As mentioned in several posts, Ian enjoys playing chess. He knows what all of the pieces are called, how they move and even how to trick a new and unsuspecting opponent (Mommy). Tom has been playing with him almost every day for the last few weeks and sometimes, we will walk in the living room to find Ian on the floor, with the chess board set up properly, waiting for someone to play with him. This past week, he said he would teach me how to play chess-which I was honestly impressed because he did teach me correctly. He even tried to help me feel better by showing me "how to take a few of my guys." He also cleverly encouraged some moves where I was set up to lose.
So, when Thursday rolled around and I told him that he needed a Show and Tell item, he asked if he could bring his chess set, so he could "teach all the kids how to set it up and play!" I hesitated but then I figured it wasn't a big deal. He had his chess pieces bagged up and his board and sat in the car, discussing how he would set up the board and how he would teach the kids the moves. The look on the preschool aide's face when he walked into the class carrying a chess set was priceless. Of course, they probably think I am some crazy overachiever parent, I mean, who teaches a four-year-old to play chess? But the truth is that this is just who he is and what he is about. He isn't too much about some typical little boy stuff, although he can be at times.
Secretly, I love him and all his curiosity and natural propensity toward things I cannot fathom even now in my thirties.
Lucky for me that I get to show and tell all about him too.
9 comments:
He could definitely teach me. It's a game I never really learned! What a smart kid!
I love the shot of him with the board, moving the pieces in his cute little jammies.
Some day when he turns out to be a rich and famous genius, that'll have to be one of the pictures they use to show off how brilliant he is :)
The truth is that it was Ian’s idea that I teach him chess.
Linda started playing checkers with him a few months ago. Then I joined in. Linda and I had a few fun checkers games too. Some how the subject of chess came up and that it was a harder version of checkers. Ian was very interested and insisted that he wanted to learn chess and not play checkers. "Daaaddeee! NoOOO! I don't want to play checkers... I want to learn CHESS!" Linda bought us a chess set and I taught him the moves of each piece. He really enjoys it.
Usually we play without the kings and just see who can take the most pieces. He really likes that. Getting the king in checkmate is a little past him right now. He gets fixated on one piece at a time. The funniest thing is that he adds crashing sounds whenever he takes a piece. “SSSHHHHH CRASH!” Oh and he doesn’t just take the pieces… he knocks them over!
I guide him through moves and always give a chance to think about what my next move will be. Often I just ask “What will happen to your guy if you move him there?” or “Are you SURE you want to move there?” He can often see what will happen to his piece. It is fascinating to watch his mind work. Sometimes he moves to a bad spot anyway, but that is how everyone learns. All that matters is that he is having fun.
I trade off guiding him to a win and winning myself every once in a while. It is important to have a balance between the two. Nobody wins all the time. Enough wins to keep him enthusiastic and a few losses to keep him humble. After each match we say “good game”.
After we started playing, I tried to play online against the computer a few times to brush up. I got creamed every time. It was very humbling. I told Ian this and he responded “Daddy, you need to learn some COOL MOVES!”
I will say, every so often he surprises me and takes a piece with a move I didn't see coming. The day he beats fair and square will probably be sooner than I think. Then he can teach me.
Chess makes sense for Ian, I believe it was Ian that said "I'm a figgerer. I figure out stuff. My favorite thing to do is look and be a thinker and when I think something is right, its right" Good luck, this is just the beginning of things Ian wants to know.
Ian waiting by the chess board all set up and asking to play chess, reminded me of him all dressed up and holding a soccer ball and asking who wanted to take him to the park- tough kid to refuse!
Though, as a kid, I used to play checkers and Chinese checkers too with my grandparents but never had any interest or inclination then or over the years to learn how to play Chess. To me, it is a totally confusing game. That Ian, at his age, has learned how to play this game I think is absolutely amazing! Can you say genius? I think so.
It's so wonderful that he's learning to use his mind for something that's both creative and logical AND interactive. And Thomas - I think it's great that you don't always let him win. It's good to learn that the fun is in the doing and that it's fun to see others win, just as it's fun to win. You and Linda are such great parents!
When I picked him up from school, the teacher said she could not believe he know all of the pieces and how to play!
Bobby likes to play chess too! Hopefully they can have a game when you guys come to NY. Or maybe we can find an online game for them to play each other.
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