Randy Wooten is one of the smartest guys I know so when I invited me to learn chess from him at the beginning of this lockdown, I really couldn’t say no. I have always had this notion that those who are good at chess are also those with a high IQ, and this of course was further proved to me by Randy’s intelligence. I was really excited at the chance to learn how to play this game not only because I have always wanted to, but also because it looked like a fantastic way for me to brush up on my IQ.
Now having been learning for just over 6 months, there are some things which I you have to understand when you first begin to play chess.
That Feeling
The first thing that I want to speak abut is how you feel when you lose, which is completely and utterly stupid. There are many ways to snare the king and of course you will have no idea about any of them when you first start out. The result of this is that you are going to get caught out a great deal and there is something about losing this game more than any others, which really makes you feel a fool. Thankfully however, when you do win, you feel like a genius.
Losing A Lot
Not only does losing feel pretty bad, very bad in fact, you are going to have to lose an awful lot before you start winning, this is just the way that it goes. What is important however, especially to those who are not being taught by someone else, is that you analyze your games and try to see where you went wrong. If you just keep playing and keep losing then you will never understand why you have lost and that will only mean that you continue to learn in the future.
Sitting on Your Hands
Chess is certainly a game that toys with your emotions and the best advice that Randy has offered me is that when I think I have come up with an unstoppable move, sit on my hands and think again before making it. The issue is that you see am one which you think could work well, get excited about it, and then miss out on one small detail which will eventually plot your downfall.
Taking Pieces
And finally, one of the toughest things to realize in this game is that you are going to lose pieces and you simply have to understand when the best time to lose them is. I tried for many games to preserve my pieces but even the Grandmasters don’t do that. Lose pieces and take pieces in your hunt for the kind.
This is an amazing game and I have to be honest, since learning how to play with Randy, I certainly feel a lot smarter than I did before I could play the game.
