The Ideal Chess Wife

A friend of mine, a reasonably strong player in the 1800s or so, got married and that was that. Goodbye chess! In fact I know a couple more of these guys who marched down the aisle and had to retire from the game. One of them seems like he's disappeared from the planet; I haven't heard from him in over a year since he tied the knot. It's a big pity really as these guys were very competent woodpushers and whose company were always very welcome.

One question that's been on my mind is: can chess and marriage mix? You see it's a crucial question because last weekend I was chatting to another mate of mine who said that he's looking for a wife. I didn't know what to say. I just had this funny feeling that I had to warn him of something.

Well, of course, chess and marriage can work. But the key here, I'm sure, is hitching with the right kind of woman, one with the proper kind of mindset. Over at The Chess Drum, there is a heartwarming story about a certain Charles Covington and his, wait for it, "help mate", Becky. It seems that Mr Covington has an example for us all. This is what he wrote to The Chess Drum:

I would like to thank my wife Becky for her time and patience in helping me to be a good chess player. We have been married for 41 years and Becky is my biggest fan. She bought chess books for me so that I could study to become a better player. I remember several times I would come home from work and she would have chess players waiting to play me. She would fix lunch and dinner for them. She would enroll me into chess tournaments without me even knowing it.

Sigh. I'm just feeling, like, oh-so-weak at the knees at the moment. Lucky bastard is all I can say. The complete article can be read here.