Chess Champion

Last week we took the kids camping at Mt. Rushmore and stayed at a KOA campground.  Nice facilities, and they even had a large outdoor plastic chess set with about 3' tall kings which my 3-year-old son and I enjoyed playing with.  One evening as we were about to leave and go back to our camper, I set up the board in case someone else wanted to play.  A guy came up to me and said, "You know you set those up wrong, don't you?"  I looked, thinking that for some reason I may have transposed a couple of pieces, but it looked correct to me.

"Unless there's something I missed, it looks right to me," I replied.

He said, "The queen always goes on the left of the king.  You've got it set up right over there (the white side), but here (the black side) the king & queen should be switched around."

"Um, I don't think so.  This is how the chess board is always set up.  I may not have been playing long but at least I know how the board is set up.  The queen always starts on the square of her own color.  If all these cement tiles weren't red, you'd see that they'd start the way they're set up."

"I was a chess champion years ago, so I know what I'm talking about," he replied.  "You've got them set up the wrong way."

"OK, whatever you think," I said walking away, realizing why every time you see a chess set on TV it's set up wrong.

If only he played for money (and wasn't a hustler).

I was tempted to challenge him to a game but he's he'd probably want to play with the board set up wrong.  I really should have asked him what his rating was, though.

Just because you're chess champion of Mrs. McGillicutty's 6th grade class doesn't make you an expert.

McGillicutty's 6th was unbeatable in the '90s. Please show some respect, sir!

I think the dude was lying about being a chess champion. He probably just wanted to make you think he was right and to confuse you.

Someone has to be the best in the loony bin.

What does that mean??!! (said with scary undertone)

If I didn't need to take my tired son back to the camper, I'd have loved to played a game, but I have the feeling I'd have heard "Hey, you can't do that!" when I castled or used en passent.

Quick resolution, ask him to explain the first two moves of the Scandanavian defense...

2... Kxd5!!!

If you think you're right AND you have proof that you're right (saying how you remember that, not whether you're a chess champion) don't listen to anyone else!