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05/30/2002 Archived Entry: "Bluejack on Chess"

My friend Bluejack has been reviving his chess hobby, entering the state tournament after laying off for a while. He's written some thoughtful journal entries about the experience. (I wonder if he does any activity without considering it in a serious fashion.) "Yesterday I explored the masochism of chess. Today let's begin with sadism. Let's talk about crushing the spirit out of a kid. One of the problems with being a lousy chess player, is that many of the other lousy chess players you encounter in tournaments are under sixteen years of age. They are entering in the tournament, competing for the same prizes, so you can't treat them any differently. It's no humiliation to be beaten by a bright kid who has played a good game, although it is a little wistful to know that next year he will probably be three or four hundred points higher than you, while you are struggling with the next batch of young players."