Milliron Monday: Chess in a Nutshell

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). 

“In life, as in chess, forethought wins.”

― Charles Buxton

 

Jody often told the story of the hand-carved chess set she had bought for Pete while she was traveling throughout Europe. When we found the book in Jody’s things, it reminded me of her story. Here’s an excerpt about the famous chess game from Milliron: The Biography:

After the wedding and upon their arrival in Colorado, Jody presented Pete with a lovely hand-carved chess set she brought from Switzerland as a wedding gift. Pete really liked chess. He didn’t have a chess set, the only thing he owned was his car. “It doesn't say much for our honeymoon,” Jody said. “When I was in Europe I bought the book Chess in a Nutshell: How to Play Chess so I could learn to play. A few days into our honeymoon, on one of the evenings he didn't work, we played chess. I beat him. I got to see a new side of Pete. He stomped and said, ‘Where's that damn book!’ I went to bed at three or four a.m. Pete stayed up that night and read the entire book. When he was finished reading, it was early morning and he couldn’t wait to play, ‘We are going to play chess! Wake up! Wake up!’”

And, of course, Pete won every game thereafter.

 

Have a great week ahead.

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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.