National Chess Day 2022
Once upon a time I viewed myself as a budding international chess champion.I was nine years old living in Virginia Beach, Virginia and had just received several nice chess sets including a learning set, a playing set, and a set which was part of a tutorial.
Oh the humanity.
I can still feel the pangs of megalomania coursing through my veins as I imagined receiving medals and cash prizes and gaining the recognition of the world for my unbeatable tactical prowess.
Uh huh. Right. Like that was ever going to happen.
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It was in the missile house aboard the USS MacDonough (DDG-39) while we were on my final cruise to the Mediterranean.
I sat there with my good ole late navy buddy, Jerry Landry and killed a couple of hours engaging the chess championship of the world.
We decided it was a draw.
So today is National Chess Day. It is an "actual" national day having been proclaimed by President Geral Ford on October 9th, 1976.
That was about a year perhaps a little more before Jerry and I had my last game.
Today finds the second Saturday in October recognized as National Chess Day.
It's a game of tactics and games are known to go on for lengths of time which become the stuff of legend.
I miss chess. I miss Jerry. I miss the innocence of my youth with all that fantasy which appertained thereto.
I didn't hold onto it all nearly as tightly as I should have.
Happy National Chess Day and I hope your memories are at once as sweet — and as wistfully rueful as mine.
See Also:
International Chess Day 2022
International Chess Day 2020
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