Have Fun

I decided to not get involved with competitive chess in 1977. I was visiting the University of Texas chess club just to see how good these competitive players were. I'd been studying historical games and had one spectacular game fresh in my mind. Everyone was paired up and waiting for a group leader to arrive fresh from his win in a Dallas tournament. 

When he came in he saw me observing and took me for a beginner. He challenged me to a game. Next thing that happened was his making all the right moves in this game I had just studied. My memory was fresh and in the end he had one piece that was in my way towards making a queen, rook double sacrifice checkmate. 

So I offered up a knight which I did not need to force the mate. He saw this as a blunder rather than what it was, an attack opening. He bit. He lost. He got furious. He challenged me to a rematch, and then another and delayed the club meeting, which he was to be the focus, just to prove his dominance. 

It was at that moment I decided I would rather have fun than end up being like this guy.

I try and remember that my opponent is a person first and a competitor second.