04-09-2015, 11:15 AM
Pawn to Queen 4
I started trading patterns in the game of war
with Dad’s friend Casey, a Dutch migrant.
I liked to use his moves back at him, and won
with his best set piece that used three pawns
for centreboard control. His chess club met
at the pine plantation club-house Tuesday nights
to play timed and graded games. I made them
pots of tea and coffee, quietly set out crockery,
cookies, sometimes cake, and washed up. Then
I practiced with old Mr Weiss, who drew me
great detailed influence maps of all the pieces
including overlays of coloured intersections.
He taught me to think differently. I saw his maps
again, years later, in paintings by Paul Klee.
I started trading patterns in the game of war
with Dad’s friend Casey, a Dutch migrant.
I liked to use his moves back at him, and won
with his best set piece that used three pawns
for centreboard control. His chess club met
at the pine plantation club-house Tuesday nights
to play timed and graded games. I made them
pots of tea and coffee, quietly set out crockery,
cookies, sometimes cake, and washed up. Then
I practiced with old Mr Weiss, who drew me
great detailed influence maps of all the pieces
including overlays of coloured intersections.
He taught me to think differently. I saw his maps
again, years later, in paintings by Paul Klee.