Living with Haze - Chess

It could be the free time Brandon has in his homeschooling environment. Or it could be the prolonged haze that deterred all outdoor activities. He became very obsessed with playing chess. He took every opportunity he had, playing with his father or brothers, but mostly his online chess enthusiasts. He already knew how to play chess, but was playing it casually. We thought he will revert to some normalcy after the haze is gone. But the craze continues...


We allowed him to immerse in chess cos we're so caught up with many other issues during that time. It's a very good distraction. We're too busy to send him to any classes then, which turned out well for him. He watched chess games of other grand masters, analysed the moves and even appreciated some of the brilliant moves. The free time really allowed him to blossom and learn on his own. Jin was equally a good chess player but he's so tied down with school work that he hardly had time to play and enjoy the game much these days. Seeing the boys playing chess with one another, totally engaged and have fun together - at least it kept the blues away on some really bad, hazy days.


In December, we registered him for a tournament. Brandon came out 1st in his lower intermediate 1 group. He's beaming with joy. He just told us that he dreamed of playing chess and even remembered the moves! 


Now we can form a boys' chess club at home! Cos mama doesn't enjoy being 'check-mated'.

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