A mere pawn in Carpool Chess

Painting by my sister Sofia

Your move, kid: I’m a mere pawn in Carpool Chess
TRACY CURTIS
www.charlotte.com

I hear they’re teaching chess in some elementary schools. You wouldn’t think a child that young could learn a strategic game like chess, but I drive preschool carpool so I know better.

We resume today’s game when I pick up my 4-year-old, Colton, and his opponent from school. She has the advantage. She is smart, and she is 5, and she never lets Colton forget it. Colton jumps right in and moves a pawn forward with his announcement that at lunch he threw a grape in the air and caught it in his mouth.

“I’m telling your teacher on you,” she says. “You told on me when I was fighting with my sister and now I’m telling your teacher on you.” And with that, her queen takes his knight.

Mmmm — that was fast. He’s in for it today — and he knows it. He opts for the simple solution — sacrifice a bishop and apologize for getting her in trouble. Then get on with it. With great humility he offers up one of the more dramatic apologies:

“I’m so, so, SO so so sorry.”

The maneuver is lost on her. Too little, too late. She turns down his apology, but gladly accepts his bishop. He does a quick calculation and tries another tactic:

“If I do something and you tell on me,” he says, moving his castle and taking her bishop, “then you are a tattletale, and that’s really bad.”

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