Not worry beads nor Smurfs...

I was sitting on the couch yesterday – watching some AFL (a sport local to Australia). Essentially, I was idling away time. Work has been busy and I was trying to relax. My wife walked past and noted: “Where’s the board?” … I looked up – “Huh?”. I smiled when I realised what she was saying.

 Almost subconsciously, I had taken a few chess pieces with me to the couch. I was essentially just holding them, rolling a piece or two around in my hand. Admiring the work in crafting them and indeed, the feel but in truth – I was just toying with them – like someone might handle worry beads or a kid holding a Smurf – back in the day.  

 It made me reflect. I’m enjoying playing the game of chess, as I am collecting a few pieces. As I get a little older, I am appreciating a few slower past-times – or at least, hobbies where I can lose myself in thought within them. Turn off by turning onto to something that absorbs what grey matter I have left upstairs.  

 Anyway – for fun, I decided to take a few shots with my phone from the couch to capture the moment. As I look back at the shots – it’s quite a strong, almost brutal set not as refined and elegant as a different set I recently purchased. But both have their beauty in different ways.

 Alas, a rather strange post, I suppose. Enjoy your Sunday, as I will mine and ... enjoy your chess - in whatever way it works for you.

Nice post, chess is not only the game itself but a lot of things more. It happen something similar to me when I'm working on a set, I use to take the piece I just finished or its close to be finished and carry it anywhere I go. I hold the piece in my hands and watch it a few times a day. Is something that happen to me since I was young and I started to draw (another of my hobbies). I think it means that we need to stay in contact with those things that we actually love. I often use to take shots of these moments:

P.S.: very nice pieces  indeed!

I get it. A finely made piece is soothing to hold and feel. 

A beautifully articulated post! There's a "something" that carries over from childhood,where even as adults,one can lose themselves in adulation and  appreciation of a passionate hobby or beautiful objects,like those stunning pieces you showed.

Now get off the couch and watch a chess video,or study a chess book.-

I also do this often but with pawns and rooks. Often holding the base with 2 fingers and kind of rotating it on the axis of my fingers while I think or read. Funny enough I don't do it when actually playing OTB which is where I've seem others do it. 

Loving everyone's early response to this thread. Thank you. It seems my strange thoughts are welcome amongst this fine group. @Schachmonkey - because you asked, I asked a pawn onto the couch!  And while at it, I took a photo at the board of a reasonably angry looking knight too
@Jacmater - love seeing your works in progress too. I can understand how constantly looking at the pieces as they are being refined would help the finished product. And having seen your pieces in other threads - they are very fine indeed. 

@Powerdigit said “Thank you. It seems my strange thoughts are welcome amongst this fine group.”

I hope to be just strange enough to be in this fine group. Or fine enough to be in this strange group. Hmmm.. thank you taking us along on the journey. Nicely done. After a tough day, it is refreshing to vicariously travel to other countries and experience their joys. Thank you.

Completely agree: there is a great deal of tactile pleasure to be had from chess pieces, or indeed from any object that combines its physical form with our likes and concerns, whether its smooth rocks from a significant place, the complex shape of our chess pieces, or other pleasing shapes and textures that we pick up and unconsciously carry away to do something else with.