‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Made Me Remember Boris, the Best Chess Player I Ever Knew
The new Netflix show sparks fond memories of a dearly departed adversary
Shock. I was a member of the chess club. I joined when I entered junior high, which may have been the same year my father taught me how to play chess.
I have little to no memory of the matches played during those few years but have vivid memories of my battles with Boris.
Boris was ruthless, maniacal even. He’d taunt me and laugh at my paltry moves, and while he sometimes commended my smart ones, he’d often feign confidence when I caught him off guard, telling me, “I expected that.” Boris kept this green player honest, too, telling me when I’d made an “illegal move.” Boris was also lazy, telling me where to move his pieces on the board. Basically, playing Boris meant twice the work.
Boris was also a computer.
42 years ago, my father brought home Boris, one of the first consumer chess games. Billed as the first “Talking Chess Computer,” Boris was developed by Chafitz and named for the Russian Chess Grandmaster Boris Spassky.
“Talking” was a generous term. Instead of an anthropomorphic robot, Boris was housed in a cigar box-sized cherry wood chest. Inside, there were…
