Trophy Inscriptions

Sometimes tougher than the game itself, is to devise what to say on a trophy. I was amused by this one:

"don't know how i won that"

hahaha,

There is a trophy that says: fishy play. What does it mean?

The usual meaning of "fishy" is dodgy or suspicious. But the text accompanying the trophy says: "I played that like a fish, good game!". This points us towards another meaning of "fish"...

a weak chess player is referred to as a patzer, "fish", "woodpusher" or "duffer". (German: patzen, to bungle.)

all of which leads us to the inescapable conclusion that this trophy is intended to be given by the loser to the winner!

playing like a fish/ being a fish/ the fish at the table  is a term long used in poker to describe the player most likely to lose his chips to the other players.  That is the player you are most likely to be able to beat out when vying for a pot. 

To translate into chessplay speak it would refer to one's chessgame that consisted of transparent play combined with many blunders.  The trophy used in this situation is of a self deprecating nature, since the person giving the trophy is saying it about his/her own game.  It is sort of like the "I slipped" trophy in that you are giving somewhat of a backhanded complement to the victor in the vein of "nice game, but I beat myself".  The big difference between the 2 is that "played like a fish" would indicate that you felt you played a subpar game all along, where the "I slipped" may refer to a single significant error.

Sometimes tougher than the game itself, is to devise what to say on a trophy. I was amused by this one:

"your personal message here"

The best one i have recieved said "made in China"

cute. lol

The one i recieved long time ago says: YOU DESERVE A FLOWER

And the trophy was a flower.I lost that game.It was realy nice to to be sent such a trophy with this text.

I think sometimes we dont understand our oppoents' words ,but this is due to the bad explained thoughts.

The one I am referring in here is pretty obvious as a meaning.The opponent thanks for the game politely in this way as I am a woman and he-a man.

Well expressed - as was the trophy. Would you have been so delighted, I wonder, to have received this trophy: "You play like a girl" (or "you play like a woman!") ?

paul211, I shall ponder upon your observation.

I was picking up a theme from what Nane had written: "The opponent thanks for the game politely in this way as I am a woman and he - a man." that the trophy she received - alluded to a gender difference between the two players. The trophy I hypothetically proposed - not for any specific game or any specific person - makes explicit the gender of one of the players. I pose as a general enquiry: how would it feel to receive this trophy?

hmmm....  you know Artfizz, your hypothetical inscription reminds me of a line from a Bob Dylan song I once heard in a dream...  "you make love just like a woman, but play chess just like a little girl"

(yes it is true.....chess has even permeated the music in my dreams.  definitely time for chess rehab I think)

zombywoof, you could inspire a whole new line in Lyrical Trophies:

I'm down. I'm down. I'm down. How can you laugh when you know I'm down?

yes, I can see where this is going..... lyrical inscriptions....

"the king is gone but he's not forgotten"  (from a Neil Young song)

TopGun Trophy: "That was some of the best playing I've seen to date - right up to the part where you got killed." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/quotes

All I wanted to say is that a trophy might be used not only for determining the game or the player,but in a way to be shown some respect or simply to thank for the game.The one i have mentioned with my explanations and thoughts was a kind of THAT one ,I think.Thats way the inscriptions are so important.

LOL.  I LOVE IT!!!  Yeah, I bet there's a zillion movie quotes that could be turned into trophies.  That one from Top Gun is GREAT!!

"I'll be back." (with more movie quotes later)

Fizz, don't take it too seriously..... after all it was Paul that sent Nane the flower trophy.....  You could tell by how he said she received it from a "charming gentleman".  How else could he know?

It could have been from an international stalker of pretty women who play chess.  Or perhaps a kidnapper who is more selective about who he kidnaps.  After all, it can take a while before the ransom is paid, so you may as well kidnap someone who plays chess I suppose.....  just in case the internet goes down.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's_100_Years..._100_Movie_Quotes