Monday, May 16, 2005
The King's Queens Rule!
Once again, chess is making headlines. Wahoo! This time however, it's Girls and Chess. And as much as I have tried to promote chess to MSM for educational purposes, for some crazy reason, broadcast news doesn't find it "newsworthy" enough. Too bad, and I'm not surprised because as a parent of two chess players, I know how much chess has enriched my kids' lives and their ability to think cognitively and strategically. Not to mention, they enjoy it.
Just the other day, my five year old daughter and seven year old son received a great gift from grandmaster Susan Polgar...Susan handed them her latest DVD Winning Chess The Easy Way, as a present...very cool. So today, I was thrilled to read the The New York Times article: On Boards Without Boys Girls Reassert Their Power by Jodi Wilgoren.
"Before play began, F. Leon Wilson gave a simple pep talk to the four girls from his KnightMare chess club in Columbus, Ohio: "Ladies, I want you to be aggressive."
Normally, Mr. Wilson said, "I don't encourage them to be aggressive, I encourage them to be strategic," but the girls' championship "is more of a strategic tournament," so he saw aggressiveness as the key."
I play chess but I am not an expert and I truly believe that one can be a conscious observer without being the ultimate expert (this is coming from a Librarian/Technology email BASHING I had today). For some reason there's a perspective from a few that states "if you're not a librarian, you're NOT part of the family" and "you can't understand our issues." Six words...Hogwash and give us a chance. Imagine if girls and chess weren't given that chance?
Just the other day, my five year old daughter and seven year old son received a great gift from grandmaster Susan Polgar...Susan handed them her latest DVD Winning Chess The Easy Way, as a present...very cool. So today, I was thrilled to read the The New York Times article: On Boards Without Boys Girls Reassert Their Power by Jodi Wilgoren.
"Before play began, F. Leon Wilson gave a simple pep talk to the four girls from his KnightMare chess club in Columbus, Ohio: "Ladies, I want you to be aggressive."
Normally, Mr. Wilson said, "I don't encourage them to be aggressive, I encourage them to be strategic," but the girls' championship "is more of a strategic tournament," so he saw aggressiveness as the key."
I play chess but I am not an expert and I truly believe that one can be a conscious observer without being the ultimate expert (this is coming from a Librarian/Technology email BASHING I had today). For some reason there's a perspective from a few that states "if you're not a librarian, you're NOT part of the family" and "you can't understand our issues." Six words...Hogwash and give us a chance. Imagine if girls and chess weren't given that chance?
# posted by Mrs.Bowllan @ 11:47 PM 
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Yawn!!! might as well go and catch a spaceship to Mars...that's about as close to a library as this blog is going....Yawn...
# posted by 
: 2:19 PM
: 2:19 PM 
While searching for the NY Times article, I goggled this blog.
Am I missing something about chess and girls?
Girls play chess differently than boys. (period)
What the NY Times quotation really should have conveyed is that I (FLW)wanted the girls to play aggressively, sharp lines with complicated combinations and high surprise value; rather than going down the same dull and beaten paths of a slow and drawish opening such as a Four Knights game. I think the longer (G-60) time controls had a lot to do with the girls having the time to study and work a position. The longer time controls better compliments the young ladies styles of play.
FLW
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Am I missing something about chess and girls?
Girls play chess differently than boys. (period)
What the NY Times quotation really should have conveyed is that I (FLW)wanted the girls to play aggressively, sharp lines with complicated combinations and high surprise value; rather than going down the same dull and beaten paths of a slow and drawish opening such as a Four Knights game. I think the longer (G-60) time controls had a lot to do with the girls having the time to study and work a position. The longer time controls better compliments the young ladies styles of play.
FLW
# posted by : 9:45 AM
: 9:45 AM << Home
