Hello
Not that I expect anyone to read this blog, but if there is atleast one person out there that stumbles across it I would like to say hi.
I would like to explain a little about my chess background and why I am picking up the game after such a long layoff. I first was well sorta introduced to chess at the age of 9 when someone (I forget who) gave me a nice magnetic traveling chess set. Although they never bothered to explain how to play or how the pieces moved and not that it mattered much because no one I knew (except one uncle) could play. So really I just used these chess pieces as army men along with army men, star wars figures, and other stuff I found that my imagination could double as shoulders. It probably would not be for another three to four years before anyone actually tried to explain how the pieces moved. Even though I never played because at that time I was more into camping, hiking, fishing, basically anything outdoors. I think I was 16 before I actually learned how to play a whole 7 years after I got that traveling set. Some people are just slow learners I guess.
When I did finally learn I became hooked on the game. For Christmas I actually got an electronic chess game which I played endlessly for months and months. Soon I was playing kids in school and managed to beat even some that were on the chess team. Although I was becoming good at the time I never joined a chess club or team even though I was asked to. At the time football (I played or tried to play football in HS) and was to busy being a teenager chasing girls, chasing parties, getting into minor trouble now and then. In other words being young. I did play though when ever I could find someone that wanted to play and I had the time. Then I did something that steered me of course for a short time and do to my maturity it always seemed I was in a hard spot for the next ten years. During that time (I would say around the age of 20) I gave up playing. I was living on my own with no direction, little valuable skills in the work place, no girl, and just a lot of drinking. I did have a job that was pretty meaningless, but I made life long friends at. Still no chess. It would not be until the late 90s that I would play again nearly 19 years later. That was when I got my first computer an HP that didn't have much memory, but still got the job done. I would play sporatically for the next several years online, but by the age of 40 I once again had stopped playing chess.
I have always enjoyed playing even when I am overmatched I still enjoy it. I recently discribed chess as imposing one's will over another person. I am a competitive person and a bit of an alpha so this appeals to me. Yet in my older age it is not all about that anymore. Now I play it to enjoy the game, learn, and meet people. I recently (couple months ago) responded to an ad on Craigslist from a guy who was looking to play chess. He wanted to start a chess club since there are none on our side of Charlotte NC. We met played and played again. I think it was our second or third meeting that another guy saw us playing and joined in so now we are three looking for more. Both of these guys are better than me and I have yet come close to beating them, but I am learning from them. Even though I am losing I am enjoying the game again.
So after basically 25 years after playing it on a regular basis I am back to playing chess. I have so much to relearn and unlearn from old bad habits in chess. Right now I am getting farely decent at my opening game, but the middle is were I start to falter. My tendacy is to not see the whole board and drop pieces because I am not good at tactics. I do stupid things and occasionally a brillant move. Its a learning process that I am enjoying greatly. This is my chess story so far so please drop by play chess and lets be friends.
