The First Time You See a Puzzle — and How I (Waste?!) Spend My Time with ChatGPT
I’ve been coaching chess for a while, and there’s one habit I’ve considered changing: when I give a student a good puzzle and they get stuck, I usually end up giving away the answer that same day.
When I was younger, I told myself that someday, when I’m older and wiser, I would change this habit.
Today, I decided to try being old and wise.
While waiting for a child to be picked up from chess camp, I showed a student one of my favorite puzzles. He couldn’t solve it (no one can) and asked me for the answer.
I printed the puzzle, added this caption, and put my name and the date on it:
“This is the only time in your life seeing this puzzle for the first time.”
Then I laminated it and gave it to the student. By the way, this is the first time I’ve laminated a chess puzzle and given it to a student. I’m not really into laminating, but I have a laminator and hundreds of laminating sheets…
After the student left, out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT if the caption was okay. I kind of liked the choice of words for some reason. Also, I think I might have heard someone say something similar about watching a certain movie for the first time, but I don’t remember. So I was curious if I was quoting someone or plagiarizing.
ChatGPT offered cleaner alternatives—but when I asked if I could leave it as-is because it was interesting stylistically, or if it was a deal breaker, the response was:
"It’s not a deal breaker. It’s offbeat, even poetic. Some might find it confusing, but it fits the moment. Just own it."
Anyway, I don’t know what the moral of the story is. Oh yes! Something about patience and delayed gratification regarding puzzles, and getting older and wiser and how I'm cool for having a laminator. But more importantly, after a 12-hour day of chess, it’s fun to spend a few minutes pretending to be wise.
The End.
P.S. Here is more from ChatGPT:
Response:
You can leave the sentence as is—it’s not a deal breaker, especially in a creative or informal context like a laminated chess puzzle. It has a certain offbeat, almost poetic quality that might actually make students pause and think, which could be exactly what you want.
That said, here’s the trade-off:
Pros:
It’s intriguing and memorable.
It creates a slightly surreal tone, which fits the mood of facing a mysterious, difficult puzzle.
It might stick in the student’s mind more because it’s not perfectly conventional English.
Cons:
Some students (or parents) might find it confusing at first glance.
It could be perceived as a grammar slip instead of a stylistic choice.
So, if your audience is open to a little quirkiness or you want it to sound like a riddle or challenge in itself, then yes—go ahead and use it. If you’re going for clarity or a more polished, professional tone, then a small tweak might serve you better.
Bottom line: It’s not wrong enough to be a problem, especially in context. Just own it confidently.
