Your move, kid: I’m a mere pawn in Carpool Chess
TRACY CURTIS
www.charlotte.com
I hear they’re teaching chess in some elementary schools. You wouldn’t think a child that young could learn a strategic game like chess, but I drive preschool carpool so I know better.
We resume today’s game when I pick up my 4-year-old, Colton, and his opponent from school. She has the advantage. She is smart, and she is 5, and she never lets Colton forget it. Colton jumps right in and moves a pawn forward with his announcement that at lunch he threw a grape in the air and caught it in his mouth.
“I’m telling your teacher on you,” she says. “You told on me when I was fighting with my sister and now I’m telling your teacher on you.” And with that, her queen takes his knight.
Mmmm — that was fast. He’s in for it today — and he knows it. He opts for the simple solution — sacrifice a bishop and apologize for getting her in trouble. Then get on with it. With great humility he offers up one of the more dramatic apologies:
“I’m so, so, SO so so sorry.”
The maneuver is lost on her. Too little, too late. She turns down his apology, but gladly accepts his bishop. He does a quick calculation and tries another tactic:
“If I do something and you tell on me,” he says, moving his castle and taking her bishop, “then you are a tattletale, and that’s really bad.”
Here is the full story.
Nice artwork by Sofia!
Very nice painting by Zsofi!! 🙂
Wow! She is a really good painter and I hope you’ll keep showing more of her work.
I don´t know if she will be pleased or annoyed, but I see a nipple and femenine curves in that painting!
🙂
Gabriel