It was the summer of 1991 when my parents and I took our usual vacation to Martha’s Vineyard. I always enjoyed going down to the beach in Oak Bluffs known as the Ink Well, where African Americans enjoy visiting.
AS I was strolling along enjoying the water, I saw 2 people playing a board game. Being a little nosy, I walked closer and saw a guy and a girl Playing chess.
Chess was my game. I had played since I was in eighth grade and had studied books on chess in college. I had even competed in tournaments. In my mind, I was a pretty darn good chess player.
So, back to the game I was watching on the beach. I saw the woman win the game and noticed the young man walked away in disgust because he lost. Here was my chance. I introduce myself and asked the woman her name. She was Gloria from Queens, New York.
Gloria asked me if I wanted to play a game of chess. I accepted her challenge. We began to play, but I had a hard time concentrating on the game. I kept noticing how pretty she was. It was so hard to keep track of the chess pieces and where they were supposed to move. Once, as I looked at my watch, I heard her say, “Checkmate!” The game was over, and she had bested me.
We are usually taught in America that chess is a man’s game as women prefer cards, but Gloria was (and still is) an excellent chess player. When we returned from vacation, we met weekly to play chess together. That day on the beach, she won the game, but I won her heart, and she agreed to marry me. This was indeed the best chess game I ever lost!
© 2019, Dr. Darrell Pone. All rights reserved.
