It finally happened.
After years of winning every game of skill I had ever played against the kids I have now lost. Some people find it off-putting that I would never let the kids win. But I wanted to make sure that when they finally won it would be well deserved. It's not as if I annihilated them - at least, not all the time.
There had been a few losses along the way. Those, though, came as a result of me trying to demonstrate something about the game or trying to keep it close. The kids would feel good about the win and I'd smirk, knowing that I could have won if I had tried.
But not tonight. I played my very best game and lost resoundingly.
Muluken asked if I wanted to play Othello. He chose black which left me with white - meaning that I would have to make the first move. I generally do not care which color I play because Muluken plays so randomly I know I can take control of the most precious squares on the board - the edges and corners.
But tonight was different. Muluken gave up the early lead so that he could establish good board position. Othello is a strange game in that if you get too far ahead early there's a good chance you're going to lose. That's because you're making moves that give you the instant gratification of a lead while the other person is meticulously laying the groundwork necessary for a strong endgame. Muluken has never done this. He's always jumped at the move that gave him the most pieces.
Yet tonight he waited patiently. Eventually he forced me to make moves that allowed him to secure most of the edge squares and all four of the corners. It was a massacre. I kept trying to find a way out but I couldn't. There were no quick moves on his part. No mistakes.
The end result was a 50 - 14 drubbing. Ouch.
"Maybe we could play a game with everyone - not just the two of us," he said afterward.
"No, let's play Othello again," I responded.
"How about a different game," he suggested.
"No. Let's play Othello again," I insisted.
We did play again. I was black this time and he played white. We found out that following the early strategy that we both employ means that the white player gets himself into a really bad situation after the first twelve plays of the game. He has to give up edges and, eventually, corners. Until we figure out a way around this the black player will always win. I can't wait to see which of us solves this problem first.
I'm no longer so confident, though, that it will be me.
Note: A day after posting this I learned that we had been playing the game wrong. When playing Othello, every move you make must result in taking at least one of your opponents discs. We had not been doing this. We also learned that black always makes the first move - not white. Now we will have all kinds of new strategies to discover.
I'm with you. I never let the kid in my class win at chess or Nim unless there is strategy teaching going on. That way, they know when they have won that it was legitimate. That being said, the game is equally about sportsmanship - winning and losing gracefully. The rule is to shake hands after every game. The game isn't over until this gracious act is complete.
ReplyDeleteHow neat that you treasured that moment when Muluken trounced you. And now that you've written it, you WILL remember.
You guys all have a wonderful vacation. See you son.