Is it just me or are most of the world's chess clubs dominated by a mix of young geeky-looking school boys and ageing men who don't wash as often as they should and dress in nasty smelly clothes?
I don't have anything against either of these groups of people - except that often the halls where small tournaments are played really start to smell funky after the first couple of rounds - but it always seemed strange that chess doesn't draw a representative cross-section from society.
Do people agree with me or have I just been to the wrong clubs? And what is it about chess that attracts these specific groups of people - or rather scares away the broader population?
After all, chess has a definite visual, arty vibe as well as a scientific, mathy type thing going, right? So it should appeal to tons of very different men and women. Any insight greatly appreciated.
Originally posted by scrumpymanjacklol Nice post. I've only been to two chess clubs, and each time I went I dressed like a complete bum, cause I was hoping I'd be up against some fancy 30 year olds who take chess more serious than anything, and that they'd be wearing nice suits or nice shirts and all that jazz, and then I'd beat them and they'd be all p*ssed that some teenage punk in a Led Zep shirt just creamed them at their game.... You're absolutely right though, cause my surprise came when I realized that all the old guys were wearing the plainest/lamest clothes I'd ever seen, and the other teenagers were wearing whatever they probably wore to school. I still won some blitz games but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. 😕
Is it just me or are most of the world's chess clubs dominated by a mix of young geeky-looking school boys and ageing men who don't wash as often as they should and dress in nasty smelly clothes?
I don't have anything against either of these groups of people - except that often the halls where small tournaments are played really start to smell ...[text shortened]... t? So it should appeal to tons of very different men and women. Any insight greatly appreciated.
-Kev
I have never been to a chess club, so I can't speak from experience, but I have a theory about this. Most people have a social awareness which among other things tells them what's appropriate to wear in different situations. The first time they meet a group or are in a specific situation, they may do it "wrong", but they will look around and see what other people are wearing, and the next time they will dress accordingly. Often they will even do it right the first time, either because they have heard something about what might be appropriate or because they ask. So my theory is that most of the chess players dress like geeks not because they are geeks and always dress like that, but because their social awareness tells them that this is the right thing to do in a chess club.
That leaves us with the question how this "dress code" came up in the first place. I think that may be due to "real" geeks, who are probably more common in chess clubs than in other places. Their geekiness may also come over as something positive in a chess club, so non-geeks might be more inclined to imitate geek behaviour in a chess club than in situations where geeks seem very much out of place.
Or I might be totally wrong.
Originally posted by scrumpymanjackPossibly because the normal chess player realises they're never going to be any good and basically quits or stops playing competitively while they making careers, raising kids etc and only gets into it again later.
Is it just me or are most of the world's chess clubs dominated by a mix of young geeky-looking school boys and ageing men who don't wash as often as they should and dress in nasty smelly clothes?
I don't have anything against either of these groups of people - except that often the halls where small tournaments are played really start to smell ...[text shortened]... t? So it should appeal to tons of very different men and women. Any insight greatly appreciated.
At least that's my story - played like crazy as a nerdy kid, dabbled with it over the years and now only playing again in my mid-late 40s. When I get really old, I plan to fly kites, wear old clothes, not wash and teach nerdy kids some chess lessons. 🙄
I think it's just a general fact of nature.
There are so many dimensions to people; we all are strong in some, weak in others, clueless in a few. Social awareness has always been something that generally (I know there are many exceptions) is not strongly linked to people with strong analytical minds. People who would likely to be interested in chess, and good at chess, are also likely to not be interested in or good at social skills. Fitting in socially, both in appearance, behavior, and conversation is a social skill and most of us geeks lack potential or motivation to master.
Some of the best socially-skilled nerds I've known have mastered it by convincing themselves it's a kind of role-playing game.
I dated several very social women, I found they brought out the best in me, or perhaps filled in dimensions where I was lacking. But it took effort and conscious thought to dress well, be interesting at parties, particularly to see conversation as something other than someone presenting a problem to be solved.
-- Just another smelly old nerd
(OK not smelly - I have basic hygeine down)
Originally posted by RookRAKIt seems to me that many so-called geeks or nerds actually manage quite well to fit in socially (okay, maybe somewhat below average). They just choose other geeks as the group they want to belong to and their point of reference. This group may have fewer unwritten rules than most other groups, but I believe there still are some. E.g. you probably wouldn't fit in very well if you'd wear designer clothes.
Fitting in socially, both in appearance, behavior, and conversation is a social skill and most of us geeks lack potential or motivation to master.
Originally posted by NordlysVery true. Almost 20 years ago I changed jobs, from a clothing manufacturer to a software company. At the clothing company, we had to wear suits, but we could custom-order them at a great price. So, I show up for work at the software company, where "well dressed" simply meant your t-shirt didn't have holes. I have a whole closet full of new suits, and 7 years history of wearing them to work, so I keep wearing a suit and tie. None of my peer engineers accepted me at face value, or trusted me. They believed I must really be a sales guy pretending to be an engineer.
It seems to me that many so-called geeks or nerds actually manage quite well to fit in socially (okay, maybe somewhat below average). They just choose other geeks as the group they want to belong to and their point of reference. This group may have fewer unwritten rules than most other groups, but I believe there still are some. E.g. you probably wouldn't fit in very well if you'd wear designer clothes.
So Nordlys, point well taken. People do choose what groups they want to be a part of, then somehow glean the expected behavior.
Is it just me or are most of the world's chess clubs dominated by a mix of young geeky-looking school boys and ageing men who don't wash as often as they should and dress in nasty smelly clothes?Been to 2 chess clubs and several OTB competitions and your theory of young geeks and older smelly men is correct, but incomplete.
There are also a growing number of 30-50 year old men who used to be chess nerds but who left chess when they found 1 or all of drink/drugs/sport/sex/fun and have now returned.
Usually I have found these people (I would say I am one!) to be casually well dressed, relaxed, funny smokers who enjoy several pints on nights of tournaments and are capable of chat and banter about all sorts of subjects not just conversations like 'What's your response to 2...d6 in the Sicilian?'
Originally posted by malinga
There are also a growing number of 30-50 year old men who used to be chess nerds but who left chess when they found 1 or all of drink/drugs/sport/sex/fun and have now returned.
Usually I have found these people (I would say I am one!) to be casually well dressed, relaxed, funny smokers who enjoy several pints on nights of tournaments and are capable of ...[text shortened]... response to 2...d6 in the Sicilian?'
Hey thatts me as well!
I don't think I stink...
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There are also a growing number of 30-50 year old men who used to be chess nerds but who left chess when they found 1 or all of drink/drugs/sport/sex/fun and have now returned.
And that describes me as well. However I don't frequent chess clubs, therefore I don't smell.