Moore for chess for success

For Moore, it’s chess for success
The chess composition expert likes to teach youngsters the ins and outs of the intellectual game.

By JOSH NEWTON
Press Staff Writer
TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Tahlequah, OK, USA

When someone much younger holds the door open for him, Robert Moore is embarrassed.

He believes he’s only “old” in numerical years, not by what really counts.

“I’m still a kid at heart,” said Moore.

Every Wednesday afternoon, Moore strolls up the sidewalk, clipboard in hand, and into the Tahlequah Public Library. A Tahlequah resident of about 12 years and a world record-holder in chess composition, Moore now teaches children in a local chess club how to play the thought-provoking game at the library.

Chess composition is, by basic definition, a puzzle designed with chess pieces on a board for someone else to try solving.

“It’s a checkmate you make in your own mind with specific ideas, and other people try to solve it,” said Moore.

Moore began his chess career at a young age, when he was growing up in Kansas. Looking back, he laughs about his father telling him he was too young to learn the game.

“My dad said, ‘I don’t think you’re old enough; you’re too young to learn chess,’ so he had someone else teach me to play,” said Moore. “I picked it right up. Most of the time, I played adults, and I would win most of those games.”

When faced with chess problems, Moore seemed to have an innate skill.

“The adults couldn’t figure them out, but I would just look at them and know how to solve them,” said Moore.

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