Monday, April 11, 2005

Positive Discrimination ?

Hurray, I got a prize!
Hurray?
Last saturday I got a prize.
We play every year a tournament with all the members in our area. Nine games, on different saturdays. Each player got two hours. So it was a hard tournament.
Saturday was the last day, and totally unexpected I was given a medal.
Because ???:
First you must know that the chess game is not so populair amongst women. So when you are female, the chess clubs give you an overextended heartly welcome when you visit a chessclub. They do everything to keep this lady, and on tournaments there are often extra prizes for female players.
They call it positive discrimination.
This I like.
In my cupboard I have more bocals and plaquettes than Tempo.
So to visitors I can prove that I play better. (they don't know the difference between ratings and different groups!)
I have allso a prize for the nicest game of the day (King's gambit ofcourse).
I'm proud of it.
Now about last saturday.
Here you see that I have mixed feelings about it:
I got a medal, yes.
But..........
I got a prize for being the best of the older woman playing this tournament.
Best woman?
Hurray!
Best older woman?
Hurray?..............
Sigh.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

An unfaithful lady.

The truth I must tell at last.
I have been unfaithful.
I have forsaken my first love. Oh yes, I will allways love her, her kindness warms my heart.
But I was weak, and I yielded for the strenght of a cold hearted Lady.
Her exactingness gives me no rest. I have to work to the bone to please her.

I have abandoned Lady Cecilia for worshipping a new Goddess: Caissa.

This coming summer I was offered to do a course of music.
At the same time there is an important chess tournament.
Not so long ago I did not have to think about it: I would choose the music.
Music was my greatest love.
And now?
Instead of the sweetness of heavenly musical grounds I go to the battlefield. You all, knights, can understand it, when you have worked hard to sharpen your sword, you want to fight.

So, my fair Goddess Caissa, I hope you will reward me, and stand aside me in the chess arena.