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Stamford's A.J. Gerace, 7, plays a lot of chess, but Sunday he found a new way to go about it. A.J. played the king's pawn in a human chess game at Ryan Park in Norwalk. A.J., whose grandmother lives in Norwalk, even got to make the first move, standing in the middle of the board by himself until a black pawn stepped out to greet him.
"They're meeting head-on," the announcer said. "While the two brave pawns glare daggers at each other, they're in the middle of the field [and] they can't touch each other. Remember, pawns can only step into the square in front of them."
Instruction about chess was a steady component of the event, the first human chess game in Norwalk. But one Stamford resident is learning more than strategy when he plays chess. Gerardo Maguina, 13, came here from Peru three months ago and chess is helping him bridge the gap with his new school and play mates.
"He's a wonderful chess player, but he doesn't speak very much English," said Ruby Watkins, one of the game's organizers. Chess, she said, is giving him a reason to learn a new language. "He came and he sat at the chess table and he started right up," she said.
Gerardo said through an interpreter that "the chess was fun because the pieces were human pieces," he said.
A.J. also said he learned about chess from the game, although he did see the checkmate coming. His little sister, 4-year-old Chloe, played, too. "It's a great exposure to the game," said their mother, Rebekah Gerace. "I think it's a great way for them to relate to the game."
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