The bonus grandpa and grandpa taught Leonardo Elo the basics of chess, and the enthusiastic boy started practising.
At Monday’s chess club in the library, Leonardo has had the chance to practice with a wide range of opponents, often much older than himself.
“It’s a good game!”
A year ago, Leonardo Elo, then 5 years old, started playing the piano. After the lesson, it was customary to visit the bonus grandfather, a family friend.
Mother Laura Elo heard Grandpa suggest that Leonardo play chess.
– In my mind I thought that a little boy wouldn’t be able to do it, but luckily I just said out loud that \”just play, it’s a good game\ Elo recalls.
Chess immediately took the boy with him, and every week after the piano lesson he looked forward to a new game. Chess served as a reward for piano lessons. At the moment, the piano hobby has stopped, but the chess games continue to be intense and even last for many hours.
Since then, chess games have also started with grandfather and other relatives and loved ones. The travel chess set always goes with you.
In the beginning, the adults playfully and enthusiastically explained during the game how a certain move was good and inventive, and the boy was given a bit of a head start. However, last summer, the fast-moving Leonardo already played against his grandfather and godfather at the same time, and his skills have also increased.
– Nowadays, they play against him on an equal footing, the wins and losses are real, not given, says the mother.
The mother also plays against Leonardo, but mostly just to improve and be a better challenger for her son.
– Leonardo’s great competitive advantage is that he hums and sings, and he doesn’t mind if his pieces are eaten because \”he has a plan\ laughs Laura Elo.
According to the boy himself, there is no longer any proper opposition from the relatives.
– I can easily beat them! They almost don’t even know chess!
The Queen is the best
Very few chess enthusiasts are under 30 years old. When Leonardo Elo asks himself what is the most comfortable thing about chess, the answer is clear.
– Well, if you get players!
Soon after starting, he longed for new game friends and more game experience. That’s when Laura Elo discovered the Monday chess meetings of the central library Oodi, where they now go regularly and irregularly. Mom has noticed that sometimes playing against unknown people is exciting.
– Leonardo always looks carefully at who he dares to play with. In addition to playing, at meetings he watches other people’s games and moves on the spot, says Laura Elo.
Everyday life is mostly nothing but chess. At home, Leonardo doesn’t practice the game: he doesn’t watch game videos or play chess against machines. The boy has a good memory, and according to the mother, sometimes you can see his liking for chess even outside of playing.
– He draws a lot of all kinds of games, labyrinths and others with rules, moves and structure. Another thing is that sometimes, for example, at dinner, Leonardo might quite unexpectedly tell the moves of a chess game played earlier in the day and remember their order.
Among the chess pieces, Leonardo Elo’s favorite is clear.
– Queen, because it can go to different places and is a good player.
Match against the champion
Finnish junior chess champion Oliver Wartiovaara played simultaneously against twelve opponents in the Oodi event. According to that, when opponents fell away, new ones took their place. In total, there were 30 games in about four hours, of which 28 wins, one draw and one loss each.
Leonardo Elo only decided to play against Wartiovaara on the spot. My mother’s job next door was to sometimes give cookies and drinks and to have fun.
– Leonardo doesn’t plan what he does in advance, but decides quite quickly what the next move is. In this game, he defended for quite a long time.
The game lasted a respectable 40 minutes, during which some of the adult players already had time to fall. The match ended with the victory of the reigning Finnish champion.
Elo told her mother that she was satisfied with both her own and the opponent’s game and that she remembers the point where her thought error occurred.
– He had planned to make a different transfer, but forgot his plan before it was his turn and improvised, Laura Elo says with a laugh.
After his own game, Leonardo still wanted to watch everyone else’s games to the end.
– For him, it’s still about having fun and playing. However, he also seems to be aware of the fact that you learn good moves by watching better players, Laura Elo says with a smile.
*You can discuss the topic until 23:00 on Monday 14 November 2022.*