I Played Chess

Today is going to be this insane rush forward in an attempt to squeeze in everything I want to get done before company arrives.  Last weekend, my Other Half (O.H.) and I picked up two games.  We both have an addiction to playing games when we can get a few people together.  Some of the household favorites include: Trivia Pursuit (on PS3), You Don't Know Jack (on PS3), Bezzerwizzer, and Apples to Apples.  We recently picked up a copy of Harry Potter Scene It?  We are both huge Harry Potter fans (read all books and seen all movies), so it was only natural that we scooped up this game that includes scenes and trivia from all 8 movies.  Tonight, we're having my brother and his girlfriend over dinner and a couple games of Harry Potter Scene It?  It should be interesting since they are huge fans of the series as well. 

Also, last weekend, we picked up one of this multi-game sets.  You know the ones that include chess, checkers, backgammon, and a half a dozen others.  My O.H. had been wanting to teach me to play chess, but I wasn't overly enthusiastic.  I just thought that I would never be able to remember all the different ways to move the pieces as well as plan any long-term strategy.  Particularly since I regularly get my butt kicked at checkers.  But for him, I was willing to give it a try.

I love chess!

We played a long game, which featured me asking a ton of questions, while also discussing with my opponent my own strategy.  (Yeah, way to launch a sneak attack, Joce!)  It was amazing and a great way to open my mind to plotting books.  For books, I spend a lot of time in the mind of the main character, figuring out his plan.  How is he going to attack this problem?  How is he going to react? 

But chess forces you to not only worry about your plan, but to also try to weigh your opponent, consider his personality and what his likely approach might be to the game.  Since the pieces are set in how they can move around the board, you can actually play out several scenarios, weighing risks and rewards.  You find yourself in certain scenarios that no matter how you move, you will lose something and you will consider what to sacrifice and what to protect.

I never expected to see so many similarities to writing.  What's more, I never expected to feel as if my own plotting and crafting skills would improve if I played chess.

I also never ever expected to become a potential addict.  We've agreed to play another game later today after a run to the grocery.  It may be years before I'm any good at the game but the exercise for my brain is thrilling. 


The only thing now is that I want a nice chess set.  The one I have is great for just beginning, but I now want something a little fancier.  And I think I found the one I'm looking for.