Fantasy Chess
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 11:17 am
I have a 12 year old grandson. He is every bit as competitive as when I was his age. When losing at something, I try to instill in him to get better at it, so losing doesn't come as easily the next time.
He has recently revved up his Chess skills. Reading about the game and playing adults to better craft his game.
Anyway, I was watching a game on tv while he read.
While cussing at some of my fantasy bad luck, he snickered.
I asked, "What are you laughing about?"
He says, "You play such an easy game and try to make it look so hard."
I thought for a minute.
Was he right?
I know he doesn't know the nuances of the game like faab or starting lineups or really anything except for when a player performs well, that it is good for my team.
Then, a light bulb switches on.
"Go get your Chess board."
After retrieving it, I told him that we were going to play Fantasy Chess'.
"Ok, how do we play that?"
I told him to line up the pieces as you would a normal Chess game.
"Now what?"
Now, take away seven of your pawns.
"Why"
Because they're you're worst guys, they may be better for you later in the week or next week, but for now, they're dead to you.
"Ok, I like Fantasy Chess so far, the pawns are useless anyway."
That's right, I told him, and the pawns left are your worst players.
"What about the rooks, knights, and bishops?"
Those are the hitters and pitchers you count on, some weeks the'y'll come through, some weeks they'll kill you.
"Ok"
The King is your place in the Standings, you always want to protect your King.
The Queen is your number One draft choice. We rely on her a lot.
I also told him to tell me when seven moves have been made.
We played the game for a little while and I purposely made some bad moves to teach him a fantasy lesson.
"Ok, seven moves have been made!"
"Alright, we have both lost a knight, you have $1000 in cash, but must save money for other pieces too after each seven moves, how much would you spend to get your knight back?
"Wow, that's hard...uh...$200"
Oooh Sorry kid, I bid $250, I get my knight back, you don't.
"So, you only have $750 for next time and I still have $1000?"
That's right, kid.
During the next few moves I let him kick my ass all over the place.
Then, I picked up his queen and took her off the Board.
"HEYYY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"
I explained that that is exactly the same reaction fantasy baseballers have when their star player goes down.
"And you're Queen just pulled a hamstring bad."
Queens don't pull hamstrings."
"Yours did!!"
"Ok, it's seven more moves! Can I bid on my Queen?"
"No, your Queen is benched and injured and there's nothing you can do about it.
Would you like to bid on pepper?
And I brought out the pepper shaker.
"What is that???"
This is pepper, you can bid on it and so can I. Pepper is working his way up to power. In small villages he has kicked some pawn, knights, rooks, and bishops butts. But on this board, he is untested and we know nothing in how he will perform on our board. In other words, he's the minor leaguer who is untested on the Big Board.
"What!? How am I supposed to bid on that?!
We do it every Sunday.
"Wow, that's gotta be hard."
You're learning, Grasshopper.
"What?"
Never mind.
I bid $500 on pepper!"
You got him!
Now, put the Queen back on the Board.
"Why, is her hamstring injury over?"
No. Pepper is over performing. He has all the moves a Queen would have on the Board.
"I like Pepper!"
After seven more moves and him close to winning the game, he wanted to spend the rest of his faab on 'Salty'.
'Salty' was another untested player.
As soon as he put 'Salty' on the Board, I replaced him with a pawn.
"What'd you do that for?"
Salty didn't measure up. Unlike Pepper, he sucked.
"I hate Salty"
It's your fault, after Pepper, you thought Salty would be just as good. He ain't.
After awhile he won the game.
"I don't think I could have won that game without Pepper. He was really good to have!
But Man, I would have really kicked butt if my Queen wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
I told him we say the exact kind of stuff every day. Only our pieces are on a baseball field.
The light went on for him.
"Your game is pretty tough, Papa"
Thanks Kid, I know.
He has recently revved up his Chess skills. Reading about the game and playing adults to better craft his game.
Anyway, I was watching a game on tv while he read.
While cussing at some of my fantasy bad luck, he snickered.
I asked, "What are you laughing about?"
He says, "You play such an easy game and try to make it look so hard."
I thought for a minute.
Was he right?
I know he doesn't know the nuances of the game like faab or starting lineups or really anything except for when a player performs well, that it is good for my team.
Then, a light bulb switches on.
"Go get your Chess board."
After retrieving it, I told him that we were going to play Fantasy Chess'.
"Ok, how do we play that?"
I told him to line up the pieces as you would a normal Chess game.
"Now what?"
Now, take away seven of your pawns.
"Why"
Because they're you're worst guys, they may be better for you later in the week or next week, but for now, they're dead to you.
"Ok, I like Fantasy Chess so far, the pawns are useless anyway."
That's right, I told him, and the pawns left are your worst players.
"What about the rooks, knights, and bishops?"
Those are the hitters and pitchers you count on, some weeks the'y'll come through, some weeks they'll kill you.
"Ok"
The King is your place in the Standings, you always want to protect your King.
The Queen is your number One draft choice. We rely on her a lot.
I also told him to tell me when seven moves have been made.
We played the game for a little while and I purposely made some bad moves to teach him a fantasy lesson.
"Ok, seven moves have been made!"
"Alright, we have both lost a knight, you have $1000 in cash, but must save money for other pieces too after each seven moves, how much would you spend to get your knight back?
"Wow, that's hard...uh...$200"
Oooh Sorry kid, I bid $250, I get my knight back, you don't.
"So, you only have $750 for next time and I still have $1000?"
That's right, kid.
During the next few moves I let him kick my ass all over the place.
Then, I picked up his queen and took her off the Board.
"HEYYY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"
I explained that that is exactly the same reaction fantasy baseballers have when their star player goes down.
"And you're Queen just pulled a hamstring bad."
Queens don't pull hamstrings."
"Yours did!!"
"Ok, it's seven more moves! Can I bid on my Queen?"
"No, your Queen is benched and injured and there's nothing you can do about it.
Would you like to bid on pepper?
And I brought out the pepper shaker.
"What is that???"
This is pepper, you can bid on it and so can I. Pepper is working his way up to power. In small villages he has kicked some pawn, knights, rooks, and bishops butts. But on this board, he is untested and we know nothing in how he will perform on our board. In other words, he's the minor leaguer who is untested on the Big Board.
"What!? How am I supposed to bid on that?!
We do it every Sunday.
"Wow, that's gotta be hard."
You're learning, Grasshopper.
"What?"
Never mind.
I bid $500 on pepper!"
You got him!
Now, put the Queen back on the Board.
"Why, is her hamstring injury over?"
No. Pepper is over performing. He has all the moves a Queen would have on the Board.
"I like Pepper!"
After seven more moves and him close to winning the game, he wanted to spend the rest of his faab on 'Salty'.
'Salty' was another untested player.
As soon as he put 'Salty' on the Board, I replaced him with a pawn.
"What'd you do that for?"
Salty didn't measure up. Unlike Pepper, he sucked.
"I hate Salty"
It's your fault, after Pepper, you thought Salty would be just as good. He ain't.
After awhile he won the game.
"I don't think I could have won that game without Pepper. He was really good to have!
But Man, I would have really kicked butt if my Queen wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
I told him we say the exact kind of stuff every day. Only our pieces are on a baseball field.
The light went on for him.
"Your game is pretty tough, Papa"
Thanks Kid, I know.