THE CHESS PLAYER - CHECK DE CHAK DE

“Dont Let Things Happen, Make Them Happen.”

THE CHESS PLAYER

“The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.” —- Alan Ashley-Pitt

Viswanathan Anand is one of those rare breed of sports personalities who has put India on the world map in the Game called Chess. The quality I admire about him is not only the fire in his belly to win laurels for the country and for himself. But the poised charm and dignity he carries around himself unlike others. He is a sports person whom many would like to idolize.

Chess is one of the most ancient games believed to have originated – at the court of the Caliph Haroun al-Rashid in Baghdad ten centuries ago that has survived the ravages of time. Many battles have been won and lost without shedding a drop of blood….thanks to Chess.

Chess is game of pure reason, without luck or chance or subjectivity. Writers, scientists, musicians and artists have all been drawn to the game and taken succour from it. Benjamin Franklin asserted that it improved basic human qualities such as foresight, caution and perseverance.

As Benjamin Franklin wrote once:

“The Game of chess is not merely an idle amusement. Several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of chess, in which we have points to gain, and competition or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or want of it.

Chess has been the exemplar of the best and most noble of human endeavours, and also its worst excesses. The struggle between virtue and tyranny, truth and falsehood, it perfectly represents on the board itself, Two opposed sides fighting out the eternal conflict between good and bad, Black And White.

In fact, the game of chess has so many parallels in our world it is probably the most analogous board game ever invented.

What lessons can a game of chess teach us about life?

Just like the chess board, Life is to be played within the confines of the wide spectrum of black and white i.e good and bad; there are no shades of gray. No wonder that till date the colors of the chess board have not changed. What NO creativity in this area folks!!!!!

The first rule in the game of life is to love the game and then to love the players and before all this love yourself and your current position in the game of your life. And from there just learn to play on from there.

You need not answer and fight everyone who comes in your path or tries to lure you. Be focussed and move on. Don’t give in to distractions.

Survival in the key in the game of life . Think ahead and plan for the future have a back up plan. anticipate possible outcomes of your action. Work up a back plan and an exit strategy. In life this is the most fundamental of all exercises.

Time is a limiting factor in life and so we have to play the game within the allotted time.

Just as man becomes complete when he masters the 64 arts as prescribed by the scriptures to be a complete. So to the pieces on the chessboard have to move within the confines of the 64 squares to accomplish anything, is it by any chance a coincidence.!!

Whatever role is given to us, it should play perfectly; never seek to play the role not given to you, even if roles others play may seem to be more glamorous than yours. Once your role is over you may be given a better role depending upon your ability and performance. Eg a pawn once it moves to the other end becomes a bishop or minister depending upon its placement.

Sometimes we must make sensible sacrifices so that the end can be achieved without much struggle. Also compromising when it is best for the welfare of others shows that we are capable of teamwork.

It teaches to remember our mistakes and improve upon them. Think before you move. Think about what? Possibilities and outcomes. You’ll make better decisions. You’ll get better results.

In this Universe there is a hierarchy and it must be respected.

Each one is unique and has powers allotted to him. Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each one of us is special.

We all have to work within constraints and there is nothing called free will.

You will always face opposition and what counts is how you overcome it.

In life every body is given something good and something bad it how we balance our life that makes all the difference.

It allows you to open up your mind to various possibilities life has to offer. If one has a closed mind even God cannot help.

It helps to choose our friends wisely. For eg, a good friend, is about the most important thing you can have in this world, and if you ever get a chance to demonstrate your loyalty to a close friend, you should do it. And if you ever get an opportunity to benefit yourself at your friend’s expense, you should definitely resist that temptation. With this basic principle, your life will be richer and happier because you are a human being no matter what philosophy you subscribe to, if you don’t have at least one true friend, your chances of being healthy and happy are nil. And having lots of friends also will reduce your happiness. You cannot be a good friend to many people. You can be a fair acquaintance, but none of us has enough time to be a close friend, a true friend, a good friend to more than a few.

We also learn by the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources. Resources are limited. We have to use the resources given to us wisely

In the end the king and pawn go back into the same box.

Life is governed by set of rules. Learning the rules is one thing. But learning how to play by the rules is another thing altogether. In life you don’t have to know all the rules. But, that doesn’t mean you stop playing. You learn with kicks and with experience.

In life we are occasionally tempted with small and trivial positions. These small offers will act as baits to draw you into vulnerable positions and to expose your weaknesses. Do not fall for these - they have the potential to ruin you. Always be focused on your long term objectives and resist the distractions of these momentary temptations

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way.