I have one cat, Marielle, who has not recovered from being an abandoned feral kitten. She hides inside the house, and only comes out at night. Another of my cats, Jack, has made friends with her and they play games in the middle of the night. One of the games they play is chess. They push the old cigar box off the table and spread the pieces on the floor. Chess men make perfect size cat toys, bouncing around in unpredictable ways. Some roll, some skid, some you can bat into the hall and down the stairs. And if you want, you can take one in your mouth and run hide it.
Twice I simply picked up the pieces, put them back in the box, and let it go. The third night, listening from the bed, I realized how deliberate the game was, as they worked together to dump the set, and then began battering the pieces around in delight. They knocked the black hat off the head of the white king, so I had to find it and glue it back.
Tonight I will find an older set that take the rough treatment and leave it out for them. I have asked about variations and openings, but they will not say a word.
Twice I simply picked up the pieces, put them back in the box, and let it go. The third night, listening from the bed, I realized how deliberate the game was, as they worked together to dump the set, and then began battering the pieces around in delight. They knocked the black hat off the head of the white king, so I had to find it and glue it back.
Tonight I will find an older set that take the rough treatment and leave it out for them. I have asked about variations and openings, but they will not say a word.
