You seem like a very determined person, too bad you use your potential on competitive chess instead of something that may give you better rewards.
Life of a Female Chess Player Pt. II: Competition
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You can't fail your ideals by losing a game of chess. There's always a horse that runs faster than other.
Apr 9, 2016
0
#4
I think there are a lot of people of both sexes who will not improve unless they look at the board differently. Most chess players do not look for spicey tactics or advantage, they just make moves for the sake of making moves, without further analysis. This is the truth for most players, even most so-called "attacking" players. Try not to recieve respect, but fear, instilled in your opponent. Build up all the threats and force him/her into positional play. Also, do not coward before your opponent. Many women are stereotyped as being positional. Prove this theory otherwise by taking undue risks, when you cannot turn back but hope for a potential win. Use your adrealine to promote greater attacks, use your emotions and agressive risks as one way routes to success. Fight to the Death. That's what Jerome Silman would say
I think chess is a game of gears and grind, with both creative and scientific stradegy, and bluffing is sometimes neccessary. My style of play is more like Capablanca. I enjoy precise and accurate moves, and will not risk by playing attacking moves if it feels wrong or inaccurate. Let's face it, most players do not have a hundredth the calculation skills of Mikhail Tal, but players often incorporate his style into their play. You can play like Botvinnik more easily because he is more solid and standard. However, even Kasparov had difficulty understanding some of the complexities of their style, even though his brain uses ten times the electrical power than common people do. Play how you wish, but have a strong and healthy initiative while doing so. You can play well when you use your emotions intelligently, and you will feel the move by heart.
Well you don't fail womankind over a game of chess. And if you lose a game of chess, it doesn't prevent other women from winning games, because you can't control how well they play.
The best chess player in Scotland is a chick, Keti Grant. She is our rightful Queen and we shall defend her honour! Long live the chess Queen!
Neverfearthedark wrote:
Sometimes I lose. Bitterness rots away at me. He coyly records the win, and walks away confident. I feel a crushing sense of failure. I've failed my ideals and my pride. Then I remember that I have more games to play. Next opponent.
More often than not, I want to crawl into the skin of someone else for chess
All that matters is the chess pieces, you must try to detach yourself emotionally to be truly objective, which I admit, is easier said than done.
It's sad to see how many women suffer of an inferiority complex. I blame this on feminism, that keeps repeating that women are treated unfairly while this is not true in any aspect of life in 2016.
Apr 10, 2016
0
#10
Girl... You hate receiving The Treatment? Welcome it! It is Bobby jr telling you that he is waaaaay more afraid of losing to you than you to him. An act like that originates in fear. You don't need to act. Win or lose, you move the chess pieces. Let Bobby jr deal with his own problems; they are none of yours!!
Girl, I feel your pain. I was always OK in chess, more or less, but some of the guys I used to play rugby against were completely rude and uncouth and would do things like chew garlic before the game so you got a faceful of stinky breath in the scrum, or they'd deliberately not shave so their stubble would be rubbing against your skin, which is really uncomfortable. Bad-mannered opponents are the worst, especially when they don't say anything, you just feel they don't respect you.
is this more bait to snare men into a male bashing session?
Thread is full of white knights.. party hardy!
MonkeyH wrote:
perhaps, but generally feminist prefer to focus on negative, boorish male behavior and do not provide positive feedback on the decent behavior they do encounter or wish to encourage.
I recall once, out of common courtesy, holding a door open for a women and being insulted for doing it. I've witnessed another woman dumping her soft drink on a mans dinner when he stepped away to get a napkin.
Boorish behavior is a two way street, and so is sexism.
Thread is full of white knights.. party hardy!
Apr 10, 2016
0
#15
MikeCrockett wrote:
MonkeyH wrote:
Thread is full of white knights.. party hardy!
perhaps, but generally feminist prefer to focus on negative, boorish male behavior and do not provide positive feedback on the decent behavior they do encounter or wish to encourage. I recall once, out of common courtesy, holding a door open for a women and being insulted for doing it. I've witnessed another woman dumping her soft drink on a mans dinner when he stepped away to get a napkin. Boorish behavior is a two way street, and so is sexism.
Woman insults DaveyCrockett, must be a feminist...
Woman pours drink on guy's food, must be a feminist...
Why don't I make some assumptions too? Maybe she didn't like you grabbing her butt when you opened the door for her? Maybe the guy having dinner insulted the woman who poured a drink on it?
smh...
and when all else fails, revert to Ad hominem attacks to distract from the core issue...
Apr 10, 2016
0
#17
MikeCrockett wrote:
and when all else fails, revert to Ad hominem attacks to distract from the core issue...
I think it's pretty clear what the core issue is for you, Davey. You don't like women who aren't little tiny princesses for you. They're all just...just...feminists!
LOL. Good try. Now try to find something nice to say. :-)
Apr 10, 2016
0
#19
Okay, I like how all your buttons show in your avatar, though maroon-coloured buttons would be preferable
perhaps some Zen music for balance and relaxation may help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRrIAqCdjCI
To everyone that has reached out to me and has given me support, I really appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts and respond. To everyone that provide insightful commentary on my forum post, thank you. I don't have to agree with you to appreciate your throughts.
I want to take a moment to talk a little bit more about my personal experience. I've realized that perhaps it might be effective for me to talk about myself in a more general way so that people can identify with me not just as a woman who plays chess, but as a chess player in general.
I run into people a lot who seem to think that women aren't competitive, or at least that they aren't as competitive in chess. Frankly, I don't think I'm qualified to comment on the truth of such a statement without extensive research. I tend to think its probably a generalization without much merit, but of course, that's only based on my own experience.
The thrill of winning tantalizes me. It keeps me up at night and then follows me gleefully into my dreams. I live for the exact moment I see the correct position. My heart jumps in my chest as I realize my tactical plan. I get chills from seeing my opponent acknowledge my superiority on the board. In many ways I'm not different than any other player. I lack not for ambition.
There is one difference though. Every once in awhile, I run into what I like to call, a good ole' boy. I can spot a good ole' boy the minute he realizes that he's about to play me. His eyebrows raise for a second. Shock is his first reaction. Then smug self-assurance. He doesn't think I have a chance against him for a second. I inwardly groan every time.
What a ridiculous assumption to make about one's opponent? Intelligence isn't worn. You can't see it immediately. Yet instantly the good ole' boy is sure that I'm not going to be a good chess player.
A scurry of different things run through my mind. Of course I long desperately to beat this guy. I want his respect. I want to change how he thinks about people. I also just want to win. On the other hand, what happens if I lose? Do I fail all of womankind? Am I just reinforcing stereotypes? What if I win and he just says its because of my appearance? I weigh my options.
Part of me does want to run. Why dignify such an opponent by playing? He obvioulsy doesn't see me as a valid opponent so why should I see him as one?
The clock has started. Too late to back out now, and honestly at this point I don't want to. His gaze is embarassing. Why can't this scenario be different? Why do I have to be a girl? I always play extremely agressively in these games. I feel attacked, and the best way I know how to defend myself is to strike first.
What I long for, at the end of the day, is to be a chess player that wins. And so I try to beat him. Sometimes I win. Those are the moments I soar. He walks away muttering, and I smile just a little bit and record the win. Next opponent.
Sometimes I lose. Bitterness rots away at me. He coyly records the win, and walks away confident. I feel a crushing sense of failure. I've failed my ideals and my pride. Then I remember that I have more games to play. Next opponent.
More often than not, I want to crawl into the skin of someone else for chess tournaments. Feel what its like to be just another guy strolling aimlessly around the rows of black and white.
Then I remember that I am me, and I have a right to be here.