ONE SELF PORTRAIT EVERY DAY in 2020 : 172

I’m not sure if I enjoy playing chess.

I haven’t played for years but I have just found my chess set and thinking if it would be nice to start playing again. My dad taught me how to play when I was five.

I think that the amount of thinking required is too much for just a game; I would rather spend this thinking energy into something more useful or creative or fun and I don’t think I’m competitive enough to consider beating someone as fun.

I think the last time I played someone properly was 10 years ago; it was against Cedric Christie who is a very good player and plays (or at least used to play) regularly. He asked me if I played chess and I said yes but I don’t enjoy it. He kept on asking me if I wanted to play and I always refused. One day, I think it was in Susak, I say yes. I remember it being a tough game. i remember him being a much better player and in a much stronger position very quickly, I remember working really hard just to survive getting in and out of check. Then, maybe because he had let his guard down, I make one move against the run of play and CHECK MATE.

He wanted a re-match immediately. I refused and never gave him a re-match. We both knew that if we played again, he would trash me but until we did, we would never know for certain.

I AM STILL ALIVE

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