Parents constricting child playing chess

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lumberjackax
The kids should want to play
DrSpudnik

In 2006 I played a kid who looked about 10 or so (rated approximately 1650 USCF rated) in a tournament. I was about 1830. I played an Evans Gambit and kept the initiative against pretty good defense, but he eventually lost. I went to post the results and when I turned around I saw his dad standing over him as he cried at the board. This was both sad and funny. I never cried after any number of losses. My pals gave me a bunch of crap for making a little kid cry.

Anyhow, by 2010 he would become a master (2200 rating) and by 2014 he would attain the title of Life Master (play 300 rated games without your rating dropping below 2200) and ended up with a rating well over 2300.  He has not played since 2015, after winning a state high school championship.

I would love to find him now, 15 years later and see what he's been up to. Ask him why he started crying after losing a game. Find out why he stopped playing.

Wits-end

My parents didn’t force me to do anything. If they had, my wish would have been piano lessons. Learning music theory from the keyboard would have benefitted me greatly in later years. I’m happy they didn’t force me to learn chess, it would have been an utterly worthless exercise.