A real chess club is born in Colleferro and I am happy. I am not a chess player but in my imagination they have a special place. When Mario Petrucci (to whom the Avio Chess Club is dedicated) taught us to play I was always proud of the important role of the queen.
Then, for me chess means cold war and great political challenges during the iron curtain when the American and Russian champions challenged each other on the table instead of throwing bombs.
Who doesn't remember the 1972 match between the Russian Boris Spassky and the American Bobby Fischer? It seemed that the fate of the world was about to be defined! We were all glued to the television to know the outcome and to know which country would have the intellectual, and therefore political, supremacy over the other.
For the first time an American won and the world was saved (or so it seemed). But perhaps for fear of losing this record, the American did not grant moral revenge by participating in the 1975 World Championships and the Russian Karpov won by default.
When the rematch between the two players Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer finally took place, twenty years had passed, and this match also became a political case.
It was 1992 and the match was played between Belgrade and Sveti Stefan during the fall of the former Yugoslavia. The United States did not give permission to play but this time Bobby Fisher, who had not wandered aimlessly for 20 years, ignored Washington's order and in response the USA issued an arrest warrant signed by George W. Bush.
Bobby Fisher won again but that would be his last match and then he had to exile himself from America.
After this great emotion, I must admit that I have never been a player, but I saw my brothers with their friend Fabio Solimena practicing and becoming more and more passionate about this game.
And when some of my friends like Leo Camilli started to practice, I was very happy to organize the first regional tournament at Donna Vittori ‘La mossa del cavallo’ (the second edition will be held this year). Leo then became a teacher for children and this year he promoted this discipline (calling it a game is an understatement) among school children.
Every time I go into Bottega del Vino I find chess players who are focused on their game, and I also find Fabio Solimena, who for me is still the child who came to our house to challenge my brother. There is a small world that moves around chess that teaches you to win but also to lose.
“Leo became a chess player when he learned to lose. When he stopped taking defeats on the board personally and was able to see the beauty of the game and the wit of the moves”, Fabio told me, all proud of the new club in Colleferro. And also of the fact that every now and then Leo manages to beat him.
So last Saturday the Colleferro chess club was inaugurated inside the Avio Club headquarters dedicated to bowls enthusiasts. The club is affiliated with the ASD Quattro Torri led by maestro Marco Marcon who organizes regional tournaments, and has a competitive phase that is managed by Maurizio Martino, another long-time friend.
And I couldn't miss it. I'll get a membership card but I don't think I'll learn to play.
But, never say never!
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