So, Greg really stepped it up last night after I let down the team by losing to a drunken old man at Matchless during an impromptu money game [the proposed wager was $20, scaled back to $5 due to Greg's and my precarious pecuniary positions]. You can read the full and witty version of the story here ["God Save the Queen!"], but suffice to say what should have been another crowning moment [like Jose's defeat at Eat Records] rapidly led to the pillory after I hung my queen!
Starting from the Four Knight's Game, my opponent began to slowly [and by slowly, I mean the rate of his play] make a series of questionable tactical moves; nothing game-stopping, but they did culminate in a hung knight and the potential to mate. At this point, I got greedy, and, inverting the chess maxim "When you see a good move, sit on your hands and see if you can find a better one," proceeded to ignore the hung knight and snatch the g7 pawn, looking to snap up the rook and get a quick[er] mate. Instead it was "orf wiv' 'er head," as the "hung" knight handily disposed of my now hung Queen. What should have been an easy win rapidly degenerated into a complete and utter fiasco.
Luckily, Greg was there to save the day. While I hid outside, smoking and nursing my wounds, Greg managed to turn the money game into a best three of five money match and pick up two wins. I jumped back on the table, eager to redeem myself, but wary, so played a slow and solid game. This win gave us our three, but the old man wanted to finish the match regardless. Greg played the King's Gambit superlatively [or, given that opening, the old man just really fucked up] and won in seven moves. Final score: 4-1 [us] with Greg 3-0 and me 1-1.
mon capitán, may god and greg save the queen
2 comments:
Dude,
I don't have your email address.
There is no movie version of Kawabata's go book but there is a movie called "The Go Masters", which is what I had in mind - I saw it in 1983 or so.
I remembered that there was a wider (geo)political conflict in Kawabata's work and "some readers consider it a symbolic parallel to the defeat of Japan in World War II, an event which affected Kawabata deeply." Tell J this is what I was vaguely refering to at Matchless.
That's all.
W
Thanks, W. Told her last night and she appreciated the update.
Would send my email address to you, but don't know yours, and would publish my email address here, but too much spam already. You can use the contact form here, though, to send us yours.
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