There’s many things people don’t know about me. Apart from being a swimmer, a bowler, an archer and a horseback rider, I am also a chess player. I enjoy the quiet, intellectual game immensely. It not only made me think, but it also sharpens my mind and heightens my concentration.
When I was still living with my mum and dad, a game of chess with my dad every weekend is a family routine.
I was only 8 when I first touch a chess piece. My dad thought me how to play chess, and I had initially assume that he was trying to instill patience and concentration on me.
As of late, I discovered that he was not only trying to instill patience and concentration, but to teach me the ways of life, to prepare me for the despicable world that I will be thrown into by choice, or by force, many years later in my life.
Why did I say this? Well, elementary my dear readers. My dad thought me moves. They are not special moves, but rather common, chess move that has been proven effective in the game play.
I may not say it aloud, but most of my worthy opponent would realize 2 things about me when I started the game:
1. I will choose the white pieces.
2. I will start the game by using the move ‘Queen’s Gambit’.
Chess players all around the world would recognize this rather popular chess move. But I am not sure if any of you out there are chess player, so allow me to tell you what ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is.
The Queen Gambit is a chess opening move, where the moves below is made
1. d4 d5
2. c4
The purpose of this move… The Queen’s Gambit is to open the path for the Queen to make her moves freely against the opponent.
In doing so… the Bishop on the Queen’s side is also free to move, and so does the Knight. By using Queen’s Gambit’s wisely, the white players tend to have advantage in the game as it’s not playing defense, but offense instead, hence, the chances of attacking and checking the opponent’s King is made possible under certain circumstances.
The opponent can have a choice on whether to accept the Queen’s Gambit or to decline.
Anyway, by there’s a few advantage in using Queen’s Gambit (this is just a matter of my opinion). By starting out with Queen’s Gambit, one could move the King to a safer and a much more secure place through Castling on the Queen’s side early in the game, provided, the King haven’t been checked by the opponent yet.
It is common knowledge that despite of it’s importance in a game of chess, the King is the most useless piece of all. It can only move one step at a time, and nothing more than that, unless it’s Castling. It can’t attack, and it’s defenseless without the pieces surrounding him.
The Queen, however, is the most powerful piece. It can move vertically or horizontally, and it’s move is never restricted to just one step at a time. Play it right, your Queen can always control the entire game. With the help of the cunning Knights and the bold Bishops, of course. The Rook or Castle usually will serve to guard the King, ensuring the King is always safe in it’s box, or be ready to exchange place with the King through “Rooking”.
Chess is not a complicated game. It is a game where you play to protect the King- the most useless, yet the most important piece. Without the King, there will be no chess game. It’s game over when your King has been checkmate, as basically, chess game is all about protecting not only your entire domain, and territory, but your King.
If your King succumbs to the arts of the enemy, the entire game will halt as once the King has fallen, the entire kingdom will fall. So obviously, the King must be protected at all cost. Sacrifice a few pawns, Bishops, Rook, Knights mercilessly if you must, but the King cannot be sacrificed or it’s GAME OVER!
Same goes with life. You must protect what belongs to you, regardless of how useless it seems to be. Life is just like a game of chess. You cannot allow your enemies play a fool with you, or your King and your Kingdom because if you do, it’s not GAME OVER, but it’s LIFE’s OVER.
Maybe that’s a little bit exaggerating, but allowing the enemies to play a fool with you and mess up with your life could be fatal, and the damages that has been done, could never be undone, regardless of how you try to mitigate the damages.
My advice to you, ladies and gentlemen… life is like a game of chess. There’s always imbecile out there that enjoys ruining the lives of others. So, if you do not want to succumb to those kind of people, play your life right from the beginning, and use The Queen’s Gambit moves early in life and secure your domain.
Cleffairy: Never, ever fall to the trap of your enemies who may very well pretend to be your sweet and docile friend to penetrate and infiltrate your defense for whatever sinister purpose they have in mind.
I always gave up half way playing because I don’t have the patience to think what;s the best next move. Dad and brother love chess too.
LOL… chess is a good practice for patience. 😀 It’s just too bad that i can’t play it so often anymore. 🙁
This games need patience and no-mercy towards the potiential enemy. I agree with you, this game similar to our daily life. We must think in any movement we are going to make to avoid mistake which may be harmful to our lives. Your dad is taught a good life lesson to you..
Yes… a game of no mercy…survive or be killed. *sigh* Unfortunately for me, I made many wrong moves in life… lol…moves that sometimes, backfires and costs me. :'(
More chess? @@ I like the way you phrase this though – “…to penetrate and infiltrate your defense for whatever sinister purpose they have in mind.” Sends all kinds of signals to the head! Hahahahahaha!!!!!
*stare* What are you thinking ah, Cikgu?
I only won once against the computer -_-“
But lucky i got my life quite~ right ^^
Lucky you… hahaha… I never win against the computer… DAMN!
i very char one playing games….not shrewd enuf hahaaha
You’re saying I’m shrewed la? Cilaka! *Snarl*
Hey! thanks for dropping by!
Yes I have heard the book was much much better than the movie.
I find that its really cool that you are an author! Good luck with it!
Oh and good post on trying to teach people how to play chess.
I suck at it tho..
🙁 Yeah, the book was definitely better than the movie. The movie was…rather…lame…and abit brooding. I find the movie quite boring and lack ‘life’. Everyone seems to be like mannequin.
sometimes, when u too focus to attack,
you might causing the enemy have more chance to make their pawn become another queen and it will eventually causing checkmate to ur king.
Well then, I will have to make sure I KILL all the pawns first before they do any damages…it’s KILL or DIE, isn’t it? But getting checkmate or not… it’s up to the players to protect it’s own King. After all, the King is always the vulnerable one.
too focus on attack,
sometimes causing you lack on attention on the pawns that is approaching.
sometimes there is a knight from the enemy staying at somewhere far, is waiting to strike your king.
focusing on attack and neglect on appropriate steps to defense, will put ur king in danger.
That’s what gets on my nerves sometimes on the game of chess. If not for the sake of winning the games, sacrifices and attacks shan’t be necessary.
If it’s other game, I would have considered the King unworthy of protection. Weaklings should not be protected. They ought to be taught on how to defend themselves and stand on their own feet. If they can’t, they are not worthy of life. The world is better off without them.
But rules are rules. Players had to protect their King at all cost. That is why I said attack or be attacked. And only fools would regard another player haven’t prepared a proper defense before attacking.
And you can cook too! Hmm is there something you can’t do?! xP
I can’t be Queen, I guess. LOL.
Never won before any game of chess either with homo sapiens or with computer at the easiest retard level…However, i think i didn’t do too badly in handling life i guess…oh wait..i have problems finding a girl even though i can claim i know them reasonable well and above average for guys…hmmm…time for some chess lesson i presume…
Take it from me. You still have many things ahead of you in life… girls… at this point… according to my husband sometimes… ‘would stop you from achieving your goals’. And I suppose he is right. But to me… it works vice versa. A man too will also stop some women from achieving their goals and ambitions.
The King is the most useless piece of all.
The Queen, however, is the most powerful piece.
Hahaha very true. Unfortunately, no matter how powerful is the Queen, she can’t control the King.
i disagree on this, as the king, when castling,
it will cause the enemy’s plan to be halted.
Depends on how you look at it, I suppose. 🙁 Some people would say the King is the most powerful and the most sinister one of all, cuz of his importance in the game. Not needing to do anything/powerless;, and yet, he’s the one who decide the fate of the ‘entire kingdom’.
hi Clef, could you please read your email at [email protected] from bigitaboss @ gmail ?
About Chess discussion in private…
Hi there, Yuron, thank you for dropping by. I’ve read the email and replied. 😀 Do check the email, and thank you for contacting me regarding the matter.
I am not good at playing chess…..but the board looks like a nice checkered cake….ha ha ha!
wow, you are an archer, a bowler, a swimmer, a horseback rider and a chess player? Did I miss out anything? wow wow wow! I feel like an ant if I stand beside you… you must feel so fortunate to be given so much opportunity to learn all these in life
LOL… I’m an author too. That alone makes my world goes wild.