It has been far too long since I last put "pen" to "paper". Equally it is not often that something moves me to the extent that I really feel I have to comment on it.
I want to tell you a story of a chess player and a person who, to my embarrassment, I don't know her name. The chess player has a grade of 1044, nothing remarkable I hear you say. Except for one thing. This chess player is blind and deaf.
I am of course referring to John Dearie.
I must have stood at his board for a good 20 minutes, watching his fingers deftly fly across the braille board working out the exact locations of the pieces and the implication of what they are doing. It really is mesmerising to watch and I have never heard so many comments from people watching. For most of us, today was hard. 3 rounds in a day is tough for someone who is able bodied. For someone who is having to concentrate as much as he is it must have been incredibly hard.
Chess is a wonderful sport. I was looking around the room today and I was watching young, old, able bodied, people with disabilities, different genders, races all playing in the same room at the same time and competing equally. You tell me another sport that can boast that!
John was on board 2 in the photo above and as we were putting out the top 2 boards live in his section, I moved it down to where he was playing. Why should he miss out :D
I am in awe that he can come along and not just play, but compete. He is a real inspiration for me and I hope we see him playing on the circuit for years to come!
I could not finish this blog without playing tribute to his helper, who, by her own admission cannot play chess. She really is brilliant moving the pieces for John and translating for us all. It is always a pleasure to have them at the tournaments.
