As long as there has been civilization, humanity has used the act of play to hone our skills in battle through sport or hone our strategic abilities through mental combat of some variety.
I am terrible at table games. The only time I’ve ever won a game of chess was in fourth grade in a clear example of beginner’s luck. was fine at checkers, but far preferred a game created myself, Flukes, in which one lines one’s checkers single-file along the farthest line and then flicks a checker toward the opponent’s side—the goal being to remove the opponent’s checkers from the board first. Flukes was also the highlight of my popularity as it pertained to recess.
As for backgammon, I’ve only watched people play it—specifically, my childhood rabbi, a brilliant man with a masterful knowledge of the game’s strategies. enjoyed watching him wipe the floor with his son-in-law after Passover seders, but the various permutations and strategies were too much for my mind—especially after so much matzoh ball soup and brisket.
This story is from the December 2022 edition of PEN WORLD.
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This story is from the December 2022 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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