Ron's chess-playing skills (was Howgarts Clubs - Art, Music, and Chess).

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 85714

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_reader2003"
<carolynwhite2 at a...> wrote:

> 
> Nora replied(85174):
> 	
> I have a great soft spot for ChessPlaying!Ron, and agree on that
> point. It'd be nice to see. 
> 


> Carolyn:
> 
> 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. ...edited...
> 

bboy_mn:

Oh! Oh! I got it. Scenario: the book doesn't end with Harry and
Voldemort fighting it out, but with Ron and Voldemort engaged in a
Chess DEATH Match with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Winner take all! 

HEY! It could happen! (Well, maybe not, but it's a fun thought.)


> Carolyn:
>
> ... two ... people who play chess ... questioned the ... the moves
> Ron played ... one proposing that Ron was NOT good at chess, it was 
> only Harry who thought so, .... 
> 
> ... theory ... from Grey Wolf (38278), ... the major point in chess
> is knowing when to sacrifice a piece, and that this is heart & gut 
> decision not a logic one. As Ron has this kind of ability in 
> buckets, Grey Wolf asserted that he would eventually make this kind 
> of decision in a battle-situation and lose his life ..., and in 
> doing this he would ultimately up-stage all the achievements of his 
> brothers.
> 

bboy_mn:

I think Grey Wold has a very strong theory. It's possible that the
Chess Game and other similar events are setting the stage for Ron's
willingness to sacrific himself for things greater than himself.
Leading to Ron's ultimate sacrific to save Harry or perhaps someone
else, but I favor Harry. 

In the past, before new books have come out, I've warned people to
look out for character who are becoming very sympathetic. That is, we,
the readers, develop sympathy and an emotional attachment to them.
Those people are likely to be 'cannon fodder'. 

Well, we must admit, that Ron has been developed as a very sympathetic
character; he is someone that we are all quite fond of, and more
importantly, he is someone that Harry is quite fond of. 

With his willingness to sacrific, and a substantial character
sympathy, he could indeed end up 'cannon fodder'; allthough I dearly
hope not.


> Carolyn:
>
> On top of all this, there appears to be some interesting extra 
> complexities to consider in that the pieces in a wizarding chess 
> appear to be able to argue with the player !
> 
> Any new thoughts on the chess theme and Ron's role, now that the
> real battle has commenced ?


bboy_mn;
Let's consider the concept of 'idiot savant'. Some people can be not
all that smart, yet have one small area of brillicance. Maybe Ron is
just a chess natural, he doesn't really think about it. It's a talent
that comes to him naturally; he has an instinctive sense of what to do
next. 

Many people like Harry and Hermione, could very easily get rattled by
the chess men's arguments and comments. But Ron has a very loose, free
and easy attitude; it may be very easy for him to ignore the chessmen,
because to him, they are like entertainment. Their fighting, arguing,
and rude comments are just part of the fun of the game. Like watching
a cartoon on TV while you play chess.

So, Ron could have a sense of the 'game' without having a hard cold
calculated approach to play. Perhaps, it's because the game is visual;
maybe seeing the chess pieces on the board in three dimensions
instinctively allows him to create a mental image of the
possiblilities. Instead of thinking of the moves in a calculated way,
he just has an instinctive sense of what the possibilities are.

The point is, someone doesn't have to be like Hermione, to be good at
chess. One can be acedemically margin while being specifically
brilliant. One can be pour at studies but brilliantly natural at music
for example.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn