After my morning walk with MHI this morning(MHI took this picture using his P800 Sony Ericcson phone),I stopped at an empty table near the playground at KLCC garden. There are at least five of these tables but I have yet to see anyone play chess there:-(( Most of the time I only see families sitting there eating breakfast in the morning.
I can play chess but not a good player.My son can beat me anytime.Here is a note I wrote a few years ago when I had a few anxious moments when he took part in a Chess Competition at PWTC.
IMHO, chess is a good game that people of all ages can play and enjoy, but I don't think it is a popular game in Malaysia like it being played at the parks in a few western countries.
www.pogo.com
Posted by: fnd | Monday, February 23, 2004 at 01:04 AM
Thanks fnd for the link to online chess.I never try it before but I also play chess on my palm pda.Never win any games:-(
Posted by: Adib | Monday, February 23, 2004 at 05:59 AM
why not we have a game or two after walking next Sunday. may be there are The Reader readers who wish to join can come along.. :-)
mhi
Posted by: mhi | Monday, February 23, 2004 at 03:53 PM
Adib,
Is that a cigarette in your right hand? I hope not!
Gabra
Posted by: Gabra | Monday, February 23, 2004 at 06:01 PM
Gabra,
I was holding my SE T610 handphone. Thanks for your concerns.
Posted by: Adib | Monday, February 23, 2004 at 06:19 PM
I used to play rounds of chess with my Papa when I was around 10 years old. Sometimes I beat him, but most of the time it was me who lost. Aahhhh... the good old days (as if I'm very old).
Posted by: paksu | Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at 07:32 PM
Abedib, my brother will beat me at chess within the first 30 seconds (meaning: I'm not a good player). He represents the state, whereas I can only beat my 10yr old niece. :-(
Posted by: Honey | Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 04:04 AM
bro adib,
you are right about seeing more people in (mainly) western countries playing chess outdoors or in the parks than over here - and even then you find the elderly folk taking part!
not many kids, IMHO, bother with chess these days, too slow and doesn't involve hand-eye reflexes! i think it probably involves too much thinking for them!
i learnt chess the old fashioned way - being taught by my elder brother and constantly being beaten before i eventually grasped my own 'style' and turned the tables around. but that was many. many years later!
on my palm i had Chess Tiger (v.15.1) - a nice powerful chess engine with some useful features which seemed interesting at the time but which i have never used since! notice the word 'had'! i have since given up playing with it as it tends to not make mistakes. and after the running score is something like 50+ games to 7 in favour of the pda - it does get you down a little! i prefer humans as they are fallible but haven't had the time to play a (real)live game for a while! did try to play online with two of my friends but along the way the games ran out of steam!
chess can be a real ego game though - as you match wits with your opponents - so it is a real challenge to see if you can out manouever them! i had acousin who solved her end game problems! she simply flipped the board before we could end the game! mind you that was a long, long time ago though!
much as i like football - the only equivalent to chess on the sports field is probably american football which is like one giant chess field! that needs strategising as well, more so in my view than football! of course you have to add in the physical attributes of the players as well - which makes the game more of a complete all round game. something for everybody - the statisticians, the tacticians and those with just sheer brute strength!
a bit out of topic here - but any plans for the next "park walk"? two weeks ago on a sunday morning - you will not believe who we bumped into - tun dr m! maybe some of you have had the chance to get up and personal with him - but for me & my wife - this was as close as it gets!
fess
Posted by: fess | Thursday, February 26, 2004 at 11:55 AM