16 Februar y 2021
I
t is not an easy game, no way. Whether for the grandmaster contemplating four or more
moves ahead, or the novice just learning the rules of movement between a bishop and a
knight, chess takes thought, strategy, concentration and, above all, caution.
Dorothy, we're not in Candy Land anymore.
But at a time when many of us tolerate waiting only 60 seconds for our morning coffee to
brew from a little plastic pod, how is that chess, a game that can require long stretches
of just staring hard at the black and white pieces on the board, has become so
popular?
Part of the credit goes to "Queen's Gambit," the Netflix limited series
about an orphaned young girl who goes onto become a chess prodigy
(and also to face adult burdens like alcohol addiction). Based on a 1983 novel
by Walter Tevis, the movie's name comes from a popular chess strategy that
involves sacrificing a pawn to gain control of the center of the board.
According to the Associated Press, more than 62 million households watched the
show in the first month of its release, sparking a spike in sales of chessboards and pieces.
FEATURE
"MIND-
STRETCHING"
CHESS SOARS IN
POPULARITY
BY KIM HAST Y
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CINDY BURNHAM
Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Menno
Pennink is helping 6-year-old
grandson Brooks begin to learn
the basics of the game.
Chess, in particular
among games of strategy,
helps sharpen young
minds.
Eight-year-old Allison Holt
studies her next move.
