A new obsession, a centuries-old game.
April 24, 2023 1:58 AM Subscribe
Teachers nationwide are flummoxed by students’ new chess obsession: The fad, fueled by social media stars, has left teachers divided between displeasure and delight
Across the country, students from second grade to senior year have stumbled across a new obsession, which is, in fact, a centuries-old game. Interviews with teachers and students in eight states paint a picture of captivated students squeezing games in wherever and whenever they can: at lunch, at recess and illicitly during lessons, a phenomenon that is at once bemusing, frustrating and delighting teachers. Data from Chess.com, whose usership is the highest it’s ever been, and anecdotal evidence nationwide suggest a fervid, growing base of young users. This month’s U.S. Chess Federation National High School Championships in D.C. had to add overflow rooms to accommodate a record 1,750 attendees — spurring fears of a shortage of participation medals.
I never could get on with chess, but, yes, Go. (I was never any good at it though)
posted by bifurcated at 3:51 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by bifurcated at 3:51 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
Go had its youth culture moment about 20 years ago, when the anime and manga Hikaru no Go were popular.
posted by phooky at 4:00 AM on April 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by phooky at 4:00 AM on April 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
you're telling me - google searches for "en passant" are through the roof
posted by nightcoast at 4:06 AM on April 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by nightcoast at 4:06 AM on April 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
(in the US, at least)
posted by nightcoast at 4:09 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by nightcoast at 4:09 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
you're telling me - google searches for "en passant" are through the roofholy hell!
posted by Pachylad at 4:42 AM on April 24, 2023 [23 favorites]
I saw a tumblr post about this and I honestly couldn’t tell if it was a real trend or a joke. I’m kinda still not sure.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:56 AM on April 24, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:56 AM on April 24, 2023 [5 favorites]
It has to be socmed-driven and thus quite global (for a given value of the word): can confirm the young ppl made to attend the Eid open houses of their parents' friends (i.e. mine) were carrying chess sets and then eventually collected the other kids who didn't. Tremendous peace was had, can't complain at all.
posted by cendawanita at 5:03 AM on April 24, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 5:03 AM on April 24, 2023 [14 favorites]
my theory is influencers are commoditizing their complement. if you are a gamer youtuber isn't it better to be talking about a massively available free-to-play platform with depth then a AAA game where your skills will be out of date in 2 years.
posted by web5.0 at 5:31 AM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by web5.0 at 5:31 AM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
(I was never any good at it though)
Sadly, in the west, we usually have two options : play against opponents who are still learning the game, or else join an online go server and get your ass handed to you by a teenager in Korea 😂
posted by panama joe at 5:40 AM on April 24, 2023 [10 favorites]
Sadly, in the west, we usually have two options : play against opponents who are still learning the game, or else join an online go server and get your ass handed to you by a teenager in Korea 😂
posted by panama joe at 5:40 AM on April 24, 2023 [10 favorites]
I thought en passant was cheating the first time someone pulled that on me. Same with castling. I *thought* I knew how each piece moved and how to play, and then someone's like "ahh but if this condition and that condition then I can [take your pawn|get the king to safety]". On first encounter it feels like BS someone made up on the spot to benefit themselves and I'd like to think that hundreds of years ago that's exactly what happened.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:47 AM on April 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:47 AM on April 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
Is this because of The Queen's Gambit, maybe?
posted by Foosnark at 5:47 AM on April 24, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Foosnark at 5:47 AM on April 24, 2023 [5 favorites]
I just hope that all of these corruptive matches have been approved by the CCA (Chess Code Authority).
posted by fairmettle at 5:50 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by fairmettle at 5:50 AM on April 24, 2023
Is this because of The Queen's Gambit, maybe?
That's one of the hypotheses I've seen floating about. A similarly likely but also more depressing theory, as suggested by the r/chess post here, is the popularity of Andrew Tate as well.
posted by Pachylad at 5:57 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
That's one of the hypotheses I've seen floating about. A similarly likely but also more depressing theory, as suggested by the r/chess post here, is the popularity of Andrew Tate as well.
posted by Pachylad at 5:57 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
My friend's 8 year old son is really into Chess. In some ways he isn't what I would have thought of as a chess player. He isn't particularly academically gifted and in fact most of his school work tends to bore him. So why? All we are able to deduce is that he really gets a kick out of beating other kids. And if he studies Chess more, then he can beat more kids. And the other kids also want to win and so, yes its a great strategy game, but it is foremost a direct 1:1 competition with a clear winner and loser.
His brother, whom I would call academically gifted, thinks Chess is ok but he is a gentler soul with a wider range of interests and gets his sense of self-esteem by having the highest grades in the class. Chess is an interesting abstract puzzle but there are others too.
Of course this doesn't explain how all this got started.
(in the US, at least)
Also here in the Netherlands. All the Chess competitions are over-subscribed.
posted by vacapinta at 5:58 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
His brother, whom I would call academically gifted, thinks Chess is ok but he is a gentler soul with a wider range of interests and gets his sense of self-esteem by having the highest grades in the class. Chess is an interesting abstract puzzle but there are others too.
Of course this doesn't explain how all this got started.
(in the US, at least)
Also here in the Netherlands. All the Chess competitions are over-subscribed.
posted by vacapinta at 5:58 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Video games have huge marketing budgets that can sponsor elite competitions and who have a vested interest in popularizing their games. This is a self sustaining loop where a company can tie its profits to selling the game. Some board games like Monopoly and Scrabble have a single company over the brand name who is able to have a similar kind of dynamic. Games like poker and blackjack have the casinos.
Chess and other more traditional open games struggle because they don’t have a company that makes money selling the game. The result is prizes have stayed small and there has been a dependence on a handful of rich patrons and governments (like Russia) for funding. For organizations like US Chess and FIDE currying favor with those patrons with wine and cheese has been more important than the chess. The events are more about putting on a show for wealthy nerds than the players.
This is why chess.com has been a game changer (pun intended). Owning the domain and creating a premium pay subscription model has finally created an organization that gets more money when more people play chess. Their marketing budget has been able to fund big prizes, they’ve used twitch and YouTube to create stars and personalities. They’ve got a PR team so when drama like the Hans/Magnus cheating allegations drama happens they push the drama to media outlets. Even though I hate seeing an open/free thing captured by a company — at least they are not FIDE.
posted by interogative mood at 6:12 AM on April 24, 2023 [9 favorites]
Chess and other more traditional open games struggle because they don’t have a company that makes money selling the game. The result is prizes have stayed small and there has been a dependence on a handful of rich patrons and governments (like Russia) for funding. For organizations like US Chess and FIDE currying favor with those patrons with wine and cheese has been more important than the chess. The events are more about putting on a show for wealthy nerds than the players.
This is why chess.com has been a game changer (pun intended). Owning the domain and creating a premium pay subscription model has finally created an organization that gets more money when more people play chess. Their marketing budget has been able to fund big prizes, they’ve used twitch and YouTube to create stars and personalities. They’ve got a PR team so when drama like the Hans/Magnus cheating allegations drama happens they push the drama to media outlets. Even though I hate seeing an open/free thing captured by a company — at least they are not FIDE.
posted by interogative mood at 6:12 AM on April 24, 2023 [9 favorites]
My 15 year old son has very recently been playing a lot of chess online. I've always been interested in chess, and ran a local team for a regional tournament one year, but I can't take any credit for his sudden interest, I think it is mostly coincidental.
I will say that like the FA says, it appears that him and his few friends that play use chess.com a lot. It allows you to play someone beside you without even needing a board, so you can play on a bus to school, and has some nice features like post-game analysis readily accessibly.
However, I don't know that it's the best for developing his chess skills as he tends to play 10 minute blitz style games, so there isn't a lot of room for mid-game deep analysis. And if you lose, you can line up another game very quickly, so there is less negative reinforcement for poor play. I've played him over the board a few times, and while he is aggressive and strong, he blunders frequently and doesn't really plan well.
A friend of mine told me he was playing on chess.com and despite the amount he played, his in game ranking (ELO) wasn't improving, so it may be that the player matching algorithm is tuned for engagement rather than progression.
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 6:15 AM on April 24, 2023
I will say that like the FA says, it appears that him and his few friends that play use chess.com a lot. It allows you to play someone beside you without even needing a board, so you can play on a bus to school, and has some nice features like post-game analysis readily accessibly.
However, I don't know that it's the best for developing his chess skills as he tends to play 10 minute blitz style games, so there isn't a lot of room for mid-game deep analysis. And if you lose, you can line up another game very quickly, so there is less negative reinforcement for poor play. I've played him over the board a few times, and while he is aggressive and strong, he blunders frequently and doesn't really plan well.
A friend of mine told me he was playing on chess.com and despite the amount he played, his in game ranking (ELO) wasn't improving, so it may be that the player matching algorithm is tuned for engagement rather than progression.
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 6:15 AM on April 24, 2023
Levy, Hikaru, the Botez sisters and the Queen's Gambit series have all been important, but I wonder how much the takeoff was helped by a corporation (chess.com) that has been working really hard to tie it all together and turn it into an exciting (and profitable) online product.
Going at least back to Pogchamps, where they convinced a bunch of popular streamers to play in a chess tournament, you can see how much they've been actively trying to enhance the "cool factor" of the game as a conscious marketing strategy. I'm not sure if the NBA and NFL tournaments they set up had as much impact, but you can see how they're constantly searching for cool, exciting people to promote the game, rather than solely promoting the best players. Levy, Hikaru and the Botez sisters all have charisma, and chess.com has recognized that charisma sells.
Even when they do bring a top player into the fold, like they did with Fabi, their first priority was to develop his nerdy social awkwardness into a nerdy charisma.
They had a few lucky breaks along the way - the Covid lockdown always comes up as a turning point for chess streamers, for example - but they've actively taken advantage of the lucky breaks they've been given.
On preview, what interrogative mood said.
posted by clawsoon at 6:25 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
Going at least back to Pogchamps, where they convinced a bunch of popular streamers to play in a chess tournament, you can see how much they've been actively trying to enhance the "cool factor" of the game as a conscious marketing strategy. I'm not sure if the NBA and NFL tournaments they set up had as much impact, but you can see how they're constantly searching for cool, exciting people to promote the game, rather than solely promoting the best players. Levy, Hikaru and the Botez sisters all have charisma, and chess.com has recognized that charisma sells.
Even when they do bring a top player into the fold, like they did with Fabi, their first priority was to develop his nerdy social awkwardness into a nerdy charisma.
They had a few lucky breaks along the way - the Covid lockdown always comes up as a turning point for chess streamers, for example - but they've actively taken advantage of the lucky breaks they've been given.
On preview, what interrogative mood said.
posted by clawsoon at 6:25 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
Have a 14 year old and (anecdotally anyway) can confirm. This is what they do on lunch breaks at school. When he’s on his phone playing games, a lot of time it’s computer chess. He’s not in any school chess club or team - as far as I can tell those aren’t actually even burgeoning much. It’s just what they’re doing for fun.
posted by Mchelly at 6:37 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by Mchelly at 6:37 AM on April 24, 2023
Levy asks the question on a Tiktok video. Most favourited comments:
"andrew tate"
"Andrew Tate + CR7 and Messi picture"
"I saw a meme of you saying 'AND HE SACRIFICES THE ROOK' and I started playing chess."
"how Andrew Tate described it"
"Andrew tate top g"
...and a few more comments down:
"it's the only thing not blocked on school laptop"
posted by clawsoon at 6:43 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
"andrew tate"
"Andrew Tate + CR7 and Messi picture"
"I saw a meme of you saying 'AND HE SACRIFICES THE ROOK' and I started playing chess."
"how Andrew Tate described it"
"Andrew tate top g"
...and a few more comments down:
"it's the only thing not blocked on school laptop"
posted by clawsoon at 6:43 AM on April 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yep, my high school freshman has been playing too. Before I saw this article, I figured there had to be some way to watch YouTube through it.
posted by slogger at 7:05 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by slogger at 7:05 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
I can answer that for you, teachers: delight! Just delight!
posted by praemunire at 7:15 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by praemunire at 7:15 AM on April 24, 2023
"it's the only thing not blocked on school laptop”
That was my eighth-grader's reason for the sudden re-interest....
posted by chbrooks at 7:31 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
That was my eighth-grader's reason for the sudden re-interest....
posted by chbrooks at 7:31 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Gotta be due to the Bluey episode 'Chest'.
posted by neonamber at 7:37 AM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by neonamber at 7:37 AM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
In the off-season, (Canadian) Cincinnati Reds baseball player Joey Votto regularly posted on social media about his trips on the TTC to play at his chess club. Cause, effect, who can say?
posted by synecdoche at 7:49 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by synecdoche at 7:49 AM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another who honest to God thought it was just a Tumblr shitpost.
posted by Iteki at 7:56 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by Iteki at 7:56 AM on April 24, 2023
Ugh, I'm sad to hear that it's more Andrew Tate than _The Queen's Gambit_, though I guess that makes sense since the show was ages ago in social media time. Not that the chess thing is bad in itself, but if kids are picking up on that they are probably also getting really awful shit along with it.
posted by tavella at 8:19 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by tavella at 8:19 AM on April 24, 2023
Just anecdotal, but my daughter's weekly in-person chess class has been over-subscribed for month and the teacher opened a new weekly class time slot this semester.
posted by of strange foe at 11:18 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by of strange foe at 11:18 AM on April 24, 2023
I know metafilter loves to find the most depressing, world is coming to an end, 1 answer. But I don't think there is one - chess is today's zeitgeist.
Folks of multiple ages are playing it and in multiple forms and at multiple speeds. Yay! It is a pattern loving, strategy filled game. But for almost all of us, a computer could beat us and the outcome doesn't change our day. So maybe the stakes are perfect.
(Data points - my brother, cousin, son, niece and several friends all took it up independently of each other as a hobby starting after the new year. Some online, some not. I personally dislike chess.)
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 12:10 PM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
Folks of multiple ages are playing it and in multiple forms and at multiple speeds. Yay! It is a pattern loving, strategy filled game. But for almost all of us, a computer could beat us and the outcome doesn't change our day. So maybe the stakes are perfect.
(Data points - my brother, cousin, son, niece and several friends all took it up independently of each other as a hobby starting after the new year. Some online, some not. I personally dislike chess.)
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 12:10 PM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
Aging Mensa members now super excited by new member potential!
posted by srboisvert at 1:35 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by srboisvert at 1:35 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
I remember there being a lot of people playing chess in our high school cafeteria back in the mid-90s. Mostly they played double chess (which Wikipedia calls Bughouse chess) because there's only so much time to play.
I tried teaching my kids chess a couple of years ago but they weren't interested. Maybe they were too young at the time. I hope they get into it because then I can play with them and if they get good at it they'll probably be able to beat me.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:55 PM on April 24, 2023
I tried teaching my kids chess a couple of years ago but they weren't interested. Maybe they were too young at the time. I hope they get into it because then I can play with them and if they get good at it they'll probably be able to beat me.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:55 PM on April 24, 2023
I know metafilter loves to find the most depressing, world is coming to an end, 1 answer. But I don't think there is one - chess is today's zeitgeist.
On the one hand, in a world where Fortnight (and every other game) sells loot boxes, chess is a game you can't pay to win at. On the other hand, stockfish exists. On the third hand, maybe learning how to one up your friends in zero sum combat with AI tools is the best preparation we can give a child in 2023.
posted by pwnguin at 3:59 PM on April 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
On the one hand, in a world where Fortnight (and every other game) sells loot boxes, chess is a game you can't pay to win at. On the other hand, stockfish exists. On the third hand, maybe learning how to one up your friends in zero sum combat with AI tools is the best preparation we can give a child in 2023.
posted by pwnguin at 3:59 PM on April 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
This is down to people like Magnus, Hikaru, the Botez Sisters, Chess Brah etc going viral due to the Pogchamp competition during the pandemic. (Video is XQC v. Pokimane, here's Poki training w/Alex Botez.)
And more recently the anal bead controversy guy.
Not exactly like Searching for Bobby Fisher.
(Speaking of which, someone needs to drag Josh Waitzkin back to chess from motivational speaker purgatory. Come on in, the water's fine.)
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:45 PM on April 24, 2023
And more recently the anal bead controversy guy.
Not exactly like Searching for Bobby Fisher.
(Speaking of which, someone needs to drag Josh Waitzkin back to chess from motivational speaker purgatory. Come on in, the water's fine.)
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:45 PM on April 24, 2023
And, yes, very savvy marketing by Chess.com.
But chess is a strategy game, eternally popular, so there's no reason it shouldn't be folded back into gaming culture.
More recently, there's been chess boxing. Here's the younger Botez recounting her match.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:52 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
But chess is a strategy game, eternally popular, so there's no reason it shouldn't be folded back into gaming culture.
More recently, there's been chess boxing. Here's the younger Botez recounting her match.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:52 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
“Before school, they’re supposed to line up and head upstairs in an orderly fashion,” said Kevin Nitta, a teacher at the private St. Patrick School in Honolulu. “But now it’s chaos, because they can’t see the stairs — because they’re all looking at Chess.com on their Chromebooks.”
Sometimes I see quotes like some of the ones in this article and realize how much schools depend on kids being bored!
posted by smelendez at 4:57 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sometimes I see quotes like some of the ones in this article and realize how much schools depend on kids being bored!
posted by smelendez at 4:57 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yes, I heard about chess boxing the other day, and from people in their late 20s/early 30s--what a concept.
posted by praemunire at 6:38 PM on April 24, 2023
posted by praemunire at 6:38 PM on April 24, 2023
Josh Waitzkin — when he was a kid his father wrote an article about his chess talent for The Atlantic(or some other monthly) that later got adapted into a hit movie called “Searching for Bobby Fischer”. The movie presents him as being a one on a generation chess talent — perhaps the next Bobby Fischer. He wasn’t. He peaked at the level just below grandmaster and earned the title International Master. By the measure of us mere mortal club players he is amazing at chess, but not when compared to the best players of his generation — even just limiting the list to Americans.
Imagine having that adolescence. You go from being a top ranked 9 year old to watching all your peers progress faster and start crushing you. Like you are an elementary school basketball player and there is a movie about you that says you are then next Michael Jordan but it turns out maybe your skills are good enough to get a college scholarship; but you aren’t even going to be in the NBA.
posted by interogative mood at 8:41 PM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
Imagine having that adolescence. You go from being a top ranked 9 year old to watching all your peers progress faster and start crushing you. Like you are an elementary school basketball player and there is a movie about you that says you are then next Michael Jordan but it turns out maybe your skills are good enough to get a college scholarship; but you aren’t even going to be in the NBA.
posted by interogative mood at 8:41 PM on April 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
Daniel Naroditsky is my favorite chess streamer. Just see him teach penguinz0 (aka Cr1TiKaL) how to play. Yes it's all very broey banter which may viscerally put you off— cr1tikal jokes about having a big dick in the first minute— but if you make it past that you will find some of the best chess instruction in the world.
posted by i like crows very much at 9:55 PM on April 24, 2023
posted by i like crows very much at 9:55 PM on April 24, 2023
I don't know very much about chess, but I have been enjoying watching Chess Simp's youtube channel -- he plays 5 minute matches against 100-rated players, with viewer-suggested challenge restrictions on how he's allowed to play. Here's another recent fun one.
posted by rifflesby at 11:27 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rifflesby at 11:27 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
My two teens (19, 14) here in Ireland spend a huge amount of time playing chess against each other and randomers via their phones. It's definitely on trend.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:23 AM on April 25, 2023
posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:23 AM on April 25, 2023
He peaked at the level just below grandmaster and earned the title International Master...Imagine having that adolescence. You go from being a top ranked 9 year old to watching all your peers progress faster and start crushing you. Like you are an elementary school basketball player and there is a movie about you that says you are then next Michael Jordan but it turns out maybe your skills are good enough to get a college scholarship; but you aren’t even going to be in the NBA.
Yes, that's why it would be interesting if he made a return as a commentator rather than a serious competitor. You'd think he'd have things to say about the rejuvenation of the scene, the explosion in youth interest in competition, the various dramas, the commercialization push from Chess.com and Twitch and etc. There are already IMs who make content, without his name recognition. You don't need to be an FM or GM if you're engaging, and his day job has been motivational speaker.
Either way, Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition is abandonware now and Waitzkin's lessons are still very good for learning the game beyond "how do the pieces move."
I also enjoy Predator at the Chessboard (chesstactics.org, a site and a book) though most of it is still beyond me. The author is renowned for his books on rhetoric and language.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:11 AM on April 25, 2023
Yes, that's why it would be interesting if he made a return as a commentator rather than a serious competitor. You'd think he'd have things to say about the rejuvenation of the scene, the explosion in youth interest in competition, the various dramas, the commercialization push from Chess.com and Twitch and etc. There are already IMs who make content, without his name recognition. You don't need to be an FM or GM if you're engaging, and his day job has been motivational speaker.
Either way, Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition is abandonware now and Waitzkin's lessons are still very good for learning the game beyond "how do the pieces move."
I also enjoy Predator at the Chessboard (chesstactics.org, a site and a book) though most of it is still beyond me. The author is renowned for his books on rhetoric and language.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:11 AM on April 25, 2023
Two books that have captured articulated what I get out of playing chess emotionally are All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir About Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything by Sasha Chapin and The Moves That Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life by GM Jonathan Rowson.
Both of these books get into the question of what makes chess such a compelling game / obsession. The first is from the perspective of an average club players and very relatable, the second is 64 distinct essays about life and chess. in one essay Rowson writes about the modern world as largely one where we tend to spend most of our time reacting and responding to emails, text messages, etc and how chess (especially slow classical games that last hours) creates a kind of luxury good of time where all the information is in front is us and we are free to make our own plans based on it and succeed or fail purely on the world as it is presented and understood in the prices on 64 squares.
posted by interogative mood at 6:32 AM on April 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Both of these books get into the question of what makes chess such a compelling game / obsession. The first is from the perspective of an average club players and very relatable, the second is 64 distinct essays about life and chess. in one essay Rowson writes about the modern world as largely one where we tend to spend most of our time reacting and responding to emails, text messages, etc and how chess (especially slow classical games that last hours) creates a kind of luxury good of time where all the information is in front is us and we are free to make our own plans based on it and succeed or fail purely on the world as it is presented and understood in the prices on 64 squares.
posted by interogative mood at 6:32 AM on April 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
I don’t recall how much of this makes it into the movie of Searching for Bobby Fischer, but Fred Waitzkin’s original book is aware of and ambivalent about the pressure of being a chess prodigy - the author admits being torn between wanting to see his son be one of the best and wanting him to have a normal childhood. It seems that Josh Waitzkin ultimately did kind of burn out on chess, but found other things he liked and ended up fairly well-adjusted about the whole thing, which is in line with the perspective his father wanted to convey.
posted by atoxyl at 11:05 AM on April 25, 2023
posted by atoxyl at 11:05 AM on April 25, 2023
I rewatched Searching For Bobby Fischer a while back with my kids (after we obsessively binged TQG) and I think it holds up. Worth seeking out if you have not seen it.
For myself, I board game a lot for fun but have never, ever managed to get my head around chess beyond the rudiments. But as in board gaming I tend to me far more tactical than strategic.
posted by hearthpig at 5:19 AM on April 26, 2023
For myself, I board game a lot for fun but have never, ever managed to get my head around chess beyond the rudiments. But as in board gaming I tend to me far more tactical than strategic.
posted by hearthpig at 5:19 AM on April 26, 2023
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posted by panama joe at 3:00 AM on April 24, 2023 [9 favorites]