I suck at chess.

I suck at chess. I freely admit it. As a board gamer I know it’s an interesting and complex game that I wish I could master but I don’t believe I ever will. There are just some problems with the game that are preventing me (and other people) from joining the ranks of the chess clubbers.

My first issue is the gap between levels of chess players. For me a game should allow for a novice player to have at least a slim chance of winning. In chess a novice player isn’t even a challenge to a veteran player. When I sit down to a game of chess with a good player I feel like I’m cheating that player out of a good time. After all there really is no challenge to playing against me. I always leave the table feeling like I shouldn’t have bothered showing up. After all I never know what moves to make.

This leads into the memorization of possible moves. Good chess players develop a repertoire of moves. Most importantly they develop opening moves and opening defenses. Pretty much every permutation or combination of moves has a name associated with it. Entire libraries of books exist on which moves are better and how to counter each move. It’s quite daunting to think about taking on a hobby with so much history and in depth study.

Of course finding a board is easy. Chess boards are sold everywhere, my favourite local game store has a large board out front for people to use. Boards range from cheap and simple to expensive and elaborate. You can get a board with pretty much any theme that you like. That is one of the things I like about chess. You can find a board to appeal to your whimsy.

Finding a player is another matter. I don’t know very many chess players, and those I meet are of a very different skill level than myself. If I found a chess player I had an even footing with I might actually try to play. This is probably the biggest reason I suck at chess, it’s hard to find an opponent willing to play.

Personally I love the concepts and design of the game, I wish I could be a decent chess player but it just isn’t happening for me. I don’t seem to have the time or the available opponents to become a good player. At least there are so many other board games and players out there.

Maybe someday I will be a chess grandmaster, or I will remain a humble board gamer. Either way I'm having fun at the table.