Chess Nut Blog: Death By Chess

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Death By Chess - Oct. 31

Executioner Barry Eacker

Chess play began at 9 p.m. in the Rosenau Funeral Home and Cremetorium until 2:30 am in Twin Falls. The G/13 tournament was sponsored by the Idaho Chess Union under the auspices of executioner Barry Eacker, and the din of very bad horror films of the cultish-order would make anyone a zombie. Apropos to play like a zombie!

At about 1 am!

This unique tournament attracted 18 sick and demented chess players from as far away as Boise, Caldwell, and the Wood River Valley. In fact, our chess club brought 7 members. Andrew, Shane, and Curly showed up in their buffalo wings costumes (after winning shirts in a hot wings eating contest early that evening). Jake Whitlock - a beer keg to wash it all down. Taylor, Desmond and me were, in fact, zombies. Patterson's were present - Kevin dressed as "Kevin", Katie looked like the bride of Frankenstein(?), Abderhalden's too - Rickey was a ninja, and Katie looked like someone got mad at her chess abilities. She's good! I asked Barry who the new, really ugly girl was, but it turned out to be Johnny Seekamp dressed up as a really ugly girl.

Des and Jake

Andrew and Curly begin play, round 1

Des and Katie Patterson

Everyone's games suffered a slow and tortured existence - I hung so many pieces, including queen's in two games, that my chess game took on the appearance of a mass suicide that would make the caretakers of the establishment thrilled for all the business. I think I murdered more pieces than the movies did! Chunk's of wood were hitting the floor and my poor chessmen were impaled, forked, skewered, and pinned as if I didn't know what a tactic was. Andrew, Curly, Taylor and me managed to win half our games with 4.0 pts. each, however. Desmond, 2.0 pts., Jake, 2.0 pts., and Shane, 0.5 pts.