I Might not be Sharp but I Sure am Shiny!

A former boss of mine once told me, “You are not the sharpest tool in the shed, but are the shiniest one out of the bunch, that is why we do not like to use you that often.”   I often thought that being this type of “tool” was a bad thing, but after a game that I played last night, I am rethinking about it a little differently…

Every Wednesday night, I go and play chess at the local university.  I go and play there because it gives me something to do during the week and being on a campus is always one of the most satisfying experiences anyone can have.  I was the first in my family to go to college, so university campuses are very dear to my heart.  The group that I play with has very strong players, like:  professors, business men, and there are a couple of young “padawans.”   The mix is a great diversity of talents and personalities.  We have a lot of fun at our meetings and a lot of really good humor is said throughout the night.

I played several games last night, lost all but one.  That solo win was one of the best games I played in a long time, not because I won, but it is how I won.  The guy that I was playing is a very strong player and can keep up some of the best players in the group; he forces many draws and is not afraid to be aggressive towards new players who get up to his level.  The reason why this game sticks out from the rest of my wins is because of this…

There were three moments during the game that I could have taken his queen off the board.  THREE TIMES!  Instead I decided to keep his “Little Lady” on the board and keep placing strategic checks on his king.  I ended up winning the game, playing as black, with the final move (c5#).

After several of the other players in the group looked and listened to the analysis of our game he was a little upset that I left his queen out on the board.  I asked him, “Where would the fun be in that?!”