Wicker Park Chess Club

Got a call from Will today, after work. I had been debating going to the Wicker Park Chess Club again, but once I heard his message – it gave me the extra push I needed to go.

My first time playing chess with these folks was about two weeks ago. And I have to admit – since then, I’ve been itching to play again. I’ve been thinking about buying a nice chess set, and having a big desire to play chess out at a bar somewhere, sinking a few beers in the meanwhile.

Tonight, I only ended up playing two games – both against a guy named Tim (who’s in the middle, on the left). He pretty much took me to school and handed me my lunch. I didn’t play as much as I tried to keep myself alive throughout the game. Tim was incredibly methodical, and both games felt like he moved slowly forward each time I made a mistake.

Good stuff though. I’ve gotten used to winning more games than I lose, so it was really good to get stomped tonight. If nothing else, it’s extremely humbling. Will and I left around 10:30 PM, but I’m realizing that each time I leave… there are always a few other guys sitting at the table that I’d like to play.

Post-chess, Will and I grabbed a drink at Nick’s. We recapped the night some, and talked through our games a bit. We both are strong novices, but unschooled in chess as far as strategy and openings and such. Over the course of our drink, we both felt like there’s this next big step we both need to take – shifting ourselves from enthusiast to something a bit more.

So far, it’s fun. But I think we both play by the seat of our pants. We’ll see if we turn into the kind of chess players who read books and, oh I don’t know… argue about the pro’s and con’s of the Evans Gambit.