Grandpa Plays Chess with eight year old Grand Daughter.

One day during in December 2010 during Christmas school vacation, I dropped in on my number 4 son at his home, with a 100 piece puzzle of a white bunny. My granddaughter 8, and grandson 6 were there. I didn't take the cover to the puzzle in with me, so they could not see what it was going to be.

Soon we were done with the puzzle after much laughing and carrying on.

My granddaughter said, "Papa, wait I will be right back." She took off running up the stairs in search of something. She came back excited carrying a case and said,  "Papa, I got my beautiful chess set and I want to play you a game of chess."

"Okay. I'll play with you." I hadn't played a game with anyone in many months. On Chess.com I had only played four games in a year.

Holding the two bags of chess pieces she asked, "Which color do you want?"

"Wait a second, Sienna. The proper way to choose the color is to put a white pawn and a black pawn in your closed hands. Mix them up behind your back. Stick both hands out and then let me choose the hand."

Quickly she did that with her tiny seven year old hands and extended them out to me. “Okay chose the hand, Papa.” 

I touch the right hand.  She opened the hand and it was the white pawn. She took the board out of the box and she set it on the floor where we were going to play.

“That is really a beautiful box and chess pieces, Sienna” 

We set our own pieces up and when we were ready to play she said while pointing at the three pawns on the king’s side, "Papa. Those three pawns you don't move at the start of the game. Even those on the left side okay? Just the two pawns in the middle."

"Right, I got it," I said. I  made my move, 1. e4 and she quickly responded . . e5. 

I moved 2. f4   Her eyes lit up and she snapped up the pawn. 2. ...   exf4.

"Oh no . . . you wiped him out." I said with a 73 year old surprise. My son and his lady friend and my grandson were watching us, while they played with another puzzle.

"Papa, that's the way in Chess, sometimes you lose one if you move one of those pawns I told you not to move." She said looking at me very logically.

A little later I checked her with my queen. She tried to move the king here and there. It was impossible. She tried to block but it was impossible. Finally with a smile she found the queen and put it   ....  Q to f7. "I found a way," she said proudly.

I took her queen and she took my queen with her king, smiling. "I am out of trouble." 

We played on. I was going to take one of her pieces and searching she moved the knight, then tried the bishop, then the rook to no avail trying to block a bishop.

Finally she moved a pawn to... c5. "I didn't see that," I said. "But now listen to this."

"What is it Papa."

"Do you know what enpassant is?"

Rolling on the floor smiling, but listening intently I showed her. She was disappointed, but I showed her because she found that move gave her an escape space for the king.

A little later she checked me with her bishop. "It's a check. Papa but I just put it there trying to get away."

"Wow. Now I have to move my king." I said.

"No Papa, why don't you just castle? The bishop and knight aren't there."

"You aren't allowed to castle when you are in check. I had to do it before I move my king or be in check." I moved my king.

That game never ended it just sat there waiting . . . . . .

We started some other games with the rest of the family, but she learned some things that day.

It also made me play a game of chess. It was a game against my seven year old granddaughter, with her beautiful silver case, wood board and golden varnished white and black pieces.

Before I left I helped her to put the pieces in their bags into the silver case including her chess board and locked it.

"Papa, I lock it because when I take it to school it is safe where I store it."

"You take it to school?"

"Yes, I leave it there all during school sessions because I teach the other little girls to play chess and then I have someone to play with."

"Wow, Sienna. I am so proud of you." 

She hadn't told me that before. So I started a chess club at school because of my two grandchildren. I am so glad I did.    

Oh by the way. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Thats so sweet !!

What a nice story.Ahhhh.... <3

Thanks for reading and specially for the comments.

Have a nice holiday.

I should be thanking you for sharing this wonderful story. Have a blessed christmas and a wonderful new year! :)

Such a nice story!

I wish I had a daughter or granddaughter. 

Nice story! Enjoy your Christmas!

Great story.  I'm sure she'll have fond memories of playing with Grandpa.

Thanks for the comments guys.

Here is a photo of my granddaughter two year later when she was 10. Besides chess she also plays soccer. Loves being a goalkeeper.

Is she still playing chess?

Sienna and her brother Logan are in my school chess club that starts again the second Tuesday in January 2014.

She always gets my Amazon Kindle and plays whenever we meet. Santa is giving her a book reader for Christmas. 

Oh, her little brother Logan who is two years younger also plays. Once in a while Sienna says to me, "Papa please don't show him our secret moves because he will win more chess games from me."

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Beautiful story. I can relate to it . Being a grandfather of a grandson 5 and granddaughter 3 I envy you.

Hola

I tried to restart the chess club at my granddaughters elementary school but they didn't want it to because they have a Scrabble club running. So I have to wait until April to start it. 

My grand daughter said, "That's bad because then school will be over very soon after."

I began assisting another chess teacher at another elementary school. Now they asked to become the permanent chess teacher at that school next year, because the current one is quiting after this school year. "Se la vida"