[HPforGrownups] Re: Ron's chess-playing skills (was Howgarts Clubs - Art, Music, and Chess).

[Przemyslaw Plaskowicki]

No: HPFGUIDX 85713

a_reader2003 wrote:

>Now I've just re-read PS, and found myself puzzled by Ron's supposed 
>chess-playing skills. In my opinion, they were emphasised heavily in 
>the first book purely to lead up to Ron's big moment in rescuing the 
>stone and don't really add up to much. I am not a chess player 
>myself, but to my mind, someone who is good at chess is supposed to 
>be good at strategy, and thinking ahead of the game. Frankly, I don't 
>see Ron behaving like this in later books; its more of a Hermione 
>thing, although, ironically we are given the impression that she is 
>not good at chess.
>  
>
Pshemekan's thought:

I think that's because Ron does not understand human motives and 
emotions, as well as Hermione. Chess is purely logical game -- so Ron 
perhaps is good strategist when it does not need analysing fellow human 
emotions. When (and if) Ron will became Quidditch captain in book 6, we 
can be shown, how he can cope with planning matches strategy.

Alternatively, if 'Ron is a Seer' theory will happen, question why Ron 
always wins chess with Harry can be answered by stating that he simply 
profess next Harry's move.


-- 
Przemyslaw 'Pshemekan' Plaskowicki
I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none. (Ben Shahn)