats itself, if she choses to help out. Or boom! She forgot how to play chess altogether!

There are chess titles that are easier to reach for women such as WFM (Women FIDE Master) vs FM (FIDE Master) or WGM (Women Grandmaster) vs GM (Grandmaster). Well, there should also be a MGM title – a Mom Grandmaster, achieved by all dedicated moms who despite having changed 1000 diapers, taught their little humans to speak, walk, and think, still managed to play one decent chess game in an entire year!

Let’s yell “hurray” to all these moms! And let’s give them the MGM title!

Please share this with your moms, wives, sisters etc… they are incredible!