Originally posted by Suzianne
Easy for you to say.
Whenever I visit the local clubs, I tend to get mobbed by the geeks. Usually only the dominant ones, but geeks all the same. Can't really play any serious games (with serious learning taking place) while undergoing the distraction of getting ogled. I've actually seen fights break out over which variation is best in a game I was trying to learn from.
I'm sure Sirdubalot knows what I'm getting at following our discussions in both public and private a year or so ago. If he goes and it lives up to his worst fears, whatever they are, at least he would be able to say he tried and it wasn't for him. In my experience chess clubs rarely have anyone who actually gives tuition except to juniors. You have to work on the premise that club players know something more about the game than you do, go there and play them and go through it with them afterwards. Not everything you hear will be right but at least you are on the road. I've said it before and I'll say it again: no-one else can do your thinking for you. You have to work out by bitter experience where your thinking about the game is wrong and modify it. By thinking I include tactical thoughts, strategic thoughts, judgements and assessments, memory and previous experience. That is a process that takes effort and there comes a time when people give up on it. Most of the clubs I have belonged to the members just want to go and play chess without the rigmarole of teaching people as such. Perhaps this is because many of them feel they are still on the journey.
Chess clubs can be interesting places. I was a member of my last club for 12 years. At various times membership included lawyers, police officers, university professors, accountants, gardeners, electricians, medical staff, teachers and so on. But there was also a convicted fraudster, another petty criminal playing under a false name, and a lady who supplemented her "normal" income with prostitution!
chess coaching on RHP?
11 May '15 14:051 edit
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