I relayed a story to Jeff while I was in Africa concerning our eldest daughter Jodi. I mentioned this story to my wife when I returned to the UK and she smiled as it happened so long ago. Last night, I also mentioned the story to Jodi who can remember what happened with great clarity, even down to the colour of the dressing gown that she wore.
We hosted a dinner party and during the early hours of the next morning one of my friends challenged me to a game of chess. He explained that he was particularly good and that it would be great to have a game as he had heard that I could play. I can’t dispute that I am a capable player. I declined the offer of a game, and the friend became a bit agitated. He insisted, and I continued to decline. My wife explained to our friend that I was pretty good and it wasn’t really worth setting up the board and pieces, for Pauline my type of playing was a bit different than what is often referred to in the trade as a ‘wood pusher’. It wasn’t that I couldn’t be bothered; it was simply that at the time I didn’t think that the game was worthwhile. The friend remained agitated and in the end I offered him the following challenge: I would wake up our daughter Jodi and although she was tired, she would beat him. If Jodi could beat him easily, then what was the point of our game?
He rubbished the suggestion that she would win, but we agreed a £5 bet on the result. This was quite a lot of money for Jodi aged 8 and given the year in which this occurred. I brought out a match play chess set, and set the board and pieces up. I then asked the friend to put his £5 by the side of the table. I went to Jodi’s room and woke her up and made the proposal, one game of chess and you go to back to bed £5 richer. Jodi was very tired, and I carried her into the lounge. Not a surprise given that it was around 2 a.m. in the morning.
Jodi was wearing her pink and white dressing gown when she sat down opposite her opponent. She promptly beat him, collected the money and thanked him and then went back to bed. We laughed about this story last night in Cardiff. Gavin never mentioned Chess again.
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