chess

Lately, I've gotten hooked on chess - on the computer. Shockwave has a good chess game where you can play the computer or a live opponent. I first got interested in chess back when Bobby Fischer was playing the Russians for the world championship, but I gave it up because (a) it is basically antisocial (visualize a roomful of sweaty tournament players hunched over the boards, not talking a civil word to anybody), and (b) Bobby Fischer turned into the biggest flake since Paul Morphy (Googelize him, I don't have room to explain).

My interest was rekindled this summer when I saw my brother-in-law playing chess on his computer. He didn't understand the game at all, and was amazed when I showed him how to castle his king and how to take a pawn "en passant."

So I got into Shockwave's chess game. There seem to be two kinds of players - those who know what they are doing and those who don't. You can spot the latter by the fact that they bring their Queen out on the second or third move without developing their pieces or castling their king first. I love that because my opponent's Queen becomes my target. Every attacking move againt the Queen is a developing move for me. After about 10-15 moves it is all over but the technique of closing the game.

I don't consider this too big a waste of time. I've read that doing crossword puzzles is a good "brain exercise" that will delay the onset of Alzheimer's in old age. I'm betting chess will have the same effect. If it doesn't, I hope I find another chess player in the nursing home. Meanwhile, I'm having fun.