My struggle to defeat my dad on the chess board
My father was forever buying inexpensive chess sets for us to play with at parks. We always used cheap ones because we were concerned we’d lose pieces from a more expensive chess set. We have been playing chess since I was old enough to sit up without chewing on the pieces. It was a major goal throughout my childhood to beat my dad at chess — I came close a couple times, but never actually decisively beat him. We played recently and I did win — but I suspect it was primarily because my daughter was hanging over his shoulder, wanting to play with the horses. Hardly a “decisive” win in my book - but I’ll take it!
While playing chess is fun by itself, you can also derive a lot of enjoyment by becoming a collector of novelty chess sets and pieces. Instead of just the classic black and white shapes, why not consider Civil War figures, Star Wars figures, or even Bible figures? You can find chess sets for almost every historical or fictional series, from World War II to Harry Potter, wherever there’s a story with two clear or natural “us versus them” sides.
I am a collector of chess sets. I recently purchase a miniature set made of genuine oak wood. The best chess set that I have in my collection is made of glass. The glass chess pieces are clear and frosted alternatively for the player to distinguish between white and black squares seen on a normal chess board. I have ten chess sets in my collection till date. I am looking to indulge in my hobby the next time I travel abroad.
