I listened to an interesting programme about chess on the radio last night. I've never been much good at chess myself but over the years have developed a sophisticated strategy which has thrown many a good player off his or her stride. It consists of accidentally knocking the chessboard over when threatened.
I learnt this amusing quote which Raymond Chandler put into the mouth of his detective Philip Marlowe: "Chess is the greatest waste of human intelligence to be found outside an advertising agency".
Somebody else made the provocative remark that chess is only interesting when you are learning it, comparing it in this respect to learning a foreign language. Well, I can vouch for the truth of that remark as far as languages are concerned. Most if not all of my insights into France, the French and the French language were acquired when I was in the process of learning it. During that time, for example, I often dreamt in French, but have never done so since. Nowadays I don't even know which language I'm speaking - and neither does anyone else!
Barnaby Greetings
ReplyDeleteYou might try to watch the film Knights of the South Bronx. A truish story apparently based on a maths teacher redeeming his pupils in a deprved school in NY and his own family life apparently, by teaching the class mathematics through chess so well that they went on to win a USA national chess tournament with some of his pupils securing scholarships to higher education as a consequence.
A little bit sentimental at times but that often is difficult to avoid with American films.
Thank you, Jerry, I shall look out for it. Very interested in your latest posts on which I hope to comment anon!
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