I’ve seen that chess movie with Anya Taylor-Joy, and now I have lived it.
It’s true. She totally crushed me. I could say that I haven’t played chess in 30 years, but it won’t help, since Iliana had never played it before at all.
Well, she says she’d never played it. That could have been a ploy to sucker me in.
Reginald Selkirksays
Ah, but on the left side of the photo – those are specimen bottles. Drosophila or spiders? Is that what you use when a piece reaches the last rank and becomes a queen?
StevoRsays
I’ve heard of Rooks that are Castles
I’ve heard of Bishops & Queens
But a shark that’s best at the game of Chess,
Well, that’s a piece I ain’t seen!
W apologies & respects to The Digital Cuttlefish who feel like I’m channeling here..
Slightly confused here–did that set come with extra queens? There seems to be an extra queen of each color, off the board. I guess that could be useful for when one marches a pawn to the eighth row, but I don’t recall ever playing a game where that actually happened. Also, you both seem to be sitting on the same side of the board.
Still, losing to a 4-year-old…
I guess you could blame it on modern, advanced training techniques. Computer chess programs are so good now and so available that kids can practice day & night against virtual opponents of whatever skill level helps them the most.
Just be sure you don’t get one of those bad-tempered chess-playing robots like the one that reached out and mangled a kid’s hand during a game a few months ago. The kid was touching a piece and, for some reason, the robot took exception to this, reaching out with his robot hand and breaking a finger or two. Apparently, that’s what you get when you train the AI on Bobby Fischer games.
ferglsays
Rook to knight 5 PZ! So obvious and you would had her. Chin up.
“Those vials contain spiders we collected at Iliana’s house.”
Make sure you hide them well well for your return trip. You wouldn’t want some red-necked goober arresting you for trafficking spiders across state borders.
Larrysays
“Come on, Grandpa, they’re called knights, not horsies!”
Reginald Selkirksays
@6: What you be smoking? None of the rooks on the board can reach knight 5; king or queen’s rook, king or queen’s knight, black or white.
John Moralessays
Doting granpa dotes. :)
tacitussays
Apparently chess has become so popular in some schools that they’ve had to ban it because it was distracting the kids from their schoolwork.
Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all…
magistramarlasays
Last summer, the two granddaughters visited and challenged Grandpa to games of chess.
Grandpa barely managed to win each game. The girls are 7 and 10.
They will be back to visit in a couple of weeks. Let the games begin!
brightmoonsays
Just got reminded that my JW neighbors aren’t allowed to play chess. Freaked me out when found out.
brightmoonsays
The game that takes a half an hour to learn and a lifetime to master!
PZ Myers says
Well, she says she’d never played it. That could have been a ploy to sucker me in.
Reginald Selkirk says
Ah, but on the left side of the photo – those are specimen bottles. Drosophila or spiders? Is that what you use when a piece reaches the last rank and becomes a queen?
StevoR says
I’ve heard of Rooks that are Castles
I’ve heard of Bishops & Queens
But a shark that’s best at the game of Chess,
Well, that’s a piece I ain’t seen!
W apologies & respects to The Digital Cuttlefish who feel like I’m channeling here..
birgerjohansson says
Almost like the epic chess game in Red Dwarf.
feralboy12 says
Slightly confused here–did that set come with extra queens? There seems to be an extra queen of each color, off the board. I guess that could be useful for when one marches a pawn to the eighth row, but I don’t recall ever playing a game where that actually happened. Also, you both seem to be sitting on the same side of the board.
Still, losing to a 4-year-old…
I guess you could blame it on modern, advanced training techniques. Computer chess programs are so good now and so available that kids can practice day & night against virtual opponents of whatever skill level helps them the most.
Just be sure you don’t get one of those bad-tempered chess-playing robots like the one that reached out and mangled a kid’s hand during a game a few months ago. The kid was touching a piece and, for some reason, the robot took exception to this, reaching out with his robot hand and breaking a finger or two. Apparently, that’s what you get when you train the AI on Bobby Fischer games.
fergl says
Rook to knight 5 PZ! So obvious and you would had her. Chin up.
PZ Myers says
Those vials contain spiders we collected at Iliana’s house.
garydargan says
“Those vials contain spiders we collected at Iliana’s house.”
Make sure you hide them well well for your return trip. You wouldn’t want some red-necked goober arresting you for trafficking spiders across state borders.
Larry says
“Come on, Grandpa, they’re called knights, not horsies!”
Reginald Selkirk says
@6: What you be smoking? None of the rooks on the board can reach knight 5; king or queen’s rook, king or queen’s knight, black or white.
John Morales says
Doting granpa dotes. :)
tacitus says
Apparently chess has become so popular in some schools that they’ve had to ban it because it was distracting the kids from their schoolwork.
Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all…
magistramarla says
Last summer, the two granddaughters visited and challenged Grandpa to games of chess.
Grandpa barely managed to win each game. The girls are 7 and 10.
They will be back to visit in a couple of weeks. Let the games begin!
brightmoon says
Just got reminded that my JW neighbors aren’t allowed to play chess. Freaked me out when found out.
brightmoon says
The game that takes a half an hour to learn and a lifetime to master!