patzer

[ paht-ser, pat- ]

noun

1. a casual, amateurish chess player.

Word History and Origins

Origin of patzer¹

1955–60; probably < German Patzer bungler, equivalent to patz ( en ) to bungle (compare Austrian dialect Patzen stain, blot, patzen to make a stain) + -er -er ¹

Example Sentences

A tall, gentle man with steel-rimmed glasses and a perpetual smile, Hartleb greeted everyone he met—champion or patzer, beginner or veteran, child or octogenarian—by bowing low and saying with deep reverence, “Master!”

From Literature

And there’s a special satisfaction, one no computer program can replicate, in watching the world’s strongest players every once in a while play like a rank patzer.

From Washington Times

I'm just a patzer, but I always enjoy looking at your chessboard illustration, trying to guess the next move.

From New York Times

Suddenly, this chess enthusiast who admits to being a "patzer" – a player of no great ability – has become the game's potential king.

From The Guardian

On a matter this cosmic, it didn’t feel right to leave the discussion to patzers.

From New York Times