Chess

There’s been a certain game overtaking our household lately.  Well, at least overtaking the most intense person in the house, therefore affecting us all.

 I know I’ve said many times before that when David does something, he does it 150%.  He knows no other way.  You’d think with the beautiful weather we’ve been having he’d be outside every chance he can get, but it hasn’t been that way.  You see, over Christmas, my step-dad (aka “Papa”)taught him how to play chess and he’s thought of little else since then.  

If he’s not playing chess, he’s talking about chess.  If he’s not talking about chess, he’s thinking about chess.  Knut had a chess computer game that we’ve started letting him play during the 2 youngest kids’ nap time in the afternoon.  He does the chess lessons on there and learns different strategies. 

So I’ve learned about pinning, “smother checks,” who took what piece and how, and what they needed to sacrifice to get it.  Sometimes he gets up late at night when I’m sipping my tea and says “Mommy, I need to tell you something.” 
“Yes, David?”
“Did you know I took his queen, and then he got me in checkmate?”
“David…”
“What?”
“Go to bed.”

I know this is good for him, but my goodness, can there be such a thing as too much of a good thing?  We’ve been bringing him around the library for chess club on Tuesdays when we can manage it.  The first time he was there he was beat twice in 5 minutes by a boy twice his age.  David thought it was the greatest day of his life, and got such a kick out of the strategy that the other boy (also named David) used.

Since no one in the house who knows how to play (Knut, Silje, and me) likes to play every waking moment, David has started tapping into the resource of a little brother who looks up to him so much.  Since we don’t want him playing on the computer all day (he already gets about 2 hours most afternoons when we’re not in town to play chess) he’s started training in his 3 year old brother. 

Elias is so patient and loves being included.  Already, he knows how to set up the chess board, and how to put it away properly.  He knows how to move properly about half the pieces, but David tells him where to go anyway, which he obeys without question.  He doesn’t care that his brother tells him exactly how to lose.  He’s just thrilled to be apart of it.

The rules that we’ve had to come up with and enforce since chess came into our house are downright silly. 

No talking about chess at supper.  I know that sounds harsh, but David will talk non-stop and no one else will be able to say anything and then he doesn’t eat because he gets so into the excitement of the game he describes. 

No talking about chess while we’re praying before bed. 

He asks to play chess on the computer every 5 minutes all morning long in anticipation for afternoon naps when he can play.  So we’ve started the rule of if you ask in the morning (during school time), you can’t play in the afternoon.  If you ask a second time even after we’ve taken away that afternoon then you’re put to work with some chore.  (I’ve tried taking away more than one day and that’s really punishing both of us if you know what I mean.)

Knut got a little nervous the last time they played.  He said David was learning more than he ever did, so Knut has started taking the chess lessons on the computer a little more just to keep up with David.  He says that in a few months to a year, it’ll get to the point where David will beat him without difficulty, and he’s trying to stay ahead of that.  😉  Good luck.