CHESS and Game of Life

Chess is a game based on strategy. It is the battle among two armies, fighting for the head of the enemy’s king. It is common knowledge that one cannot simply dive into a battle field without any plan. He must be vigilant at every point and should be able to foresee his enemies moves. This game is quite intellectual and can even help one to devise perfect traps and make new tactics.

This quote from movie "Pawn Sacrifice" beautifully illustrates the vastness of this game

So, this game...It's a rabbit hole. After only four moves, there's more than 300 billion options to consider. There's more 40-move games than there are stars in the galaxy. So, it can take you very close to the edge.

It depicts great example of interconnected strength and if you make one wrong move, you may have to defend it till very end because the strength of the chain is in the weakest link.

Allan Rufus wisely depicted the game in his book ‘The Master’s Sacred Knowledge’ , by saying that:

“Life is like a game of Chess. To win you have to make a Move. Knowing which move you make comes with In-sight and Knowledge and by learning the lessons that are accumulated along the way. We become each and every piece within the game called Life”.

Every Step in Life has a Purpose:

The applications of chess in life is not limited. The game proves that every step in one’s life has a purpose to it and it would be wise to think carefully and choose a path wisely before taking the first step. For one wrong move could even lead to ultimate destruction. Life demands one to choose a path. It gives one choices or options to move however he wants. But it depends on the man on which path he takes and how he chooses to move.

For Example:

In case a person is the owner of any business company, he would realize soon enough that business is in fact a battle field where one cannot move without any purpose or prior plan. It would be the same as feeding oneself to the dogs.

It was said by Susan Polgar that:

“Chess is a miniature version of life. To be successful, you need to be disciplined, assess resources, consider responsible choices and adjust when circumstances change”.

Sacrifices have to be made:

Life demands sacrifices. One cannot simply play their cards without making any sacrifices in life. Such an ideal life is impossible. One sacrifices his health and his wealth just to feed his wife and children. Chess proves how by sacrificing one piece you could achieve the ultimate victory but if you hesitate to even make a move then instead of sacrificing something minor, the person himself would become doomed.

It was wisely pointed out that:

“You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player".

Look at the Bigger Picture:

If you are too busy defeating the pawns then that means that you are only looking at a tiny part of a bigger picture. By defeating the enemy pawns one might win the battle but ultimately the opponent ceases the chance to eliminate your king, without you even being able to tell how the opponent had made his move. You would end up simply losing the war. One must not be narrow minded but should have a broad vision of the bigger picture and think outside the box

When dealing with any matter in life whether professional or private, chess ultimately becomes a resourceful tool in helping one see the reality of the picture painted because sometimes one pawn can take down a king.

According to Wynton Marsalis:

“Chess improves strategic thinking, attention span, patience, camaraderie and sportsmanship”.

And it is known that:

“Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do; strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do”.

Ending Note:

In the end chess can teach a lot of things to a person. It only depends on how eager the party is to learn. If he is able to master the game, he can play the game of life, it would be a piece of cake going through life as he would even during hard times previously experienced the pain of losing his ‘Knight’ on the battle field. Even if he would have to face hardships and would lose at times it would only motivate him to strive hard and keep moving forward.

It was wisely said that:

“No one has ever won a game of chess by taking only forward moves… Sometimes you have to move backwards to take better steps forward. That is life.”

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