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Stereotypical Chess Players

Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 10:08 pm
by parkejo
A friend of mine expressed surprise the other day upon hearing that I enjoyed playing chess. (We were having a conversation about Fantasy Baseball, aka Rotisserie Baseball, and how time consuming it was--and I threw in that not only did I have to manage two fantasy baseball teams, but I had approximately 20 on-line correspondence-style chess games in progress, which was nothing compared to whoever-the-heck gdraper is...)

Anyway, my friend says, "You play chess?" I accused him of saying, in a backhanded sort of way, that the thought I was too dumb to play chess, which is probably a true statement, but hey, whatever happened to being polite.

He said that, given easy going personality and my other interests, such as baseball, whiskey drinking, stripper chasing, honkey-tonking, etc., that he didn't see me as a chess player.

So... here's the topic. What do you think is the stereotypical chess player, and do you fit that mold or break it wide open.

(Note: I'm really not very chatty; howevere, I am on a mission to have more interesting topics discussed on this board than "he won't resign" and "he's cheating". With my 2 kids, we have a "no tattling" rule, so I'm not accustomed to so much nya-nya-nya.)

typcial chess player??!!!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:55 am
by mic
well, I'd say hair matted in place from not taking a bath in a month, no finger nails, bad in relationships, tendency to be slightly effiminate(sp), pronounces chess as jessszzz, low tolerance for women, very much a loner and likes strip clubs.

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:37 am
by parkejo
Not so fast, there Mic... You didn't say how you fit into that mold.

I would agree with the part about stereotypical CP being not good in relationships. As I've read just a little bit about some of the grand masters and these classic matches. Talk about hard to get along with!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:12 pm
by jpettit
It has been known for centuries that chess players are all tall, dark and incredibly handsome men, or beautiful and vibrant women. All chess players are very witty, often with a knack for odd-ball humour and exaggeration. Rippling with muscles and chiseled features, chess players are the most aesthetically pleasing humans to look at on the planet. Using the power of foresight to peer into the future, chess players inevitably lead long and happy lives. If enough chess players gather into a vehicle, that car is in danger of imploding due to the massive mental power centered in one spot. Darwin has suggested that only chess players should remain in the breeding population, so that the human race can rise to perfection and grace in the generations to come.

And, I must admit, this is the only stereotype in the world that fits me. :) You have to wonder why there aren't more chess players out there.

Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 6:40 am
by parkejo
Interesting, Jonathan... You may have cleared something up for me.

I once had a girlfriend dump me for a guy that fit that description :( ; but he sold vitamins for a living and I figured that had something to do with it.

Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 9:38 am
by gmiller
But that's still better than being dumped for a chess player.... ;)

ouch!!!

Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 6:36 am
by mic
Dang, I havent looked that good since I was 21, dumb and full of fun???? Course, I couldn't play chess very well then...not they I play well now either. Gee, I wish I was chiseled...oh yeah, I am check out my profile....My BMI is a little high but my abs are a 1 pack instead of a 6 pack....


:P :lol: :D :idea:

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:38 am
by mfarris
I have encountered the same quizzical look when the subject of my playing chess came up around friends/co-workers. I never really let it bother me thinking 'there's a lot about me you-all don't know'. Although, I could understand their surprise due to some of the stunts I've pulled under the influence while chasing strippers at the honkey-tonks. As for my perception of the stereotypical cp-some with the pipes and leather patches on their jackets weren't as good as some of the rough-around-the-edges at beating me! Note: when you lose as much as I do, you develop an art at recognizing when it was a good game or you got your buttocks handed to you. You also develop the art of gracious losing. As for jpettits description, I'm even embarrased to admit to myself that I play chess! And those 'vitamins' that guy sold, you sure they weren't blue and diamond shaped? And not to worry, mic-in my opinion the one-pack abs are in.

uno el packoh my god???

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 7:12 am
by mic
Well, I'll have you guys know that one pack has been with me since I went into management....so there!!!!! :P :D :shock: :o

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:35 pm
by dork
stereotypical chessplayer is moody, prone to extreme fits of anger(after a loss), prone to extreme fits of joy (after a win), partially socially retarded, doesnt bathe all that frequently, and probably smokes and drinks coffee....

i've stopped smoking....

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 9:37 pm
by hamot
I would say that the grandmasters have a history of being moody, but I must say that I would not want to get into a debate or a major negotiation with a good chess player.

I see them as sneaky (in a good way), knowing how to play gambits for advantage, knowing how to pin an opponent's pieces, how to sacrifice minor issues to win major ones, etc. I think that chess players have the ability to be the best politicians and salespeople on the planet if they are also good with conversation.

Tim

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:13 pm
by whiteace
Do we have to drinkImagecoffee?

Re: Stereotypical Chess Players

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:41 pm
by cornstalk
parkejo wrote:A friend of mine expressed surprise the other day upon hearing that I enjoyed playing chess. (We were having a conversation about Fantasy Baseball, aka Rotisserie Baseball, and how time consuming it was--and I threw in that not only did I have to manage two fantasy baseball teams, but I had approximately 20 on-line correspondence-style chess games in progress, which was nothing compared to whoever-the-heck gdraper is...)

Anyway, my friend says, "You play chess?" I accused him of saying, in a backhanded sort of way, that the thought I was too dumb to play chess, which is probably a true statement, but hey, whatever happened to being polite.

He said that, given easy going personality and my other interests, such as baseball, whiskey drinking, stripper chasing, honkey-tonking, etc., that he didn't see me as a chess player.

So... here's the topic. What do you think is the stereotypical chess player, and do you fit that mold or break it wide open.

(Note: I'm really not very chatty; howevere, I am on a mission to have more interesting topics discussed on this board than "he won't resign" and "he's cheating". With my 2 kids, we have a "no tattling" rule, so I'm not accustomed to so much nya-nya-nya.)
I've played a good deal of tournament chess, and I don't think there is any such thing as a stereotypical chess player, except that in this country (U.S.), it's much more of a blue-collar game than many others. There aren't that many Ivy League chess players that I've ever come across, anyway. Also, except for the young and immature, there is a sort of fellowship and cameraderie between chessplayers that you definitely don't find among, for example, contract bridge players.

Definitely, though, all chess players are tough fighters. How could you play this game and not be?

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:27 am
by pawnder
Chess players depicted as Nerds in High school, Ive thought they have parents that dont make them start trying in school until after graduating high school.
Thats what I saw on tv about Japan that was interesting, the school system makes you return at a certain age.
I was always trying as hard as I could, in retrospect (hindsights always 20-20) but never landed a career where you do the 30 and retire rich.

spooning!!!

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:35 am
by mic
also, the typical chessplayer likes to spoon on saturday night after a tough match.

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:28 pm
by jkavanagh
Best player I ever played was an illiterate truck driver - not that I'm very good, but he was so much better that we might have been from different planets. No fun for either of us, and I can usually make a good player think.

My favourite regular opponent was in my high school club - very evenly matched... we played a four hour draw once with hardly a capture, just a brutal, forehead-clutching knockabout, a really closed, complex game I still remember. Backstage after a concert. She wore a tight black body stocking, which under other circumstances I would have found distracting...

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:12 pm
by dork
whiteace wrote:Do we have to drinkImagecoffee?
yes, how else could you stay up all night online playing chess, then go to work and play, then maybe hang out at the library at night and play, then go home and stay up all night and play online, etc etc?