Being Good At Something vs. Being Fun to Do It With

[Bram]

In 2024, I played a lot of in-person chess.

My biggest impediment to playing more wasn't how well I did, it was how unhappy chess made the people I played.

And it didn't matter if they won! They still seemed pissed off.

After starting this thread, I realized I was putting zero energy into making chess fun. I'd sit down, try to be creative and come up with bad-ass chess moves, but direct all of my attention at the board.

——

But there were a couple good moments too!

A few games with Gabriel. Gabriel is a music composer who worked at a garden nursery. I was so into getting to know him that the conversation was naturally super fun. And when he got a sneaky sacrifice-pawn checkmate, I was delighted! Losing to that checkmate was the happiest I was at a chessboard all year.

And one night with my neighbor/surf-buddy Matt. We'd had a couple drinks and he was thrashing me with the Danish Gambit. I told him we needed to make the Bramish Gambit, with the Cuck Variation, and we started riffing on all sorts of stupid chess-names. That was the hardest I laughed in a chess game.

——

Obviously, chess is just one example. Anything come to mind in your life?